The Southern herald., 1895-09-27

tnls n 81 lefIlf rlFlrtNlfr hfn llr
sae grounds. aiJscbmenls, halls.
asrurs. pictures. ete bal bear
VITA NJ and l'wiii d. my best
/ II siil BE- rsmrmbsfrd that ! anu
Iini bird. - heretofore, 10 the
'Gsije B~.k Is ior figures and dates;
eul also, that I walked around and
lhro9gh this magnificent edi6ee,
aad viewed uith intense interest
ihe ihipgs described.
Fer beauty Of siluslinn and de-
sign, aud skill in execution, the
Capitol can ehllleuge comparison
Nilh say public building in The
worli. lis IN the midst Of a beau
ldlul PARK Of forIy-six acres, and
stands on bin ninely-six feet
above the level of The Potomac. Il
is surrounded by q low wall Of
granite, bur the drives and walks
have been so nicely laid out that il
is quite easy II access. The fne
trees, grass, fountains, etc, To-
grlher with comfortable seats pro-
vided here and there, all add great
ly to the beauty aud delight Of the
place. Il is said that several Of the
trees were planted by President
Washington, and une Of these,
known as Washington Elm" is
still tiourishing The total length
Of the Capitol is 75l feet, aud the
greatest width S24 feet. The ex-
ireme height, from the ground to
the top Of the statue Of Liberty on
the summit, is 307 feet. The origin.
al buildingis ofVirgiuia sandstone,
painted white, and was completed
in 1897, The connecting corridors
and wings have since been added.
The great dome, rising in It's beauty
seems to be fitting crown to So
noble an ediice. II isuf east iron
and weighs nearly four thousand
tons. Eigh years were required
10 its construction, and the cost was
81, $50, 900, The statue Of Liberty
"a female figure) is Of bronze, j,
nineteen aud a half feet high, and
weighs seven and a half tons, cost.
log over $4,000 1t stands on the
summit Of the dome, and is ex.
ceedingly commanding as you look
at the Capitol from a distance.
The grand central por,ico al the
eastern entrance is one hundred
and sixty feet wide, and has twenty
four massive columns; thirty feet
high. On this portico the Chief
Justice Of the Supreme Court has
administered the oath Of Office to
the Presidents Of the Uuited States
since the Inauguration Of Andrew
jackson in 1929, The Rotunda Of
the Capitol is magnificent circular
hall, ninety-Gvo feet in diameter
and one hundred and eighty in
height. As you look up you sec
the great curving dome, and at the
top an opening called the "eye," "
| fifty feet in diameter, over the"eye"
is an immense iron canopy, on
which is a celebrated painting by
Brumidi, entitled THE Apotheosis
of Washington. f" Washington, with
Freedom and Victory at his right
and left and thirteen female figures,
representing the original States,
occupy the centre. Around the
border are six groups representing
THE Fall Of Tyranny" "Agri-
culture" !" "Mecbanics," Com
merce, " the Marine" (" and "Arts
and Sciences 1t is said that the
painting occupied the artist several
years and cost nearly $4,000.
There are also eight large paintings,
eighteen by twelve feet, set in the
panels around the walls Of the Ro-
tunda. -Four Of these represent
scenes in the early history Of
America, viz: Columbus Landing
at San Salvador De Soto Dis
covering the Mississippi "Bap-
tism Of Pocahontas,' and the
"Embarkation Of the Pilgrims I"
These paintings cost from $4,000
TO si2 900 a piece The other four
represent events Of great interest
in American history, viz: Signing
the Declaration Of Independence, !"
1.-THE Surrender of General Bur-
| goyne," The Surrender Of Lord
Corvallis, f" and "WashingtonRe-
signing bis Commission" before
Congress after the Revolution had
ended. These paintings are by