Evening star., 1897-06-12
Some Of the Points of Interest in the
Capitol
Is SEEN BY 4 PARTY OF TOURISTS
Historic Memories That Cluster
About the Great Building.
PICTU RES AND STATUES

age was batEed In sunshine. balmy
| spring breeze stirred the leaves of the trees
and the birds were singing in the lilacs
and acacias. A dozen wheelmen were dart
ing over the plaza like swallows on the
wing. There was a crowd at the main en-
trance of the great marble structure.
Fancying that somebody had been hurt.
the congressman mounted the steps and
| found that the crowd was composed of
| New England school teachers. on their an
| nual excur sion. waiting for admission to
| the rotunda- Nineteen out of twenty were
| women. Some were old and some were
| young. The faces We're typical American
! faces. Intellectual and pretty. Having a
curiosity to know what would interest
| them in tour through the building, the
congressman Joined the party.
All wore strangers to him. The doors
| were opei ed at five minutes of nine, and
| stream of eager faces poured into the ro-
| tunda. Another crowd of teachers, who
had climbed the steps Of the marble ter
| race and entered the building en- the west,
| Joined the throng in the rotunda. They
! were met there by the railway agent who
had accompanied the party from Boston.
| Under his direction it was divided among
! the Capitol guides. Each guide had charge
! Of about thirty persons. One group went
| toward the Senate chamber and another
| toward the hall of the House. third
| NiSitet tiie dEu a IOuTln OeScenUeU
| to the lower floor. The party separated so
! as to avoid confusion and give all an op-
| portunity to hear what was said by the
| guides.
An Attractive Group.
fifth group remained in toe rotunda
| The congressman Joined this group CT
| young ladies'. They were pert, handsome
| and neatly attired. A few wore eyeglasses
and one or two carried lorgnettes The
| principal Of tie State Normal School of
Fitchburg, Mass, accompanied them. The
/ guide who had them in charge was one
| who had made study of the Capitol and
| evidently knew what he was talking about
/ His story was interesting He told how
| the plans of the building originated and
| were accepted. Under the authority of
Congress, then meeting in Philadelphia a
| town lot and $500 were offered for the best
| design. Out of eighty odd competitors the
committee selected two plans. One was
| drawn by DR.. William Thornton, an Er-
| glish physician, and the other by Stephen
| HaIett French architect. President
| Washington favored the plans of the En-
| glishman. and Thomas jefferson those
| drawn by the Frenchman. Washington
| finally convinced jefferson that Thornt On S
| plans were the best, and they were adopt
| ed. Before the corner stone was laid il was
| discovered that the Englishman was only
| an amateur craftsman, and not an archi-
| tect. The Frenchman was engaged 10
| sCpefintend the construction OF the build
| ing according to Thorntons drawings.
| 1t was interesting to note the attention
| given by the young ladies to the story of
| the guide. They listened intently, and were
| eager to hear every word. The guide next
| described the laying of the corner stone.
| He added that the Senate wing was first
| constructed, and finished in 1900. Work
| then began on the House wing. which was
| finished in 1911. The two buildings were
| connected by a bridge. Thorntol's plans
| pI divided for a dome, but the dome was not
| built until after the destruction of the
/ wings by the British, under Gen. Ross, in
| 1914 In 1917 the reconstruction of. the
building was begun. and it was completed
| in ten years. The Capitol remained thus
Until 1851. The House and Senate extern
| sions were then built and finished in 1857
and 1859 The immense iron dome was fin
| ished in 1863.
Works Of Art.
The guide then turned his attention to
| the paintings in the rotunda. He began
with the four Trumbull pictures: The Dec
| laration of Independence, the Surrender
of Burgoyne, the Capture of Cornwallis
| and Washington Resigning His Commis-
sion. All have appeared repeatedly in
school books and historical works. and the
teachers gazed at them in silent admiration.
The other four great pictures were fully -
famous and interesting. They were: En-
barkation Of the Pilgrims. by Weir: the
Landing of Columbus, by Vanderiyn; the
Discovery of the Mississippi, by Powell,
and the Baptism of Pocahontas. by Chap
man. All were American artists. The
school teachers heard this with mods of
satisfaction. Then their attention was di-
rected to the Brumidi friezes, and his mas
terpiece, the canopy of the rotunda. The
friezes are SO artistic that the teachers
were slow to believe that they were paint
irgS and not baS reliefS.
The guide next called attention to the
great broLze doors at the entrance. They
act in ioI
ment $2S,5O0. The visitors examined them
with great interest, but they manifested
much more interest when they saw the
bronze doors at the outside entrance to the
Senate wing. These doors cost s56,OOO. The
teachers were delighted to hear that they
were cast in Chicopee. Mass
From the main entrance, where the plat
fern has been erected for the Inauguration
o. the Presidents since the days of James
Monroe. the guide conducted the party
through the old Congressional Library to
the west portico. Here Washington was
spread below them buried In foliage. 1t is
the finest view Of the city. 1t was here that
Humboldt stood when he said that this was
the most beautiful view of any city that he
had seen in his travels around the world.
The sight on this particular morning was
enhanced in beauty by feecy clouds. They
cast their shadows upon the great obelisk
erected to the memory of Washington. 1t
was as white as alabaSter and the shadows
chased each other from its foundation to
feet from its base, sparkled at times like
an immense Kohinoor. The party was
charmed with the scene. and expressions
OF admiration were heard on every side.
The Old SENATE Chamber.
The guide next led them to the old Sen
ate chamber. now the Supreme Court room.
This was the room in which Webster de-
livered his famous reply TO Hayne, and
where Henry Clay awoke the world with
his eloQuence on behalf Of the Greek patri-
OTIS. It was here also that Brooks assault
ed Sumner and that the electoral commits
sion which made Hayes President met.
Here the congressman came to the front.
He assured the young ladies that the guide
was mistaken, as Henry Clay was a MEM
ber Of the House. when. in 1924. he made
his great speech on behalf OF the strug-
Cling Greeks.
Passing the robing room Of the judges
of the Supreme Court the guide conduct
ed the party to the room in the Senate
wing set apart for use of the President Of
the United States. 1t is said to contain
the finest frescoes Of any room ON the
western continent. Here is the choicest
work of Brumidi 1t was here that Presi-
dent Arthur sat when he signed the bill
YyIa G<ap Cror rf ft,o