The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-23

PINNACLE OF BLISS
CAPITOL DOME IS A FAVORITE
TRUSTING PLACE FOR LOVERS
VISITING WASHINGTON.
INTRICATE, NARROW STAIRS
LEAD FROM THE ROTUNDA TO IT'S
ALLEGORICAL CANOPY HUMID
REDS OF FEET ABOVE.
BUT EVEN WALLS HAVE EARS.
Circular Painting Forms One of the
Most Perfect Whispering Caller
les in the World.
INTRICATE, NARROW STAIRS
BUT EVEN WALLS HAVE EARS.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, May 22.-There is no
elevator in the dome of the capitol the
outside and inside are devoid OF STAIRS
and visitors are puzzled to know how
the people get to the top Of the dome
In the little dark circular passage
north of the rotunda, between the ro-
tunda and the supreme court room, are
two little swinging doors covered with
green baize, looking very rusty, dirty
and old; small doors which nobody
would notice unless they were pointed
out by guide. or some one familiar
with the capitol building. Whoever
opens these doors, however, looks upon
a narrow stone landing from which
there leads a circular, well-worn stone
staircase with iron railing upward into
the darkness Even when started up
here by one Of the capitol guides, the
visitor is generally puzzled very much
to know which way to go. After climb
ing three or four steep stairWays one
comes to a door which is barred, and
so much of the climb has been for
nothing. Retracing ones steps half
way down swinging door is reached
which yields readily to the touch and
the visitor steps out into the open air.
Above and all around him is iron
framework, while, after passing along
a narrow iron portico, more winding
iron stairs are reached. BY twists and
turns this leads up through the rough
iron braces among the rafters and then
into the dome itself. 1t has been esti-
mated that five hundred people climb
dow %1r0 on11f h q
year.
On some days there are not less than
five hundred, and occasionally there
are a thousand people going up by twos
and threes, and sometimes in larger
groups. Neither the hot weather of
summer nor the chilling winds of
winter can prevent the tourists. male
OF female, from winding their laborlous
way up the narrow staircase which
leads by these spiral twists through
dark passages; a mysterious way into
that mysterious egg shell. The people
who have heart disease, wooden legs,
apoplexy, or who weigh over four hum
bred pounds, especially fat femininity
of the cfaperon order. are the only
tourists who dc not climb the dome.
They come from every state in the
Union. from almost all conditions of
life, from all nations, and their talking
and laughing make strange sounds.
some of them very startling indeed, to
any QUIET, thoughtful person who as
ce.,,ds the stairway tor the first time.
The only people who climb the dome
and do not get tired and complain Of it
for months afterwards, are the young
lovers or bridal couples. They take
hot, n and sion
every landing to whisper those things
which nobody can hear and yet which
everybody knows by heart. When
these dearly beloved brothers and
sisters have reached the tip-top, and
stand right close to the great painting
sixty feet in diameter, and lean over
the railing looking down at the pigmies
tramping about on the floor of the ro-
tunda below. they are occasionally
startled by soft voices of spirits in the
air. Sometimes in their most tender
moments they are astonished to be adj
dressed by name in the most familiar
way by voice from one of the allie
gorica1 pictures painted on the canopy
above them. The fact Of the matter is.
this great circular painting is one of
the finest sound conductors in America
and makes an absolutely perfect whts-
pering gallery. A man sitting on the
opposite side Of the gallery can listen
to the young couples talking. billing
and cooling and mentioning people at
home, until he can become sufficiently
familiar with them and their surround
ings to almost scare them out of their
boots by some whispered remark.
Whatever is said on one side Of the
painting is carried right across and
sounds like whisper In the ear of the
person to whom it Is addressed.
On one occasion there was young