BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-10-21

changes were to be made, Woods, as
uperintendent, would call in an archi-
tect or otherwise secure suitable assis-
tance.
But such compromises often fail.
Congress passed an act decreeing that
the title of the position should be
changed to that which President Roo
sevelt had suggested but that this
superintendent should perform the
duties heretofore performed by the ar
chitect of the Capitol Congress thus
changed the title, but added a line
declaring the change meaningless.
Mr.. Woods has gone to work. AS
an example of his system, some exper-
fences in the Supreme Court room may
serve. This is one Of the great historic
chambers of the Capitol; it housed the
Senate until 1856, and hence was the
scere of the great debates of Webster
and Hayne, and the other giants of
those days. To Mr.. Woods fell the
task, after an explosion which occurred
some months ago, Of fireprvo6ng the
roof. To do this he gave orders that
the doomed ceiling be torn out without
taking any record of its lines and details
A plasterer saved the day. He called
Mr.. Woods's attention to the need of a
record. Woods answered that he had
a photograph by which the ceiling
might be restored This the plasterer
said ne could not do, and finally an ar
chitect was sent for and drawing
made Of the dome, upon the delicate
details of which the acoustic properties
of the famous chamber depends.
Other changes which Mr.. Woods had
decided to make in the room were stop
ped by the direct comand of member
of the court, who happened to hear of
the threatened danger and interposed
in season to prevent it. Woods had
intended to put in an ornamental" new
bench designed and manufactured by
an F Street furniture-man he had found
also lot of marble which he thought
would Tighten up this rather dull room,
and he was about to put it in when
his plans were rude1y interrupted by
the members of the court, who are very
tenacious of their rights.
+ To Mr.. Woods fell also the transfor-
nation of the old quarters of the library
of Congress into committee rooms, and
while ne has done this on a most 1uxu-
rious scale, in total disregard of cost,
the results are such as to make the
judicious grieve. Hitherto it bad been
the boast of American architects that
the Capitol had been economically built.
Now, by peculiar wording of the
appropriation bill, Mr. Woods has unli-
mited opportunity to make changes in
the name of repairs and the Auditing
Department of the Treasury is required
by statute to honor any bill which he
approves.
The Capitol has grown through many
hands, but it has always been in charge
of persons who had a great respect for
it. Edward Clark, long the architect of
the Capitol, was not a great man in his
profession, but that did not matter so
much, since he differed from Woods in
two essential respects. He had an ar
chitectis training, and he knew his own
limitations. A a result, he was always
very cautious and disinclined TO tear up
things. Before Clark's day, the Capitol
had been in charge of great architects;
Walter, whose dome elicits the ad1nira-
ton of all beholders, was his immediate
predecessor. In spite of the changes
and additions of a century, the Capitol
remained harmonious up to the period
of Elliott Woods, but the flashy deco
rations which he is adding do not pro-
mise well for the future. The building
will probably be enlarged before many
years, and hence the importance of an
early agreement as to the plan under
which changes will be made