Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-06-13

On the third floor Will be the mouse oI
representatives, with a gallery seating
$50 people. Committee rooms, toilet
rooms and offices occupy the remainder
of that floor. Four trusses support the
root of the house of representatives and
the dome. The diameter of the dome is
40 feet. The roof on either wing is fiat,
and as thoroughly waterproof as iron,
pitch, felt and gravel can make it. The
roofs would be a splendid site for root
gardens.
The view from the dome is magnifi-
cent. The eye is limited only by the
mountain walls on all four sides of the
valley. To the west the smoke can be
seen curling up from the mills at Stand.
To the south the mountains in back
of Lamy rear azure crests, while to east
and north the nearby mountain ranges,
with Mount Badly on the second range,
form a strong background to the City OF
Santa Fe, with it's beauteous orchards.
The flooring inside the building will
be tile work. The plastering is done
Upon iron lathe work, and the building
is practically fireproof. Two tanks, each
holding $500 gallons, will be placed
above the principal vaults, of which
there are eight in the building. Marble
switchboards are placed on the differ
ent floors for the electric lights. Water
pipes will be run on the roof, so tina
| large hose can be attached to them in
case of fire, and water pipes will be run
to all parts of the building. The dome
is almost entirely Of steel.
Many of the rooms will have pretty
hreplaces, but the heating will be by
steam, and can be shut off from any
part of the building at any time. The
plastering of the interior Of the build
ing is partly complete, and is very ar
tistic. The floors are weighted so that
the plastering will not crack, and
strong manila fiber is mixed with the
plaster to prevent it's crumbling. All
| the plaster castings for the ornaments
and pillars in the building are made on
| the premises.
On the ribs on the exterior of the
dome, electric lights will be strung, and
| they will be lit Upon festival occasions.
Decorative features can be added to the
capitol from year to year, just as each
| legislature sees fit to order. The capt.
| toll building will, however, be ready to
/ be turned over to the territory by Octo-
| Der Is if the furniture can be placed in
that time. Architect Rapp has reared
! to himself a monument in the capitol
of which he can well be proud. 1t is
complete in every particular, and ar
| ranged so perfectly that it must be
| classed as one Of the finest capitolS west
| of the Mississippi. A noteworthy fea-
| ture of the building of the capitol is the
comparatively small amount of money
expended upon it. 1t will be completed
and furnished ready for occupation aft
| err the expenditure of only $135, 900, or
| perhaps less. OF course, sums Of money
! will probably be spent upon it hereafter
| to further beautify it with works of art
| and to lay out the handsome grounds
| that surround it. Convict labor is one
of the causes for the cheapness Of the
| building, for fifty convicts have been
employed upon 1t daily at an expense
| to the rebuilding commission of only
$40. The convicts have developed into
| excellent help, and under the instruc-
| ton of good mechanics did their work
well. The work being done around the
| capitol at present is mostly contract
work. Much Of the material for the
| capitol was bought cheaply, and bricks
| were furnished in large quantities by
the penitentiary. Plate glass for the
| building hat two years ago, when bids
were asked, cost only 81, 200, now costs
| 50, 700, and in many similar instances
/! money was saved.
Architect Rapp says that through the
| personal effort of Governor Otero, who
has Deer taking great interest and ex-
| tended considerable aid to the rebuild
ing of the capitol, $500 was saved in
freight rates alone. A spur of the San
ia Fe railroad was built into the capitol
grounds, and through the governors
| personal influence the rates for mate
| rial that had to be brought from a dis
tance were reduced more than so per
| cent.
Taken all in all, the territory can well
be proud Of the new capitol, the work
of the capitol rebuilding board, and the
fact that the capitol was built without
the breath Of scandal or a suspicion of
wrongdoing being connected with the
rearing of the magnificent building.