The times., 1899-10-26
RENovATING THE CAPITOL.
The Interior Being Prepared for
Coming Session of Congress.

The Interior Being Prepared for
Coming Session of Congress.
During the recess Of Congress repairs
have been going on at the Capitol without
cessation, but during the last few weeks
the force has been materially increased
and the work is being hurried to COM
pletion. No great changes have been
made, the work consisting in the main
Of renovation and repairs.
The most notable improvement has been
made in the ladies' reception room on the
Senate side. and in the ante-chamber to
the Senate galleries. The reception room
has been entirely repainted and frescoed.
The decorations are in the French style,
and of a delicate shade of salmon, terra
Gotta, and gold, and the three hues are
blended together in a delightfully."- harmo
NOUS measure.
The figures of Cupid Mars. Victory, ard
Peace on the ceiling have been brought out
from the obscuTity that the dark colors
heretofore hid them in, and have been
frightened up so that their beauty stands
out in bold relief, adding much TO the ap-
pearance Of elegance attached TO the room.
Near the entrance two panel pictures,
representing Art and Music, have been
painted on the ceiling, and across the room
near the north windows are the two COM
panion panels, Architecture and Education.
Gold has been used in pTOfusiOn in the
decorations. but not in such a manner as
to merge elegance into an approach to
yulgarity. Excellent taste prevails in all
the work.
The ante-room. which opens on the re-
ceptiOn room, and also the Senate galleries,
has been treated as generously as the re-
ception room, but the colOrs are bolder
and a triie heavier. Gold also has been
lavishly used but with artistic skill
The statues Of Garibaldi, Pulaski, Te-
cumseh, Kosciuszko, Thomas Crawford,
the sculptor, and Lincoln. have been
cleaned by well known artist, and they
viii be replaced in their former positions
about the ante-room. These works OF art
have long been in need of a thorough
cleaning The splendid pictures of the
Monitor and the MerTimac," the "Yel-
lowstone Park" and the Yosemite Val
ley" are also being touched up and clean
ed. They will adorn the walls as hereto
fore.
Senators viii find. in going to the post
Office that many additional electric lights
have been placed in the basement corri-
doris, which viii remedy an evil that has
existed too long These corridors have
never been sufficiently lighted.
All of the committee rooms vii have
been thoroughly cleaned and renovated By
December 3. and ready for the committees
who will use them. The carpets have been
removed from each room. and properly
cleaned, the furniture and uphOlsteTing
has been renovated, the rooms, where il
was needed, have been painted New ra-
diators have beeen placed In some OF these
rooms and an additional heating appaTa'
tus has beeeu erected to make the Su.
preme Court room more comfortable.
Some windows in the Senate and House
I.rr Hea INN hN IN grinu n
them heavy plate glass and several new
fans have been installed in the basement,
and connected with the yentllating ap
paratus.
The steam pipes throughout the building
have been enclosed in cork covering, and
all of the steam heating apparatus has
been carefully oyerhauled and where nee
cssary repaired.
Some repairs have been made to the
roof OF the building, which, it is believed.
viii stop further leaking, and every one
Of the elevators has been thoroughly ex-
amined and placed in good condition.
A much needed want for the steam heat
ing apparatus has been supplied by the
erection Of a hot water well. This viii
enable the engineers to get up steam
much quicker than heretofore. The hot
water is supplied by the exhaust pipes,
and il is pumped into the boilers. Hith-
tI 10 lAG Dpl4tl5 NtAt liilI4 " III Npsh hrltl
The usual annual renoyations have
taken place in the Senate and House
chambers
The ruinous condition Of the grounds
fronting west, caused by the construction
of an interceprng sewer being run through
them, are now being graded and rep,antei.
II is expected that by the time Congress
meets the rye, which is being sown on
the overturned soil. will be sufficiently
high TO cover the soil with green bright
vcrdure. The walks leading from Penn
sylyania and Maryland Avenues are also
being reconstructed, in some places. and
repaired in others.
Altogether, the incoming Congress will
have very pleasant and comfortable quar-
ters during the next session.