The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-09-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON. D. c., Sept. 80, 1885.
The appearance about Washington
of the familiar faces of public men
who, through modern pictorial art are
known almost as well in the hamlets of
this vast country as at the Capital it.
self, indicate the not remote approach
of the fall political opening. The city
is alert with preparation. Hotels and
boarding houses, private residences and
shops, streets and sidewalks, are re-
ceiying the touches of renovation, and
are having their youth and freshness
renewed with such cosmetics as paint,
white-wash, wall paper and paving
stones.
The most conspicuous Improvement
is that which has been made in the
Capitol. Marble terraces haye been
built about the North and the West
wings with the result of improving the
symetrical effect of the building by re-
ducing the disproportion of the dome.
Between forty and fifty workmen
are now engaged in the work-sheds
opposite the South side of the Capitol
preparing the marble and granite blocks
for the terraces. This work is being
pushed along rapidly. The terrace
work has been advanced so far as to
enable one to see the beauty and value
of the improvement. There are $50
men employed at the work. These in
clude laborers, brick-layers and we'll
diggers. The latter are employed in
sinking wells down some twenty five
feet below the present surface OF the
ground. These wells are filled up
with concrete and stone masonry, and
between the wells massive brick arches
are constructed to support the walls.
This method is adopted to save ex.
pense, time, and to secure a solid
foundation. To excavate the entire
foundation would be dangerous. The
contractor feels assured that he can
finish the North and South parts of the
terrace before the close of the present
building season. Preparations are
now being made to lay the tagging of
the North terrace, which also forms
the roofs of the vaults. There will be
twenty large rooms on the North side.
Some OF them will be ready for
occupation in about two weeks time.
These rooms will relieve the interior
part of the Capitol of vast number
of documents.
In the building itself much is being
done to prepare for the coming con
gress. Some of the Committee rooms,
particularly that of commerce, claims
and library on the House side, and
privileges and elections on the Senate,
are being handsomely fitted up, and
the ceilings and walls frescoed. The
paintings, "rhe Battle of the Thames,
and the 'Capitulation of the City of
Mexico" have been finished and will
soon be placed in position in the
rotunda. Such is the pressure fol
Committee rooms in the building that
the document room had to be removed
to an interior part, where there is J ut
little ventilation, and the room surrend
cred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs. The Secretary of State when
conferrlng with this committee does sc
in secret. The clerks, therefore, tC
carry on their work are required tc
seek desk room in other places. The
document room was seized upon to OBJ
viate this difficulty.
A large force of men are painting
the interior of the dome Preparations
will soon be made to lay tho carpets il
the Senate and House chambers. Th'
Supreme Court chamber has beer
painted, and the marble cleaned down
On all sides the busy workman is seel
lending his hand to beautify the build
ing before congress convenes
The East front of the building ha
been holy-stoned to whiteness, al
marks of the mellowing hand of tim,
being obiterated by removing a thil
layer of the surface of the marble II
the wings, so a. to correspond witt
the white painted surface of the oil
portion of the building.
The new Pension building has bee
almost completed and is already occu
pied by the Commissioner Of Pension
and his vast army of assistants an
clerks. The Pension Building is ugl
in the extreme, and think that
will be used as a warning, and end tn
brick era in National Architecture
For a building so vast, and so endul
ing, no worse design or material coul
have been adopted. 1t looks like
factory or a mammoth prison and it
so unfortunately situated as to be col
spicuous from ali parts of the city.