The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-13
D L 4 Capitol.
n lIl Party Of Massachusetts, Teachers
saw and Heard Ia Three Hours,
nlDBlE GUIDE AND a CONGRESSMAN


sngs pnd Bronxes-vieW From the
Girl Makes a Discovery
fhas Disconcerts n Young MANA
glimpse Of tho speaker.
HtrYritten for The Sunday virginian by
Amos J. Cummings.)
= & 81 wa shington, June u, 1897.
Congressman went to the Capitol re-
Hsgntly nj - quarter of 8 o'clock in the
isnE1UfEing IS The sky was almost fleck-
Chess, and the foliage was bathed in sun
i$sgh1pe. "a :balmY spring breeze stirred
AAAfheS leaves ct the trees and the birds
ssfsware singing in the lil2cs and acac!as.
81 ASdoxen wheelmen were darting over the
gpaaEas like swallows on the wing. There
fsWnSa crowd at.the main entrance OF the
1qgTeat marble structure.
siEancying that somebody had been
The Congressman mounted the
ssssssteps and found that the crowd was
ss5lGpmpcsed OF New England school teach
on their annual excursion, waiting
admission to the rotunda. Nineteen
ssNnt OF twenty were women. Some were
sold and some We're young. The faces
ere btypical american faces. intellectual
Ssand pretty. Having a curiosity to know
atiNh2t.WO interest them III a tour
ssshrough the building, the Congressman
as5pined the party
III were strangers to him. The doors
sssasassre opened at five minutes OF Q, and a
ssastteam Of eager faces poured into the
##fotunda sf Another crowd OF teachers,
ssMhpz had climbed the steps OF The mar
ole terrace and entered the building
ION the west, joined the throng in the
ss1otnnda. They We're met there by the
Isxallways agent who had accompanied the
{ 4narey from Boston. Under his direction
Eak5Was divided among the Capitol guides
Mach guide had charge Of about thirty
EJpeTSons. nae group went toward the
chamber, and another toward the
ifhalla of the House. a third visited the
sslibrary, and q fourth descended 10 tho
Blower floor. The party separated 50 as
lEssst1Iavoid confusion and give all an OPP
/ mbrtunity to hear what was said by the
guides.
fifth group remained in the rotunda
The Congressman joined this group Of
StypnnE ladies. They were pert. handsome
ssYnd neatly alfred. y few wore eye
se!sglasses and one or two carriey lorg-
ahettes. The principal oftthe State Nor
NAL school Of Fitchburg. Mass. accom-
sipanied them. The guide who had them
inscharge was one who had made a study
the Capitol, and evidently knew wha I
5heawas talking about. His story was
Sdnteresting, He told how the plans of
a5hes building were originated and accept
& sd.fs Under the authority OF Congress,
sAthen meeting a, Philadelphia town
4 act md $500 were offered for the best de-
Ssign: Out Of eighty odd competitors.
atheS committee selected two plans. One
HNas drawn by DR.. William Thornton, an
1 AEnElish physician and the other by
G6tephen Haliett, French architect
HsRrssident Washington favored the plan:
4pfst the EEnGlish1nan, and Thomas Jeffer-
ASanE those drawn by the Frcnchman
aa9a shington finally convinced jefferson
plans We're the bes,
aAnd they were adopted Before the cor
xAerstone was laid it was discovered tina,
gsI s he.Englishman was only an amateur
adraf tsman, and not an architect. The
SsHTenchman was engaged to tuperintenC
ssthes con struction of the building accord
SStnE to Thornton's drawings
SHsSssss4I was interesting to note the attention
NEtyen by the young ladies to the story
sSefsst the guide. They listened intently
MHand We're eager to hear every word. TIL,
Rs1Ilde next again described the laying o
IHHtfaeS corner stone. He added that thu
sSSSsnate wing was first constructed, ant
flashed in 1900. Work then began o,
,AIhaiiHouse wing, which was finished II
sEa "a The two buildings were connected
sshfysaf$ bridge. Thornton's plans provided
HOT e dome, but the dome was not bull
sfsIntil after the destruction Of the wing
Fthe British, under General Ross il
IVA ss1Sa4.iSSIn 1877 the reconstruction Of tn
SSEEbutiding was begun, and 1t was com
ssapieted in ten years. The Capitol remain
gseas thus until 1851 The House and Sen
Atesextensions were then built and fin
aaahed in 1857 and 1859. The immens
sitrpnsdome was finished In 1863.
ssS ssEhe guide then turned his attention
so lie n paintings in the rotunda II
the four Trumbull pictures
q allshez Declaration of independence. in
4 SsMrrezndert Of Burgoyne, the Capture 0
,ss#5grnWallts, and Washington Resignin
sf ASitssCommission. All have appeared re
tedly In school books and historical
sss8ssgyoTks,5 and the teachers gaZed at then
silent admiration. The other fou
ssssSSsreat pictures were fully as famous an
They We're: Embarkat ton O
sssSsSlfies Pilgrims, by Weir; the Landing Q
sssoluIn bus. by Vanderlyn; the Discover
SEC SssaS ne Mississippi, by Powell, and tn
sst3aapttsm ofGPocahontss. by Chapman
RS sAalsWere American artists The schoC
sssSssssachers heard this with mods of salts
sssfsia ct1Qn. Then their attention was III
sSss eeted TO the Brumidi frieZet, and hi
$50 nLasferpiece, the canopy Of the rotunda
1esSs friezes are so artistic that the tea CHI
sssa fsasSVere so slow to believe that the
s Mr. feEs paintings and not bas reliefs.
ssiSS lsne guide next called attention to tn
I ss ffaea e brOnze doors at the outside en-
||SSass Ance. e They were cast in Munich, an
s Hstb the government $2S,50O. The visi
l ss nrsS6xamined them with great interest,"
asEy They manifested much more int
ss when they saw the bronze doors a
S S outside entrance to the Senate wing
MS MS doors cost $50, 900. The teacher
to hear that they wer