Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-26

PROPOSED ENTRANCE FOR THE CONVENIENCE
MEMBERs-THE SAVING OF STEPS,
The terrace in front OF the capitol. looking
west, has begun 10 show something Of what it
is to be. In fact it is nearly finished The
open winter has permitted the work to go on.
and it is at that stage now where every day
work tells. One who has not been at the capt.
tol for two months would be surprised on going
there now to see the change that has taken
place within that time. Nineteen-twentieths of
the work is done. 1t is not to be expected
that much. if any, work can be done in Feb
ruary and March, but it is expected that the
staircase and terrace will be completed by July.
THE FIRST APPROPRIATION
for the terrace was made in 1892 but the act
was passed too late for the building season. and
the appropriations during the next three years
were made piece-meal and always Just at time
TO miss the regular building season, so there
has always been delay. Moreover. only part
OF the work has been authorized at time, and
contracts could not be made at once for the
whole work. At first the House would not con-
sent to the expenditure The Senate insisted
upon 1T, and as a compromise the House told
the Senate il could do it pleased with its
own end of the building and they (the members
of the lower House,, would not attempt to
check their extravaganza. The Senate might
have a terrace on that end of the building, but
as IOT the house. III would live I'D TO the 1uea
of yeffersonisn simplicity and do without this
architectural ornamentation. So the work be-
gan in
THIS oNE-sIDED WAY.
The first appropriation was for a marble ter
race on the north end of the building which
should not extend beyond the northwest corner
This kept the improvement out of sight of the
House. Then the Senate got permission for an
other section and began work on the west front of
the Senate wing By this time the work on the
north end looked so well and the building
so out of balance that the economy of the House
gave way to temptation and they authorized
terrace like it on the south end. The Senate ter
race advanced along the west front toward the
main central entrance. and little by little the
House gave way and the terrace from that side
crept around to meet the other. Finally an ap-
preparation was made last year to
COMPLETE THE ENTIRE WORK.
the terraces, the grand staircase branching
each way, the fountain and all that. The econ
omy of the House had been entirely overcome,
but the work has cost more than it otherwise
would have by reason of it.
The work is very extensive, and besides be-
ing a thing of beauty to render magnificent
that approach to the capitol. which is its chief
purpose, the inside of the terrace affords 10S
large rooms, twenty-eight of which open into
the court with large windows and suitable
for working purposes-committee or otherwise.
are suited for storage, for which purpose they
are greatly needed.
Some idea of the extent of the terrace will
be given by these figures: The girth of the
marble walls of the terrace and its approaches
measures 2160 Hneal feet. a little over half
mile, and the granite walls forming the court
and those of the central passage, 672 feet more
making the entire length of the exterior walls
Si0 hneal feet. or nearly three-quarters of a
mile. The front walls. 2, go feet are equal to
ITO store fronts of - feet each All the
priations for the work. including that Of last
year, which Is to complete 1t. except the inter-
nal finish Of the rooms and the heating
amounts to SS15.000.
The work has advanced far enough now to
add to the beauty of the building. On the
south and north ends the terraces are COM
pleted and surmOunted with the balustrades
On the House side the terrace extends along
the west front to the beginning of the grand
central staircase in an almost completed state,
surmounted by the balustrade. The marble
sides Of that branch of the staircase are up
and nearly all the steps laid.
ON THE SENATE SIDE
the work is further advanced. That branch of
the staircase is in use, and from there around
to its northeastern extremity the terrace is
complated except as to the top paving and
mere finishing off. The two sections Of the
work-from the House side and from the Sem
ate slde-haye really come together, but this
union Is not yet quite completed. All the
cross walls that support the main platform on
the middle line, from which the two staircases
branch 70 the right and left, are all up, and
the iron girders are laid across the last narrow
space.
DOUBLE ARCADE.
Between the two staircases, in half circle
are to be the fountain and the Marshall statue
the statue is there; the fountain is not yet
built Back of the fountain the half circle is
formed by two tiers of white marble arcades
The lower OF these, which is on the fountain
level, is completed, and the first two tiers of
stone in the upper have been laid The lower
arcade Is merely the support of that part of the
terrace and the arches are backed against the
solid earth, forming inches, in which ivy will
be planted to give the appearance of depth.
The arches above will span windows and the
lower central doorway. The effect of the lower
arcade Is striking and suggests the grandeur
that may be expected when the double arcade
u complete.
BURIED COLoNNADE.
But there Is still another arcade below this
and running along the entire front of the ter
race. This, though. is under ground and never
viii be seen until many ages hence when some
archaeologist may be digging in the ruins of
this great building and be greatly puzzled by
the discovery of this buried colonnade 1t
might greatly perplex him to tell when and
how IT was built and what for He would
probably consider ii of greater antiquity than
the rest OF the building. Ii is merely founda-
ton and was not erected, but was moulded in
the ground. 1t Is only coniectured that if the
earth were dug away it would disclose a very
respectable row of columns surmounted by
arches. In digging to the foundation it was
found impractlcable to get foundation in the
usual way, by digging trench. so deep wells
were dug at intervals. Into these wells was
poured cement and arches were thrown across
from one well to the other for a support for the
foundation The hardened cement in these
wells forms moulded columns and give power
full foundation for the whole terrace.
The pavement on top of the terrace must be
water tight, a roof for the rooms within
and IL will be made of concrete underneath
being a solid foundation of cement over the
brick arches. Alternately on the marble balus-
trade Will be bronze lamps and urns Flowers
and vines viii be planted in the square beds re-
served for that purpose along the top of the
terrace and surrounded by coping of Ten
nessee marble.
AN UNDERGROUND ENTRANCE
In connection with this work Mr.. Clark has
been asked TO make an estimate for a nr;vata
members entrance" on the ground level Of
the terrace, with an elevator to take the men,
bers up TO the rotunda. The idea of the men,
Der asking for this estimate is to Introduce a
proposition in the House TO tunnel under the
staircase to make such an entrance SO as 10
avoid the steps.
MIR. Clark says that the only way such a
thing could be done without undermining the
4FNW. .Nawn.