The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-05-27
STATUARY HALL.
A Little Talk About an Interesting Room
In the National Capitol.

IA IL SAClOu8l C0plCOls
The old hall of the house of represen-
iatives. now known as Statuary hall,
is n of the most beautiful and i'm
posing rooms in the capitol. It occu-
pies a part of the space between the
rotunda and the present house of rep
resentatives. Like the supreme court
room, it is in the form of a semi-circle,
and its domelike ceiling is paneled,
and frescoed in subdued, rich colors. 1t
IS nlnety-five feet in length and sixty
1eet to the apex of the dome, from
which rises a cupola through whose
windows light to the hall is admitted.
Around the semi-circle is a colonnade
OF native variegated marble, with
white Corinthian capitals. Back of the
space formerly occupied by the speak
ers chair, is a loggia with eight CO.
lossal marble columns, similar to the
others, supporting a fine arch. Within
the tympanum Of the arch is a majes-
TIC figure of Liberty, with extended
hand holding a scroll, while beside
her, with unfolded wings, is our ma
tlonal bird, the eagle. Above the en-
trance leading from the rotunda, is a
beautiful piece of sculpture represent
ing the Muse of History on the winged
car OF Time. The wheel of the car is
the dial of a clock. The figure stands
with pen and tablet in hand, and
seems about to record the events as
time rolls on. The whole is supported
on a globe, around which circles the
zodiac. BY act of congress in 1864,
this hall was reserved for a national
memorial hall, and each state was in
vlted to contribute two statues Of it's
most distinguished citizens in bronze
or In marble. A number Of states have
responded, and within its walls are
statues of Ethan Allen, Robert Fulton,
Daniel Webster, George Washington,
Alexander Hamilton, Henry Clay, Alb
raham Lincoln and others. Among the
latest contributions is the statue of a
noted missionary Of pioneer days from
the state of Michigan. Maryland also
sends one of a late senator, which
stands shrouded in white, waiting the
usual unwilling ceremonies. Statuary
hall has peculiar acoustic properties.
Words whispered in certain corners
sound as If spoken aloud in others,
and a conversation may be carried or
by persons whose faces are turned til
opposite corners of the room. Near tho
center of the floor, a few feet apart,
are two stones, which afford an in
teresting puzzle to a visitor. Persons
standing upon these stones and con-
versing are surprised to hear the sound
of their voices come from above them,
as ii dropped from the ceiling. These
are not the only pe%culiarities Of this
hall. In the v~ariegated marble Of thu
columns one can see faces, birds, plants
and many other pictures; often the
imagination is flexible enough to rec
ognize some of these faces as belonging
The names of Webster, Clay, Adams,
Calhoun and others as illustrious are
closely associated with this historic
place. A room adjoining is made men,
orable by the death within its walls
of John Quincy Adams. A metal star
in the marble floor of S%tatuary hall
marks the spot where he fell, stricken
with a mental illness during a session
of congress-. In the early years of the
war, soldiers were CHARTERED here, as
in other parts of the capitol, and the
room was also used as a hospital for
the sick and wounded.