The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-01-31
PAINTING THE DOME.

The work of repairing the great whit,
dome of the capitol, which has been in
progress several months under the imme
date personal supervision of Siguor Phillip.
pc Costigini, the well known Italian artis
and frescoist, is offering daily attractions tc
hundreds of people, not few of whom are
visitors from every part of the country
The men actually employed upon the outside
OF the dome are twelve in number 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 its 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, fortu-
nately for the goel danes, they are told
nothing abert these things. Tbey only heai
about the wages 1t may seem incredible
but 1t is 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 trickle down
in big streams. leaving the dirt rs palpable
as before. The work of repaiuting would
not be rendered so often necessary were Il
not for the fact that the dome is so con-
strueted that the vertical joints, or ribs, of
the walls which are of iron, as is the entire
structure, do not come in actual contact with
each other, thereby allowing the rain to get
in and rust.
The painters on the roof of tho dome re.
'embie nothing so much as ting 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.
: 70 reach the bottom of the dome il is neees.
sary to lie PROSTATE and climb down these
ladders, proceeding which is not of itself
peculiarly difficult, but becomes so when he
who descends has dizzy head, an unsteady
nerve, and is incumbered with too many
paint pots, and several brushes. Fortunate
ly no accidents have as yet occurred al.
though a single misstep, or the giving away
Of slender piece of rope, would send the
unlneky painter rolling down the steeply
'urving roof, and off into well, eternity.
The most wonderful thing about the Gap
ltol dome however, is yet to be told It 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 lullabies. The grand
naughty Goddess of Liberty on top of tho
dome has heart of bronze, but good heart
for all that. and one filed with true old Vir-
ginia courtesy
She has not yet picked up enough courage
20 attempt to do the pima donna act, but
every morning the good dame courtesies to
the sun, and ashe sinRs in the west she again
courtesies, but without turning around.
Some time since Architect Clark suspendeda
plummet line from the interior of the dome
and 1t was found by actual measurement
TINT the lead swung over space of four aud
one quarter inches, making total dip ont
of the perpendicular OF eight and one-half
inches. This is caused by the alternate
contraction and expansion of the iron.-
Washington Post.