Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-18
The Capitol In 1880.


der Hadfeld in 1875. In 1900 the rooms now
occupied by the Supreme Court and the law
library were fitted UP for the use of the
Senate and House of Representatives, and
the walls OF the south wing were begun
three years later. From that time until
lslI the work was conducted under the d.
rection of latrobe. BY 1911 the two wings
Of the original building were completed
and they We're ready to begin the con-
struction of the dome, when the work was
stopped by the war with Great Britain.
The building then consisted of two de-
tached wings, standing far apart, the outer
walls and the pillars being of free stone
from the Aqua creek quarries Leading
from one wing to the other for shelter
from the weather was wooden shed or
covered alleyway. The space between the
pied by the dome.
When the British Came.
1t was in this condition the British
found the building when. in 1874 they set
fire to 1t. They designed to make the
destruction of the building complete. They
piled inside of it quantity of wood and
other infiammable material and kindled 1t
into great blaze. The damage to the
building by reason Of the fire was, how
ever, nothing like as great as might have
been expected. A greater part of the build
ing escaped almost without injury, and the
restoration was not difficult. In the re-
pillars in the old hall of REPRESENTATIVES,
in the south wing. which had been badly
damaged, were replaced with the pillars
now In that hall. composed of a curious
OF Virginia and Maryland. Charles Bull
finch succeeded Latrobe as architect of the
Capitol in 1877 and conducted the recon-
struction and completion of the old Capt.
tol building. The foundation of the central
portion of the building was laid in ISIS ard
the rotunda and dome and both wings
finished and the whole building completed
as then designed, in 1927. There was no
Iurther material change in the building
from that time until 1851, when it became
apparent that more room was necessary
and the two new wings were proposed.
The Extensions.
In 1850 jefferson Davis, then In the Sem
ate, wrote to the artist and architect, Rob-
ert Mills, asking his opinion as to the ex-
tension of the building. In answer to this
Mills proposed designs for the extension of
the building by two wings and for the
erection of new dome. Congress adopted
the proposition and in 1851 the work was
begun under the direction of Thomas u
Walter. then the architect of the Capitol
The corner stone of the new south wing
was laid by President Fillmore on the
Fourth of July, 1851. and Webster was the
orator of the day. That same year the
central part of the old building occupied
by the library of Congress, was partially
destroyed by fire and had to be restored
The old dome was removed in 1855 and the
work on the present dome was begun The
TWO new wings were completed In 1861 but
that occupied by the House had then been
In use since the 4th of January 1870 Tho
work on the dome was In progress during
the four years Of the civil war The figure
or Liberty was placed in position in 1864
ana the building was nearly completed on
the new designs when, in 1865 E,dwa rd
Clark succeeded Walter as architect Mr.
clark finished placing the columns along
the south portico that year. and the buiId
ing was completed for the time being.
Again the growth of the country nasseJ
ahead of the accommodat tons or NJ.
building, and in 1852 work was begun on
the marble terrace. which was Intended
to add beauty to the west front of the Can
itol and at the same time to furnisb a.
much-needed rooms for committees and for
other purposes. This terrace was finished
in 1891 and the building Is now once rnora
completed, as far as any work has been
designed.
The evolution of the dome of the C,ani.o,
was gradual, representing the DEVELOPMENT
of architectural taste. The dome is the
distinctive feature of the building and the
suggestion of dome, before there was anv
clear idea of what sort of a building was
to be had. caught Washington's fancy. 1t
was a very crude sort of dome then pro-
posed, little else than the half of a globe
The dome first constructed fiared out a
x,
and in general shape IL was like an in
verted bowl. 1t was squatty and lacked
entirely the grandeur of that which now
rises from the central part of the build
Ing The drawings for the new dome among
the files OF the architects office show that
1t was very profound study to determine
upon the proper form for the dome Sew
eral designs were adopted and rejected
again before the present one was finally
settled on 1t was a gradual development
from the lines of a circle to the prolonga-
ton Of the ellipse. until the lines of a pure
ellipse were decided on. There is no room
to question that of all the trial drawings
the present lofty dome is vastly the SUI
perfor The structure is of iron and on the
interior IS an immense network of iron
beams, Orders and braces.
A Dissolution of Partnershfp Wanted.
Saturday afternoon Charles Gessford ap-
piled to the Equity Court for the dissolu-
ton Of the partnership between him and
Sptheron X. Spaul5inS, in the CRATE manteI
and tile business at 500 E street northwest
y temporary restraining order was granted
by Judge McComas against Spaulding, re-
'urnaole on the 21st instant. Judge Nc
COmas also granted restraining order