Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-10

the next year in connection with the new work
At the close OF 1854 the walls of the Senate and
House balls had reached the height OF the CELL
ing. IN 1850 Buiiinch's old brick and wooden
dome-sbaped like an inverted sugar bowl Of
homely pattern-was removed. and the mate
rial5 for the new iron dome, the browning glory
OF the Capitol TODAY, were contracted for. Both
wings were covered with me .ailic and glass
roofing in 1856. the cast iron ceilings Of the
House and Senate chambers were completed
and the columns of the corridors and vestibules
and the larger part of the entablatures were set.
The greater portion of the interior Was finished
III 1851. The House of Representatives fir It met
IN the new hall on December Is of that year
and the Senate in the new Senate chamber on
January 4. 1889. The remainder of both wings
was completed in 1861.
WENT on THROUGH THE WAR.
Owing to the exigencies of the civil war no
appropriation was made for continuing the
work on the new dome in 1882 but through the
faith and patriotism of the contractors, who
continued placing the iron castings upon the
dome at their own expense and risk. the sound
OF the hammer upon the Capitol ceased not
throughout the entire struggle, giving to the
Union troops and visitors in Washington IN as
surance of the governments belief in the snc-
cessful termination of the strife The spherical
portion OF the dome was completed in 1868. and
on December Of that year Crawfords colossal
saluted with ass guns from the forts surround
ing Washington.
In 1864 the eastern portico of the north wing
was finished and the dome completed. In 1865
both wing. with their beautiful six porticos.
two magnificent entrances and four grand
/ stalrways. were substantially done. The in
terror of the dome, decorated by Signor
Brumidi OF Rome also finished and Archi-
tect Walters task was declared at an end. He
was succeeded by the present accomplished in
cumbent. Mr.. Edward Clark. who supervised
the construction of the beautiful white marble
| terraces on the western side from 1882 to their
completion in 1891.
MILLIONS EXPENDED.
The old portion of the Capitol, completed in
1927, cost 80, 433, 844. The whole building up
to date cost Sl4 ass, 900, including the terraces
which were built at an outlay of $500. 900.
Counting in the art works within it. but leaving
out of the calculation the furniture and also
the grading and improvement OF the grounds,
the Capitol has cost in all SIG, 600, 900.
The paintings and statues have alone cost
nearly 81 500 200. Persco's sculptured figures
on the central buttresses OF the east front, rep
resenting the Discovery of America and Civili-
cation. cost SEA 900 each. His colossal Carraras
behind these, representing War and Peace, cost
Sl2 900 each.
Rogers famous bronze door at the main
entrance. east front. cost S28. 600. Crawford's
bronze door at the east entrance cost S57 600
and his statue of Freedom, surrounding the
dome. $4,000 The peculiar style Of liberty
cap it wears, fashioned to resemble eagle
feathers and eagle beak, was suggested by
Jefferson Davis.
Brumidi's elaborate fresco, represe nting 1.-THE
Apotheosis of Washington" covering the canopy
of the rotunda. cost so. 900.
Truinbull's four historical panel paintings at
the sides OF the rotUnda cost esq 900 together.
while the four other panels. painted by Van
Eh,pv .,,,I W..
each.
Franzoni's clock. at the north entrance Of
statuary hall, cost $4,000.
Lentzes Westward Ho." facing the west
stairway to the House gallery, cost $4,000.
SOME FACTS OF INTEREST.
1t is a curious fact that of the six men who
have served to date as architects OF the Capitol
four have come from Philadelphia. besides one
of the original designers. Thornton. These
are Hallette. Latrobc. Walter and Clark. or
the other two. HadfsId came direct from Eng
land and Butuch from Boston.
The Capitol has four stories-cellar, base
ment. principal floor and attic. There are
81 rooms in the basement. 80 on the upper floor
and Al in the attic. making 100 in all. besides
an irnumerable lot OF mysterious crypts al
coves, secret passages and hidden stairways,
particularly In the endorsement. In this re-
spect the Capitol rivals the Tower of London.
The new marble terraces contain 124 rooms, "a
OF which are used by committees and the re-
mainder for storage purposes.
One could live inside the Capitol the whole
year round without going out OF it, and live
well. too, so far as creature comforts are
cerneG. The building boasts two finely
equipped restaurants, superb marble baths.
barber shops, luxurious sofas. &c. The seat
ing capacity of the House OF Representatives is
400 on the floor and 1000 in the gallery; that
of the Senate. 200 on the floor and 400 in the
gallery. Each hail. however, will. on "a PINCH
accommodate over 1900 spectators.
IN FEET AND INCHES.
The Capitol ia ISL feet in length and varies
from SO to 32i feet in width. covering over four
acres. The old portion is $50 feet in length and
l21 in width.
OF the 1874 exquisitely futed Corinthian col
umns which adorn the porticos 100 are OF pure
white marble. quarried at Cockeysville, Md,
thirty feet high and mono!ithc; that is, the
pillar and capital Of each are cut from a single
stone and not detached. The thirty-four
others at the east and west fronts of the central
building are OF frcestone, painted white, the
capitals being of marble. sculptured in Italy.
The rotunda is niuety-tiye feet six inches IN
diameter. From floor to canopy the distance
il 1S0 fee. inches.
The Supreme Court now sits in what was
formerly the cid Senate chamber. The old
chamber of the House of Representatives now
constitutes what is known "a sta.uary hail.
The law library ROOM on the basement floor
east. was formerly occupied by the supreme
Court.
THE BIG CRYPT.
Down beneath the subbasement. directly
under the center of the building, is big stono
crypt, which was prepared TO receive the body
of George Washington. 1t now contains the
bier or catafalque on which successfully rested
the remains of President Lincoln Thaddeus
Stevens, Vice President Henry Wilson, Pres-
dent Garfield and Gen. Logan, they lay in
state in the rotunda.
From the window of the room now used as
the Office of the chief clerk of the House, on
the central basement floor, the inventor Morse
sent his first Geographic message over the
governments experimental wires to Baltimore.
Directly across the corridor the present Office
room of the doorkeeper of the House was for
merry used by Daniel Webster, Henry Clay and
other kindred spirits of their generation rs a
private bar ROOM and was we'll stocked, il
tradition tells truly. with cases OF wine and bar
rels of rum, gin and whisky, covered on top
with plaster OF paris TO insure the contents
against molestation during transit from abroad.
Not Entirely Definite.
From the Toronto Daily Nal
James McCrabb, n resident of Farbank left
will when he died which was remarkably
brief. but not clear enough to avoid litigation.