Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-08-29

in 1915 to borrow S5OOOOO for the re-
building. The legislative wings were
reconstructed and occupied In 1919,
and the central pavilion in 1927, the
entire structure costing So. 100000.
Latrobe made minor notifications III
the Thornton design. His are the ia
nous corn columns beneath the old
Senate chamber-a new American or
der. He increased the height Of the
dome. but the drawings were never
executed Iatrobe also changed DR.
ThorntOn's semi-circular pOrticO to the
rectangular projection which now or
raments the central structure.
The floor Of the Senate chamber was
elevated to the main floor the Supreme
Court moving into the basement be-
meath. and the hall Of the House as
,limed form which was meant to re-
Scmble that of an ancient Greek thea
ter.
Beneath the center of the rotunda
was built Il subterranean chamber
called the crypt. in which 1t was I'M
derstood that the remains Of Washing
on We're to lie, In n stone sarcopln gus
exposed to the view of the multitude
His widow was not adverse to the plan
but his heirs objected to the removal
of the coffin from Mount Vernon, and
so that project was abandoned. New.
ertheless. n watcher called the keeper
Of the crypt, was employed by Con-
gress ND to the Civil War and light
kept there was not extinguished, it 10
,ald. for fifty years,
Charles Rulfinch, Of Boston, was
architect Of the Capitol from 1917 to
1929. and completed the building as
shown in the picture of 1899. Under
his direction, the dome rose higher
than in any previous design, the
c,ipoas were added at either end and
the familiar western portico and ter
races incorporated into the design.
The acoustics of the Hall OF Represen-
tatives still batfled the government,
and William Strickland. Of Philadel
phia was called into consultation with
Bulfinch to supply Il remedy
The picture of 1885 marks the sec
ond stage in the evolution of the Cap
itol. The changes to come gave the
structure substantially its present APP
pearance. The Capitol of 1888 covered
n little more than an acre and hale
OF ground. and was 35l feet 1 inches
long.
New Wings and Dome Added.
In the course of years it became too
small. The Congressional Committee
on Public Buildings advertised in De
cember, 1880, for plans for an extern
sion Of the Capitol. From the nuner-
Gus designs submitted four were Sc
lected. and the premium equally divid
ed among the four architects. The
then employed an architect
named Mills to prepare design for
he extension Of the Capitol, based on
The principal feature of the four Sc
Iccted plans. President Fillmore adopt
I'd different design. and the corner
;tope was laid on July i, 1851, an ora
ton being delivered by Daniel Web
,ter Thomas L. Walter of Philadel
Dhia, was the successful architect. In
1850 the old dome. which was too
'squatty" to be beautiful on the ex-
tended facade, was removed and work
III the present one begun.
During this operation movement
was started in IA convention Of Ameri- !
an artists at Washington to supervise
he decorations in the new wings and
lone. The members of the convention |
the appointment of a
committee for the work. AS named
" President buchanan. in 1888, his /
rody comprised. Henry X. Brown, a !
sculptor. of New York; James II.
.ambdin. portrait painter. of Phia
lplphia. and John +. Kennett. a land |
cape painter, of New York. Although |
hese gentlemen took a hand in the I
work of supervision, they accomplish ,
ID little. and finally abandoned their =
heir bills for expenses.
Thus the building was brought to
he condition shown in the picture
made in 1861. \ comparison of this |
bird s-eye view with the Capitol Of 1888 |
illustrates in a comprehensive way the |
of the wings as compared |
With the size of the old building in the
middle and the contracted dimensions
# the roof upon which the present
lone was placed.
The statue was raised to the apex
# the dome in 1863,
The Capitol To-day.
The Capitol to-day contains 43O |
ooms. With the contemplated addi-
ion it will have 496 rooms-thrty
hree more for the Senate and an euuai
lumber for the House of Representa-
ives.
When the extension has been made,
he editice, including the works of art
which 1T contains, will have cost near
v $40, 600 Up-more money than Con-
,ress had ever imagined, in lump
yum. when In the early nineties Of the
century before last it offered $500 and
building lot for the best design for
house for the National Legisla ture.-
Philadelphia Ledger.
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1t is this new blood which people