Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-03-31
LOST IN THE Big DOME
A Romance of the Capitol at
Washington.

How SIGHTSEEING Bride Was Locked Up IA
| a Dark Passage-Ths Frantic Groom'l
Fearful Fall-The Happy Denousment
Washington correspondent Of The Nsa
| York World wrltesi
Not half dozen people among the thoua'
auds who daily pass from the Senate wing OF
the Capitol through the corridor past tho su'
preme court room and around the well "a
the great rotunda have any idea that above
them in the little round tops that crown the
well and corridor ceilings Is curious maze
OF dark, winding, gloomy passages and irregn'
lar chambers that fairly rival the classical
| labyrlnth Of mythology. The great demand
for space In which to store the immense
unantlties OF government publications an
nually Issued has finally eneroaehed upon
these dlmy lighted reeesses, and to-day a
stranger would quickly lose himself In these
yerltable eataeombs piled high with dusty
volumes that were old when the war OF the
rebellion was the sensation Of the day. Peo-
pie who have climbed the winding, zigzag
stairway to the tholus Of the done on which
stands the Goddess Of Liberty quickly lose
the points Of the compass, and would never
imagine that at any po!nt In The ascent they
pass near the miniature labyrlnthlne
ehambers
10 moving a stock OF tilne-stalned doe
uments filllng one OF these round tops yestsr.
day the labOreEs disclosed door that for ten
years has never been swung upon It's rusty
hinges ID Is . very heavy iron affair ahd
guards the pAssage-way With a spring lock
and stout iron bar. Years ago 10 opened
upon an upper landing OF the stairway TO tho
DOME but for the iast decade veteran AFehi.
tseG Clark says il has never stirred so much
as 70 shake on the eobwebs with which II h
now festooued
The discovery Of this forgotten exit served
to remind an old guide who has plotted sight
seers about the Capitol for quarter OF a
century OF an incident which recalls wildly
the romance Of Lab GiasYra, the mlstlstos
bough and the great oaken chest Before the
invention Of the electric light the great circle
Of burners about the galleries OF the a0ma
and the clusters about the Senate and House
ak lights we're ignited by an electric eurreat
that flashed through series Of wtres lrading
from an enormous battery. This battery vas
located 10 the round top above the sril and
lined Us cylindrical walls 9Th great general
Ing jars
Ons wIntry afternoon, buy few minutes
before the hour set fJF the cl1siug o. the
dome staifwav this guide bsgaa tue ioHg
ascent plotting one % the uuuuefless bridal
cou pies that every season make Washington .
Mecca The yOuug man was an enthusiastic
sightasef, and as tho guide pointed put tho
interesting features OF The Ascent be suffered
his brides hand " siip from bis ann aud
pEssssd Ga several PAGES ahead, aaIil
sudden tuFn In the stairs hid Ltn from her
yirw. piqusd al bits drssTtI0a u her. sba
tUI.rd mp The sIaira alone uHlll Arr eTe tell ap,
on aOaf standing ajar 81 Tho beat u a shuFg
aighb Of sleeps lrsdinE on 90 The right IN a
spFtE Of mischief shs ran ub thtss stvEa,
pushed Open the doas and catered tie rleefFt.
cal laboratory, resolved 10 hide from btf
husband Hardly q raw oi iishl penetrated
the gloom 81 The chamber but for a tiafusAs
curiosity DytFesme hsF 1gtil Nlkh babg q
draa4ht swung tue bsaqv it0u door sh4l With
loud click % The sprtag lock Foe a
moment 1hs was dazsd, and then real Elug
that she sas shut in spFaHg Is ths doar AID
endeayOFei 10 0qen 10, teaglnE uBen 10 hard
surface With her liiLle aanls ana eFylHg lgal.
y t1r heIy.
Many minutes that seemed to her hJara abe
tagged a. tic heavy fastening ~ The door and
called vatnly % her husband los asslaGAuer
"Hulp me, Albert, help lnrtH ans cried bat
her voice hardly ueHs.faged the stout DOR.
and echoed mogEutaiiY IN the waited re.
cessea above her. ehe pressed her ear aeagSsE
the cold iron % the great lock, aud her heart
altnoas stopped It's beating ~ shs llsgrard IN
tenuy Tor approaching fpossFrgs. nHen ~
twice she heard footballs rch0ing dsau The
iron stairway, but though she cr.ed aEaI 10
halp they passed on and we're iaat "a tue
depths below, She then spFaug 90 AMI ran
aliulsssiy about The chamber Un All tiles
dark passages lei her lnio narrow sinalag ~.
ceases that stopped 10 Ih,ck dead ualA ~.
naily, tired out, abe found her uay hack ID
- ahs 80
faintiRg sRalusG H.
In the mean time her husband, Hh1 lif uss
iOE several minutes observe that ahp WA nod
following, bad cilnbeI from abuvr the jsbrar
tory. Then calling To hsr and rrrny!ag %
reply be bRrriedlT Tetraerd biz t1otst.fs ~,
pscted 10 ind her hiding b-hind each snEls on
the descent Becoming th0gDurhlV Aiarm,d
DC called her loudly ~ name 'Annls An
Me, wherc are ynuir TIE echo u hls y1t.,
alone responded and crazed With frar Ia
rushed 10 and down the atairaar shout a.
Willly Tor help % Ind hls tost rffs Tbe
guide endsaTDrri to calm htn, bal brgakiav
away from him be ran down tho agaifs 10 4
sudden turn In thc Eight lpst his balance add
lei over tins rail = distance Of thIFtr feet 10
tbe roof be!p#. The guide climbed anrkIy
down after bitu and found Il IN stunned hy
the fall sImmSnlng assistance h6 b0rs IN
iuseuslhls man 10 GARAGE aud ir1ys bIrp ~
NJ hotel where lac lay unconscious he
hours.
Believing that the injured mans wifs mus.
have found her wag uut ~ tho buiitilrr M
sr&rch Ter her was abandoned AZ aFE,ut q
. clock that night the slsrir clan N tbe oar
itol bad occasion 10 vlsit The lab1ralnry. nj.
tnE the Key In the dnnr, be rushed il or.o
ana vas aAionlshsl TO fad woruan lyIng on (
the Hoor apparently dead Raising bsy Gee
iutlv, he bore her to the Office % the rsbF.tn 7
OF ths watch where sha wa arrsdtly rrsps.j.
a'sd Though suffering greatly from N.
shoek ~ her fright, her solo anxiety vas ~
her husband and ggtsrlHZ carriage sbs Va,
fapliy ariTen 10 the hotel inst IN tllns u mi I
into DIS arms as he recovered cf,nsrIauss..,