Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-21
CLIMBING UP THE STAIRS.
Lights and sounds In the MysteriOus
Dome of the Capitol.


Dome Of the Capitol.
THE NUMBER OF DAILY vIsTroRs-How THE DOME Is
REACHED-rHE STRANGE VOICES AND THE EFFECT
UPON THE sUPKRsTIrIoUs-How ECHO PLAYS TRICKS
UPON MISUNDERSTANDING THE DONE
Probably nine-tenths OF the strangers who visit
the Capitol climb the dome. Neither the hot
weather OF summer nor the chilling winds OF
winter can prevent tourists, male or female, from
winding their laborious way up the narrow stair
case which leads by spiral twists, sharp angles
and through dark passages, a mysterious way,
neither out doors nor within, up into that I'M
mense egg-shell OF a dome. Take IL the summer
through the estimate is that an average OF 600
people md their way up there each day. About
as many women as men take the climb OF over
400 steps A wooden leg, heart disease, apo
plexy, or something over 200 pounds OF flesh
are about the only things that can re-
tard the human ambition to go up.
A world OF people visit the Capitol during the
course OF year. About all OF human kind, with
ail the commonplace, extraordinary, and odd In
dlvldual characteristics may be observed. People
from every state In the Union In almost all con-
ditionS OF life, OF all natons-Spaniard. Arab,
Russian, Greek, African. Chinese, and Indians IN
their savage paint and blanketS-may be seen
sitting around the rotunda, walking through the
corridors, or climbing the narrow stairs 10 the
are observed and strange character studies are
presented.
MYSTERY TO STRANGERS.
There is a certain sort OF mystery about the I'm
mense building TO those strangers OF simple and
imaginative minds Its immensely is a mystery
to them. The dark crypt, and the tangled vaults
still deeper down; the long corridors with vauted
roofs. dark corners and abrupt angles; deep courts
Cne nagstoneS at the bottom OF which are never
dried by ray OF the sun; galleries that have no
stairs 10 reach them, and dark winding stair
nowhere, and, above ali, the echoes that SOUND
everywhere, nave strange effect upon the minds
OF ignorant and superstitious strangers, who form
not undressing part OF the many sightseers
The tfmd old lady from the country is always
AFRAID OF getting lost and she holds tight to her
handbag, with a deal OF suspicion in her eye,
when guide offers his services or policeman
points the way for her. She has TO calculate long
Time between getting lost and running the risk OF
railing victim or confidence game. Pending
her decision she sits In the rotunda and eats lunch
out OF her handbag one thing that puzzles is TO
knGw now people get on the dome Ihey see no
| get In the rotunda they find none within.
THE WAY TO THE DOME.
The little swinging door In dark circular pas
sage just north of the rotunda would never be no.
| ticed If not pointed out by guide, policeman or
some one else who knows the mysteries OF this
massive pile OF architecture This door leads TO
| well-worn winding stairs, ending In odd little
square landings with little closed doors, which
| lead nobody knows where and TO passages which
may or may not be right. By twists ana turns
| this leads up among the rough iron braces and
rafters and then into the dome. Cp this narrow
staircase they all go-sometimes more than a
thousand, sometimes only a few hundred in day.
| They go up by twos and threeS, and sometimes
larger groups, but seldom singly. The Old ladies
hold tight to their reticules and hurry past the
| dark landings. The young couples 20 slower and
| md the way difficult in the dark. The average
chaperone, selected for weight and durability, gen.
orally gets winded and stops on the second land
Ing, while the young folks climb the treacherous
stairs together How close they have TO keep
where the stairs are steep and the way is dark!
| STAR reporter saw fat coored woman the
other day standing in the passage about a third OF
the way up. She was dressed gOrgeously in pur-
| Pile bombazine, and carried a handbag and cot
| ton umbrella. She weighed about $50 pounds her
| eyes popped out, and she wiped the perspiration
| from her brow with bright bandanna as she
! rested against the railing and painted.
Claws, chile, she said In a frightened whisper
81 heans voices! Dis bulldn Is jes' full OBJ voices
| Dey's ebrywhar bout. An them chilluns done
like dem voices! Use afeard I'll neober git out ob
| dis" She was trying to be calm with great
effort
THE MYSTERIOUS VOICES
"Dese voices are great source OF fear and SUI
perstition TO supplemented visitors. Country col
| ored people, particularly, are frightened at the
voices they hear among the. clustering columns
| and arched passages. Sometimes the voices come
up from under the feet, sometimes from the solid.
| stone arches overhead. Again they sound from
| among the shadows in a corner where nobody Is.
They are heard In the crypt stil more mysteri-
ouSly In the old hall, where there are pienty OF
| people stirring around In flood Of sunlight, and
more strangely still In the greal DOME from whose
| Is always full OF echoes "Dese voices are cherry
| whar" With1hese many or the employees OF the
Capitol and others fond OF practical joking play
upon the nerves OF the superstitous colored peo-
| pie. Sometimes the jokes are played on people
who are not SuperstitiouS. The saucer-lik- can
| opy, upon which the great allegory roofing The
rotunda Is painted acts as a soundlng-board. and
Will convey the least whisper with perfect distinct
ness from any place ia the upper gallery u the
| point directly opposite.
| EcHO's TRICKS.
When sentimental couples get close together in
this circular gallery and lean the rail- watch
ing the people moving about on the floor OF the
| rotunda below and whispering gentle things to
each other, meant for no ears but their own, they
| are often overheard by innocent looking young
men who happen To be lolling on the opposite side
or the gallery, as far away possible The young
couple may be startled by some most inopportune
remark sounded in their ears when no one is near
| them. AT most tender moment an irreverant
or Jocular remark Is startling to their sense OF
security. When parties OF tourists climb up 10 the
dome they are often astOnShed TO be addressed by
| name In the most familiar way by voice from
| one OF the allegor;cal terrorS painted on the
| canopy above. Sometimes they invited TO
| come up and take luncn. party OF Ohio
people were In the gallery talking to each
| other about their home matters. young
| man on the other side OF the gallery listened
party, where they were from, &C. Then he called
| out, SIS that you, Mr.. BlanA? Why, how do you
| do? Come up here; we have lunch here for Ohio
| folks" They all looked up suddenly. The voice
! apparently came through the canopy, from some
| C0alnDtr Sllll up 1uey were not aston
| ished that the Government should make especial
provision for the entertainment OF Ohio folks, and
they promptly accepted the Invitation. The whole
| party trudged up the very steep and dangerous
| flight or stairs leading up TO the worm-light at
| the head OF which they were met with a notice:
"ViSitorS not permitted to 90 higher" And there
was no lunch anywhere In sight. Some OF the
ladies were anxious to get down as soon as posi-
| bic.
PLAYING DETECTIVE.
Two colored men leaned over the rail under the
| great alegory and talked about Lynchburg, whis-
perng mysteriously about things strictly private
| to themselves A young man loled against the
| They did not mind him Directly voice came out
| or one or the painted figures over their heads,
| warning them TO 90 back TO Lynchburg, surrender
! themselves up 10 the proper authorities, and re-
| pent or their wrong-dotng.
| "WaS 1t MURDER" the voice inquired.
abe good LODI" cried the two trembling men
| as they made break for the stairs, sliding down
| on their backs
| Another very old ex-slave was accused by a
| voice that appeared to come from the mouth OF
the figure supposed TO LOOK like Jen. Davis OF be-
| whipping post and q return TO slavery. These
| things surround the dome with mystery but such
would not be permitted II the perpetrators could
be caught at IL. But the fact is that no one ex-
cept the people standing at the points directly op-
pOsite across the gallery can hear word OF what is
going on, so 1t attracts no attention from Others.
| PROTECTING THE DOME AND VISITORS.
| Two policemen are placed on the dome to protect
| the visitors and to see that nothing improper
occurs. One is stationed half way up and the