The evening times., 1896-06-11
FROM DOME.
Brooklyn Clergyman Writes a Vivid
Description From Washington.

BROOKLYN Clergy man WRITES NSiu
Description From Washington.
Brooklyn Eagle.
The Rev. Horace Porter, DR.. Lyman
Abbott's active young assistant, has
written the following interesting letter
20 a friend in Brooklyn:
.'As it was my first visit to Washington,
the Capitol, with Congress in session, was
the first attraction. There, after visit TO
the senate and House, the Library and su-
preme Court rooms 1 made my way to the
dome for q first impression Of the beauti-
full city.
"The glories of the vision from that
heightonly those know whohavestoodthere
on fair spring day. As you encircle the
dome you find the Capitol to be the
center of broad, shady avenues, conyerging
from all points of the compass. If not
paved with gold, they are, at least, quite as
Ideally smooth, and the praDcing horses,
the great coaches, the gliding bicycles, pass
in a silent panorama far below you.
ITO the south and west are the park
ways ca He'd the Mall, in which is the Smiths
oman Institution, and at the further end the
majestic Washington monument, giant
towering above all else, as was he to whom
This monument is at or within few yards
of the exact center OF the original District
of Columbia While viewing ali this and
with the beautiful Potomac in the distance,
a slight cloud was observable in the south
western horizon Lingering little time
to drink in the fascinating scene, it was
soon evident that it was questionable
whether one could reach Kendall Green,
| my destination, without encountering some
thing of storm.
In a moment more a wonderful sceBe
burst upon the view, far over Arlington,
| be yond the woodlands in Virginia 1t SEEM
ed as if gigantic battle were raging just
be yond the Virginia shores. Clouds OF rising
dust seemed like the smoke of the battle
fields, the lightniDgs in the depths of the
STORM were like the flash of a hundred
cannon, the distant thunders like the battle
roar The scene was too fascinating for me
| 10 think Of retreatipg before the approach
| ing hurricane.
There were those on the dcme with me
who exclaimed, st. Louis cyclone,' and
| fed, taking their flight headlong down the
| dark stairways within. But, il 1t were a
| cyclone, where could one be safer than
within the giant arms of steel which sup
| port that great dome? On the storm came!
| Suddenly Arlington and all beyond were
| totally hidden from view in the cloud of
| dust, flying leaves and small branches torn
from the trees. The storm seemed fairly
to plunge down the placid Potomac. In
| the pathway of the storm the river seemed
| to turn black with rage, then was lost in
| the confused mass OF stern, while on either
/ 10 ha still
calm, reflecting its silvery light.
| "In another instant the whole water
| front of the city was the scene Of some
| awful attack. On the right, as the eye fol-
lowed down in the general direction over
Pennsylvania avenue, the dust shot forth
| from the west in northerly direction,
while on the other side the storm path an
other enormous tusk OF dust shot forth in
a southerly direction. It was no longer a
battle scene, but, rather, that of some mon
ster hidden within the cloud, which his
own terrible motion had created. plunging
down upon the city. to gore it with those
giant tusks and trample it in his fury!
1.-THE old dome keeper and two or three of
us faced the awful sight as long as we
possibly could, then retreated before the
binding dust to the doorway of the dome.
There we held our ground throughout the
whole of the terrible scene. The dome
seemed transformedintoa a great boiler room
the wind was as escaping steam whistling
about our ears! The streets below were
the scene of the widest confusion; work
mems coats went flying down the avenues
hats and umbrellas were lifted high into
the air, cabs were turned about. horses took
fright, awnings were torn loose-and then
all was darkness-the cloud OF dust was
so dense that the beautiful city at our feet
was totally obscured. We could hear the
crash OF breaking trees and hear the shouts
Of horsemen: then the drenching rainfall
drove us within the DOME When we de
scended we discovered how soiled were on,
clothes, how thick matted our hair and how
dim were our eyes from the cloud of dust
which had been raised to the lofty dome
and probably far higher"