The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-22
A DOME OF PURE GOLD.
Ten Thousand Square Feet 10 be Coy
cred by Shining Metal.

| the Dome or the New National Lib
rary-Hundreds of Ounces of Gold to
be Used in the Work-How the
Precious Yellow Leaves are Laid
Down-Their Brightness Def1es the
Storm and Sunshine.
| From the Washington Post.
Hitherto the great white dome of the
United States Capitol, rising into the blue
sky like snowy mountain has been one
of the most conspicuous and beautiful
sights of the city of Washington. 1t is to
have a golden rival. The roof of the new
national library is TO be capped with a
| dome of generous proportions, covered
| with pure gold. Part of the work is al
ready completed, and gorgeGas picture
it is. The new library building is but a
! stones throw from the capitol, and its
| golden dome cutters and shines like a
| young and brilliant sister by the side Of
the white hemisphere that crowns the
capitol. A dazzling picture these twin
dOmes present, and one that fingers long
in the memory of the visitor or the dweller
within the gates who is fortunate enough
to witness it.
The work of gliding the dome is full of
! interest. The details are worth remem-
! boring. More gold will be used on this
| dome than on any gilded dome in the
world. This is appropriate to the new
| library building, for the structure will be
the largest Of its kind on the earth, cover
| ing no less than four acres, while the
contract for the granite alone was 81 $780,
| 600, the largest contract for stone ever
awarded at single time. There are
some 10000 square feet to be covered with
the precious metal Imagine some great
hotel lobby, like the Southern hotel at
st. Louis, or the Grand at Cincinnati,
paved with gold, and some idea is gained
of the immensely of the work which is be-
ing done.
There are not many gilded domes in the
world. The Hotel des Invalides in Paris,
the Connecticut state house at Hartford,
and the Massachusetts state house at
Boston, are the best known, and yet the
dome of the new library building is larger
than any of these--two-thirds larger, it is
estimated, than the famous dome of the
state house in Boston. 1t is not hard to
realize, therefore, what a conspicuous
sight it presents, although there is no
doubt but that it loses some of its brill
fancy by being somewhat less spherical
than the great golden ball which shines
and shimmers above the Boston common.
Only portion of the work has been
completed. Some six weeks ago the upper
part of the dome became enshrOuded in
huge bonnet Of dirty white canvas. 1t was
the ugly chrysalis Underneath the can
vas where the wind could not blow its
disturbing breath, score or more of men
were at work placing the little bits of
gold leaf upon the metal frame, and pres
emily, when the covering of the chrysalis
was thrown aside, the dome stood re-
vealed in all its golden glory. Now the
wOrkmen are busy with the lower part of
the dome, below the balustrade. This part
of the dome is too large to be bonneted
all at once, and so the canvas only shields
a. section II is a slow and tedious task.
The men will be six weeks yet before they
have the surface gilded, even If they have
good weather. If rain or fog comes they
will have to suspend their delicate labors
and wait for the atmosphere to get dry
again.
Under the shadow of the library build
ing are the offices Of the government
officers who have charge Of construction
and in the room occupied by Bernard F.
Green, The representative of the chief
of engineers, is little safe. In this safe
are kept the precious packages of gold
leaf. Gold is worth at the minis about
SIT an ounce. Purchased by the govern
ment in the form Of gold leaf it costs
about S27 an ounce. There are 200 sheets
in an ounce, each little less than four
inches square, but these 1000 sheets will
only spread themselves over about thirty
square feet of space. With 10000 square
feet to cover it it Is easy to see that the
government will require a good many
ounces of gold to carry out the work of
gliding the dome.
Gold has many curious Characters
tics, - said Mr.. Green, "but the one that
serves us best in this particular work is
its extreme malleability. See how go ssa-
mer-like this sheet of metal is? 1t is as
light as breath of wind. 1t takes 15O.-
900 to make an inch in thickness. but an
instance is recorded where gold was
beaten so thin that leaf of it was 367,-
65Oth of an inch in thickness. 1t is the
extreme malleability of gold that makes
its use possible in covering large surfaces
like this dome. Otherwise the expense
would be beyond the treasury of even
the government of the United States"
us golden dome matter of utility or
mere beauty"
sit is both useful and beautiful. De-
spite the extreme thinness Of the gold
leaf, 1t will defy the weather for wears
and years. The dome of the Connecticut
state house is as bright to-day as it was
when it was first gilded sixteen years ago.
on the Massachusetts state house. which
is still untarnished, although 1t shows ON
the eastern or storm side of the action of
the weather. In climate like that of
Washington, where the winters are NOT
severe, a golden dome will practicable
last as long as the building itself Il
might be hurt by sharp pieces of ice. hut |
ordinarily the gold is tough enough. even |
when beaten thinner than tissue paper. tn |
resist wear. 1t preserves the metal upon |
which it rests. Did you ever notice y |
asked Mr.. Green, as he blew a rufIled |
golden wafer into position, chat on an |
old wooden sign the place where the gold
was laid preserved the wood from decavl
Gold is great preservative and SO. in n
sense, it pays to put it on the roof of n
great structure like the new library
building"
Does it take experts to put the gold
leaf in place."
Yes, it does Still u REQUIRES less
skill to lay the leaf on a rough surface
like the dome than it does to Gid a MIC
ture frame or even write a sign. In our
work, the men come and get the gold leaf
from me and carry it to the roof where
they are at work underneath the canvas.
Opening the book of gold. each man care.
fully and with considerable cleverness
manages to transfer the yellow leaf To the
ROOF without wrinkle This is where
the eXpertness is most noticeable He
also To OVarlaD tho ad..o - -