The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-10-23

Prison" much as tourists aIIude TO a
fashionable hotel
Occupied Four Years,
This structure was occupied by Con
gress from December. lsl5r untu ISIS
it was here that Senators OF Indiana
Mississippi and Illinois lrsJ took their
seats, ou the admission OF these States
20 the Union Henry Clay was the
Speaker OF the House all this time
John j. Critteuden began his career
here as a Senator from Kentucky. He
lived 10 be the author OF famous com
promise in ls53. intended 10 avert the
civil war. and TO see the scene of his
first Senatorial services turned over 10
military uses, after his uusucccssful et-
fort
la rebuilding the real Capitol some
changes were made ia the chambers of
the Senate and of the House of Repre-
seulatives from the old plan, but these
did not affect the external appearance
OF the building. The two wings. when
completed in 1919. as the old prints show,
looked like two almost separate rec
tanguIar structures, In peculiar rela-
tion of formal ueighD0rliuess- The Hail
OF the House. this time finished iu the
form of Greek Jheater, has since been
made the SLaLuaTy Hall. where each
State has "a privilege of erecting the
likeness in marble or bronze Of two
of her lannon's sons. The new Senate
chamber. like The earlier one, was in
our present Supreme Court space, exc
cept that the floor level was NOT estaD-
HsH=d fu It's present plane. There were
no changes in the exterior in his res
t6rarfou aside from the removal OF an
occasional damaged stone.
Growing, But Never Complete.
70 +ool- fen wears more Of work on the
central part of the structure 10 make
r0rn1eted building in 1879 the country
for th1 FIRST sime since ~ had been a
nation looked upon a finished legislative
edffce. il was during the period which
followed that Rufus Cu0are said
1--WE have built no temple but the
Casitoi; we consult mo- common oracle
bun the Constitution"
Occuuauts OF the Capitol were com
Portable and its appearance was dlEnl-
fed Its central rotuuda was surmOuuJ-
Ell by q modest but respectable dome.
BY the year which marked the middle
Of the nineteenth century however the
nation had outgrowu ia many directions
the lines marked out by the founders,
and this expansion reflected itself in the
LtLHL.EL rnz .H- .Aa--s-aF --A ANn.H-
an the architects 10 compete for what
they called am extension and at the
same time il gave the President the au-
thority, through an appropriation bill, I
TO appoint am architect no begin the
work Mr.. Fillmore. upon whom the
duty then devolved. threw ont an the
competitive plans. which We're very
crude. and asked Thomas u. Walter, an
eminent PHILADELPHIA architect, 90 uu-
dertake the work. lie had just compleJ- /
ed The main building al Girard College. /
waleh IS srI standing. and is 20 this
day much admired.
Adhered to Old Plan.
Adherlug I'm spirit 10 the plans 0f VIII /
liam Thornton. the architect of the I
original Capitol Mr. Walter built the
TWO wings as they now stand. IT is said I.
that Thornton himself could not have .
carried out his own plans more faith !
fully. and In this lies the real greatness
OF Walter Smaller architects would /
have tried TO bring glory TO themselves /
b- Improving radically on the old model /
AS then completed. the building might I
ba roughly described as consisting OF q I
central rotGuda. TWO small wings ex- /
tending from DC toward the north aus /
the south. and Two larger ones beyond /
these. iu the same directions. The Sen I
ate has always occupied the north I
wing. and the House the southern The /
Supreme Court now utilities the old I
Senate chamber of the north wing, while .
slaIuary I5aH occupies the old Iegis- /
latve chamber of the south wing. This
form OF extension makes il some dis /
tauce from the Senate chamber 10 thef
House. FOR the building extends nearly /
a sixth ut mile.
1t was not until 1875 chat the House Of /
Representative took possession OF it's
chamber iu this new wing, where 10 has i
since continued TO sit. IL was January
&. 1853. when the Senate reached It's new
quarters Clay Webster, and Calhoun.
sn- great giants ef tLe aute-beIIum nc
r.Cd. never sat lu the present Iogisla-
tive halls
Key to Present Needs.
AS these larger wings were thrown out
b. became clear that the old dome was
not sufficiently digUiaed 10 surmouut the
new structure. and accordingly plans
FOR larger one were drafted. a COM
1leauou which then arose explains the
present need of an enlargement of The
Capitol The building was greatly
heightened by the Walter wings. but
ACT Wldened- TO give circular dome I
the requisite height it, must have
bread diameter. AIr. Walter. iu build