Evening star., 1901-04-23
SUPREME COURT ROOM
A STEEL FIREPROOF ROOF TO RE
PUT ON.
Care That the New Structure Shall
he Exactly Like the
Present One.

The last Congress authorized the archi-
tect of the Capitol to replace the roof of
the Supreme Court Of the United States
with a steel freproof structure, and there
by hangs tale. If there is one spot in the
Capitol in which material forms are held
a little more sacred than anywhere else,
and almost as important as the traditions
of the government itself, 1t Is in this room
where a final judgment Is pronounced on
legal controversies which involve a con-
struction of the Constitution. The justices
of the Supreme Court themselves We're
hardly aware that the roof Of their court
room was to be moderniZed until the law
authorizing it had been written in the
statutes Now it is there, and as it would
be pretty difficult to construe the Constitu-
t1on in any way to prevent its execution,
the roof will be reconstructed. But the
architect of the Capitol also is imbued with
deep reverence for every chip that enters
into the splendid old building which he
cares for, and the question of providing a
steel roof for the Supreme Court room is
being looked into in order to see whather
the new roof can be put on without re-
moving the ceiling, which is ornamental and
dotted with rOSetteS in the highest art
available when the room was constructed
An Important Question involved.
There is very important question in
roof is built of wooden rafters, which are
not only dangerous because of the possi-
biity of a fire getting in among them. but
they show a very perceptible degree of
vibration, which might some day be so
greatly increased as to cause breaking
away of the plaster ceiling or at least to
cause one of it's ornaments to fall. The
architect does not wait until an accident
hpfp ha Of
danger, but keeps a careful watch to de-
tect in advance any possibility of danger,
and this possibility Is the reason for in
vadng the Supreme Court room with mod
ern Ideas about fireproofing and strength
of supports of such an expansive roof as
that of the hall in which the highest judi
cial body of the land holds it's sessions.
The architect is now carefully considering
ways and means for replacing the roof
and Strengthening the ceiling without re
moving it. But should it be concluded that
this cannot be done with safety the cell
ing will be taken down and it is declared
that another ceiling will take it's place Of
perfect a copy that one could ever
detect that anything has been disturbed.
Measurements and Costs.
The most careful measurements and costs
of the ceiling have been prepared or will
be completed before the work is begun
Every detail of construction and ornamen-
tation will be replaced as 1t Is today, and
when it Is done all danger of accident will
be avoided. This ceiling has long been the
subject for the watchful care o~sthe archi-
tect. At the time of the explosion of gas
below the Supreme Court room the ceiling
received a severe shock, and then 1t was
examined. Some of the ornaments were
found to be slightly loose, and they were
taken off and replaced with rivets that
hold them perfectly tight. The work of re-
placing the roof will be begun soon after
the court adjourns in the latter part of
next month, and it will be completed long
before the next term Of the court, which
begins in October,