Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-14
TO Be REMoDELED
CAPITOL BUILDING AT WASHING
TON TO HAVE EAST FRONT
EXTENDED.
Tenth Time Structure Has Been Re.
built and Added to - Col. Hepburn
Member Of Commission on Plans for
improvements.
BY H. J. MAHIN.l
Washington Bureau of the Courier.
Mashinnfnn n G M,u 10

Washington Bureau of the Courier.
Washington, D. c., May 49,.
For about the tenth time since it
was built the great capitol building
is to be enlarged When the present
improvem ents are completed the capt.
tol will have nearly five hundred rooms
and will have cost a total of nearly
S2O,0OO,000. Although it is the result
OF numerous additions and enlarge
ments and is really veritable patch
work put together in peace meal fash
ion the capitol ranks as one of the
greatest and most imposing specimens
OF architecture in the world
While the latest plans for the CAPT
tol are of interest to the entire nation
they are of particular interest to Iowa
since Representative Hepburn has
been chosen one of the commission
who will plan and carry out the work.
The other members of the commission
are Senators Alger and Wetmore and
Representatives Richardson and Speak
er Cannon.
D Colonel Hepburn has been staying in
Washington to look after his duties in
connection with this, commission. They
have been ordered to look into the
matter fully and report to congress in
the fall
The present plan is to extend the
east front of the building, thus forming
about sixty more rooms. The capitol
now has $50 rooms and with the con
templated addition it will have 1856
33 more for the senate and an equal
number for the house. AT least two
years will be required to complete the
alterations and the cost will be fully
$2,50O,000.
Generally speaking the, capitol is the
most important building in the United
States. 1t has grown with the growth
of the nation. More than once it has
been considered finished but subse-
quent events have demanded more i'm
provements and additions. A glance
at the building as it is today would I'M
doubtedly cause unbounded astonish-
ment to the congress which in the
early ninties of the century before last
offered a building lot ard $500 for the
best plan for capitol. building
Congress put the whole matter into the
hands of George Washington. He chose
the plans submitted by William Thornton
and the corner stone was laid September 8,
1893 the ceremony, including a speech by
President Washington, n great military pa
rade and a barbecue.
Three years later congress held it's first
session in the then incomplete capitol At
this time a wooden shed had been erected
to connect various parts of the building and
this remained until in the year 1914 when
the British troops captured Washington.
They pulled the shed down and used the
wood together with many valuable books
from the congressional library to start the
fire which they expected to burn down the
entire capitol. They fgnfted these COM
bustibles, shot n few rockets through the
roof and left the structure to burn For
tunately a pouring rain came up just about
this time and put out the fire before it
had donesa great deal of damage.
In the following year President Madison
authorized congress to borrow 100000 to
repair the capitol. Finally in 1927 at a to-
tai cost of So. 450. 900 ($700, 900 of which was
for rebuilding the capitol was finished ac-
cording to the original plans. 1t then
consisted of the central portion of the
present building without the house and sen
ate Wings -
The big rotunda at that time was sur,
mounted by q low dome of brick, stone and
wood sheathed with copper 1t is not gen
orally known perhaps, that beneath the
center Of the rotunda there still remain
evidences. of n subterranean chamber, which
was built at that time and called the crypt
| 1t was understood that herein We're to lie
the remains of Washington in sarcopha'
gus exposed from above to the view of the
reverent multitude. His widow was not
adverse to the plan but his heirs objected
to the removal Of the body from Mt. Yer
non so the plan was abandoned. Neverthe
less n watcher. called the keeper of the
crypt, was employed Ivy congress up to thu
time Of the civil war and a light kept there
was not extinguished, Is said, for oYel
fifty years.
At this period in the capitofs history II
was of course considered that it was fin
ished. However, when the middle of the
nineteenth century had arrived it became
evident that the building was not Bis
enough to accommodate the congress O
this growing nation. Then Thomas U. Wal
ter, was employed to design and build The
two great wings, for the senate and house
and on July 4, 1Sbl- PRESIDENT Nliiinor'
inaucurated the project, an appropriate ora
ton being delivered by Daniel Webster
In 1855 the old dome. which was too
s.souatty'' to look well was removed ant
work was begun on the present one. TIT
two white marble wings (Which cost IS.
OOO, OCm were finished in 1861 and two
years later the bronze statute of Freedom
I 70 feet nlSn anu cDslluE "-o,oO' W dc PlaCct
on ton of the dome DDS feet from the
ground The dome is made of iron casting
bolted together. 1t weighs 1861 tons ant
cost 81, 100000.
| Again the capitol appeared complete. bul
the next thing was the addition of the 81
perb marble terrace comprising many spa
cious rooms now all well crowded. at ;
| cost Of S1,25O.OOo.
There appeared then nothing more to be
! done except rebuild the old portion tt
match the new marble wings. This is now
| to be partially done. Originally composed
entirely of sandstone the capitol is destined
| in the end to become one mass of glisteninl
white marble.
| AS for its completion it seems hardly SAFE
| to say that it will ever arrive at that con
dition Its fate seems to he one of contin
ual growth to keep up with the wonderful
development of the greatest nation of the
world.
We have made speciality of snapp.
| stylish clothing and mems shoes a
The Hub.
| Fairfield Pioneer Dies Suddenly.
J tJoy rTb,, ~