The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-08-04
RAwBLES
Through the Caption Building Does a
Highland County Boy Obser.
vations and SppculatiOns.

Having some time at nv diap sal I
viii now try to give your readers an ac-
count Of NV trip tn Washington and tie
public buildings as saw them.
l got a two days leave of absence ard
"arlv Tuesday morning started to see
the sights that had heard OF 80 much,
caught the Washington and Falls
Church electric line and enjoyed a fine
half hour ride to Georgetown, a suburb of
Washington. transferred to the Penn.
line, and was soon in the CAPITOL city.
first went to the home OF my cousin,
Mrs. Mary Miliken, and then in company
of Miss Efie Redkey, daughter of Jno.
Redkey, near Rsinsboro, o. who is a
trained nurse here. and Mrs. Miliken's
niece, Miss Leila st. Clair, who is here
attending school from Oklahoma Terri
tory, We proceed on our tour of observa.
ton. We first visited the capitol build
ing. An obigipg guide met us in the
rotunda and piloted us through the diff.
ferent departments. We first went
throguh long hall lined on either side
with department offices, to the hall of
Whispers. This is a curious place. The
roof is shaped like dome, and the guide,
placing us facing large clock over the
doorway, went across the hall and talked
in low voice. To cur surprise the
words seemed to come directly from the
face of the clock. 1 expected to see
some one come from behind the cleck
but the guide returned and explained.
He was standing at least fifty feet away
when he was talking. We could not dis
tinguish one word he said while we faced
him but the moment we faced the clock
the words came with clear distinctness.
The other curiosity is for two persons to
stand on certain paving stones of the
floor and talk to each other while per.
sons standing beside them can't hear
anything the other party has to say. It
is in this room that Pres. j. @. Adams
fell. The spot is marked by a brass plate
set in the paving. Everything is fully
explained by the guide. We next visit
ed the Senate chamber, lobby and recep.
ton rooms. Everything is simply grand.
The Senate was not in session while we
were here but we returned later and
saw this interesting sight. We then
went to the Supreme Court room. It
1t was in this room that Webster, Clay
and the leading spirits of those days de-.
! livered their great orations. One can
almost imagine from the pictures OF
them We have seen. that they are stand
ing before him delivering their fiery
words of patriotism. From here We re.
turned to the rotunda. The frescoe
painting is the finest I ever saw. No
one is allowed to 60 to the top of the
dome since the war began for the sim.
pie reason that some spy, or spsniard
rather, might take it into bis head "a
drop bomb from the railing into the
crowd far below, and as the number Of
high state officials who daily pass through
here is large, the precaution does moi
seem unnecessary. The superintendent
of machinery and boilers, who has charge
of the apparatus which furnishes heat,
light and ventilation to the Senate
Chamber, kindly showed US over his de-
partment. There are two fans fifteer
feet in diameter that draw the air iI
through a tunnel three-hundred fee
long. The force of air is very great in
this tunnel. 1t reminds one of severe
wind storm and we we're kept busy hold
ing our hats. The fresh air goes through
the mixing room where if the air is dry
q number OF sprays OF water are turned
on. The air passing through these ID
moist. 1t then finds access to the Sen,
ate Chamber through the hollow legs O.
the tables, desks and the railing around
the galleries. This perfect system o.
ventilation keeps the Senators supplied
with all the fresh air they need to keer
them level headed during their delibera
tions. am afraid l will take to much
space 90 will close for this time. Viii
tell the rest of my visit next week.
O., E. WIsEcUP