Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-12-21
PAINTING THE DOME.

The work of repainting the great white dome
of the capitol, which has been in progress sever
al months under the immediate personal super
vision of Signor Philippe Costigini, the we'll
known Italian artist and frescoist, is offering
daily attractions to hundreds of people, not
a few of whom are visitors from every part of
the country. The men actually employed up
on the outside of the dome are twelve in mum
ber. They are Washington painters, men OF
more than ordinary daring in their profession.
who are not afraid to risk their lives for fancy
prices, and that is what the Government pays
for all it's work.
The dangers to which these men are daily
subject would no doubt freeze the blood in the
| veins of their loving spouses and cause their
hair to stand dizzily on end, but, fortunately
for the good DANES, they are told nothing
about these things They only hear about
the wages. 1t may seem incredible, but it is a
fact nevertheless, that to repaint the outside
Of the dome requires fifteen tons of pure white
lead. Common white paint would wash off
the roof of the dome in the first rain that
came along, and tricke down in big streams,
leaving the dirt as palpable as before. The
work of repainting would not be rendered 80
often necessary were it not for the fact that
the dome is 50 constructed that the vertical
joints, or ribs, of the walls which are OF iron,
as is the entire structure, do not come in ac-
tual contact with each other, thereby allow
ing the rain to get in and rust.
The painters on the roof of the dome re-
semble nothing so much as tiny flies, and the
rope ladders stretching down from the top in
every direction like hair lines remind one of
delicate Streaks Of molasseS, which these flies
are working for all they are worth. To reach
the bottom of the dome it is necessary to lie
prostrate and climb down these ladders, a
proceeding which is not of itself peculiarly
difficult, but becomes so when he who de-
scends has a dizzy head, an unsteady nerve,
and is incumbered with too many paint pots,
and several brushes. Fortunately no accidents
have as yet occurred, although a single mis-
step, or the giving away of a slender piece OF
rope, would send the unlucky painter rolling
down the steeply curving roof, and off into
well, eternity
Tie most wonderful thing about the Cap
itol dome, however, is yet to be told. 1t is
said that there was statue in ancient Egypt,
called Memnon, which whispered sweet words
of melody to the sun as he appeared above the
horizon, and sang him to sleep with wild weird
lullabes. The grand, naughty Goddess of
Liberty on the top of the dome has heart of
bronze, but a good heart for all that, and one
filled with true old Virginia courtesy.
She has not yet picked up enough courage
to attempt to do the prima donna act, but
every morning the good dame courtesies to
the sun, and as he sinks in the west she again
courtesies, but without turning around Some
time since Architect Clark suspended plum
met line from the interior of the dome and it
was found by actual measurement that the
lead swung over space of four and one quar-
ter inches, making total dip out of the per-
pendicular of eight and one-half inches This
is caused by the alternate contraction and eX-
panson of the iron Washinyton Post.