Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-09-24
IHE CAPITOL
fEl IMPOSING BUILDING BMBLEMAHO OF
FREEDOM.
A Briai Historic Description Of the Great Building
in Which The Nations Laws are MAIDS.
When It Was Begun, and the Additions
Siaea Made TO Il
- -. d Il R.gl,t.r.

price pass over one as his gaze nrst
rests on that grand edidce-the nations
capitol. How much more Americanized
does the freeman feel after a glance at
this magnificent structure, which is the
heart of American freedom!
No adequate idea Of the grace and
beauty Of the building can be given in
any description. an the lines are
graceful, and the whole appearance Is
OF massiveness. Painted white, the
whole structure appears to be OF marble.
Growing the dome is the figure OF
freedom, or America" by Crawford,
which is 1913 feet high, was placed in
position In 1868 and cost $4,000. She
stands facing the rising sun, TO which
she slightly inclines her head as the
morning or evening rays expand one
side or the other OF the iron dome.
Advancing toward she capitol from
the east, opposite the central portico
stands GreenOugh's colossal marble
statue Of George Washington, which
has been in its present position since
1912. The cost was a little over S44,-
600. Inscribed on this statue In raised
letters are the immortal words Of Henry
Lee while delivering an eulOgy on the
death Of WashingtOn-"Fir In war,
first In peace, and first In tae hearts Of
his cOuntrymen."
ION the north blocking OF the central
uortico is Greenough's marble group,
She settlement of America" erected
10 1870 On the south is PerSicO's mar
bic 'Statue Of Columbus, representing
the discovery OF America, erected In
1916 In the typanum Of the pedement
of the porticO is PersicO's alto rcli6UO,
"The Genus OF America"
On the esplanade on the east front OF
the Capitol, on last Monday, were as
sembled 5000 people, where one hun
drsd years ago the father Of his cOun-
Try, with an escort OF com paratiyely
few, laid the cornerstone OF the Capt.
toll which has the unique honor OF
being the only building, according to
history, built solely and exclusively for
legislative body One hundred years
ago the Capitol building was surrounded
almost by a wilderness; to-day it is sur
rounded by one of the most beautiful
cities In the United States, and perhaps
IN the world, with a population Of ESQ.,
600.
Since the building Of the Capitol its
improvements from time TO time are
marks Of the nations growth. IL was
not designed by one man but by many.
The original designers OF the building
aimed TO make 10 an imposing and mag
nifcent building, but in their Rraudest
dreams they probably never conceived
q structure of such magnihCeDce as that
now on the hill.
When Congress instructed Washing
ton and a committee Of three 20 attend
70 the construction ei q suitable build
ing for the legislative body, he adyer-
tised for designs One sent him, among
hundreds OF others, was a crude
sketch OF a domed building, which idea
pleased Washington, and which sketch
was given 20 Hallett, Of Philadelphia,
who was then appointed architect Of
the Capitol, to be perfected and put in
practical form. When In 1914 the Brit
fish set fire Js<the building DO consisted
or two detdehed wings standing FAR
apart, leading from one wing 20 the
or, for shelter from the weather, was
- wooden shed or covered alleyway.
The space between the two structures
was designed 20 be occupied by the
dome. The damage by fire, as history
tells US, was Dot as great as might be
expected
The foundation Of the dome was laid
in 1918 and the whole building was com
Melted as then designed To 1927, Bulinch
then being the architect, his predeces-
sors having been Hal.ett and LatrObe.
There was 20 further material change
In the building until 1851, when 10 be-
came apparent that our legislative
bodies were cramped Cor room, then the
two wings were proposed.
TIE TWO WINGS
Jefferson Davis, then representing
his State in the Senate, endorsed let.
ter to Robert Mills, the succeeding
architect, asking his opinion on an eX-
tension. He submitted designs Of two
wings aud new dome. Congress then
voted 20 adopt the proposition and work
was begun in 1851. The corner stone
OF the new south wing, now occupied
by our Representatives, was laid by
President Fillmore on the 4th OF July
of the same year, Daniel Webster haY-
ing the honor OF being the orator Of the
dav. Both wings we're completed In
1861 Then the necessity became ap-
parent for q larger and more maguit-
cent dome, as the old one appeared
completely dwarted by the two large
wings.
The dome was begun at the begin
ming OF the civil war and entirely COM
pleted by 1864. The figure OF Liberty,
or .'America," which is the browning
feature Of the dome, was placed in po-
sltion, With peculiar significance, in
1868. when the whole country was in
tears. and In the same year with some
az the most noted battles Of that TO be
lamented struggle for State rights re-
qsrdless Of holding together in bond
Of union our great Republic.
The dome is built entirely Of iron
after it continues above the main
building, and the plates are bolted
together by a network of iron girders.
1t is 9s5 feet from the ground 70 the
statue. with diameter so the base OF
1875 feet IL is in reality more than
dome, for II the rest OF the building
was torn away 10 would stand complete
with itself, not devoid OF beauty.
DOME on A CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURE.
The great drum or cylinder is built
from the main floors up, resting upon
columns and intersecting arches known
as the crypt. It then rises 20 height
thar would correspond with four large
stores: then q smaller cylinder sur
mounts this, which rises 70 consider
able height and is in turn Surmounted
with immense brackets. Then rises the
elliptical arch, Of what is properly the
dome. To the view from without lt
nresents a structure OF four parts, di-
vided in graceful proposition. The
,f,r,nq encirclinV the dome near the