Arizona republican., 1900-12-13

TT tives during sessions even until 1928. Ladies were excluded from inc gal ieries for some yeas.
 The first supreme court session held in the capitol began February 2, 1901, in one of the senate committee rooms, on the west side of the north wings basement floor.
 When the British army marched in to Washington in 1874, the capitol was still unfinished. Only the two wings connected by the sheltered bridge of rough boards constructed across the foundation of the rotunda. The Brit ish troops, on reaching the capitol, first fired several volleys into the win dows. A regiment marched into the house of representatives. Pine boards torn from the bridge between the wings were piled upon the floor and streWn oyer with valuable books and papers taken from the congressional library. Army rockets were discharged through the roof of each wing. The soldiers then marched upon the White House and committed similar depre- dations there. A heavy rain storm setting in an hour later extinguished the flames before the walls of the capi- t5l had been destroyed.
 Congress held it's sessions in Blodg- ett's hotel, at Seventh and E streets, after the burning of the capitol. In 1916 building at the southeast corner of Maryland avenue and First street northeast was leased. Meanwhile, the rebuilding of the capitol had com- manced under the direction of Archi- tect Latrobe, who, however, was sue ceeded by Charles Buifnch of Massa- chusetts in 1S17 Bulfinch remained architect of the capitol until 1927, when Latrobe's plans had been carried out by him.
 WHISPER GALLERIES ECHOED
 SECRETS.
 The senate floor, which, before the fire, had been level with the basement, was, in the course of these repairs, ele- va,ed to the height of tn main floor The basement space thus provided be- heath it, and now the law library, was thereupon occupied by the supreme court. The house of representatives,
 
 structed along finer lines. The pecu- the faintest whispers across its entire length soon developed to an embar- raising extent. The political secrets of factions silently conspiring in re- mote corners of the hall could be dis tinctly overheard by innocent rivals sitting at respectful distances.
 The two wings were connected for the first time by the central rotunda surmounted by a low dome 145 feet high. constructed of brick, stone and wood, and sheathed with copper. The main hall of the library of congress was erected west of the rotunda Thus. not until 1927 was the original capitol. at a total cost of $2, 433, ,S14, act ually completed.
 Beneath the center of the rotunda was built the crypt, a subterranean chamber, in which, when the rotunda was designed, it was proposed to place the body of Washington. A galleried opening was to- be left in the center of the rotunda floor, and through this the sarcophagus containing the sacred re- mains was to be viewed in the crypt. Mrs. Washington. who had consented to the removal of the remains from Mount Vernon, died before the propo- sition was carried out. Washington's heirs then entered objection and the project was abandoned in 1882. A keeper of the egypt" by order of congress, kept a light burning in the voult until the civil war Up to that period it had not been extinguished for fifty years.
 LARGER CAPITOL COMMENCED.
 A larger capitol became necessary in the middle of the century. It was thereupon decided to add greater wings to those alre ady built. Thomas V. Walter, who h ad built Girard coi- Iege, Philadelphia, was appointed arch itect. On Independence day, 1851, President Fillmore laid the cornerstone of the extension sund Daniel Webster delivered an eloquent oration. The material for the walls of the new wings was white marble, slightly variegated With blue. It was quarried at Lee Mass. The columns adorning the wings were cut from single blocks of marble. quarried in CockeyssviIle, Maryland Tn 1856 the old low doL1e was removed and the construction of the new one begun. The latter made of iron castings bolted together and painted white, required nine years for construction. and cost $1, 1,250,000. It weigs 3,576 tons. The bronze statue of freedom surmounting it was modelled by Thomas Crawford, and cost nearly $25, coo. It is 19;h feet high and weighs 1f,9S5 pounds. Its topmost point towers 2SS feet above ground. When the larger capitol was completed in November, 1867, the total cost, including the original building and extension, amounted to nearly $13,- 000, ,00O.
 In 1860, the supreme court removed to | the hall which the senate had just va cated for its new chambers in the north marble wing. The court has since re- | tained these quarters, those which it vacated being occupied by the law li- brary of congress, as stated.
 FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS PRO-