Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-05-07

Tie COuEt. MeHlDtTS I'll lHe
diplomatic corps were seated not less
than fifteen feet from the table, which
was on the raised stand occupied by
the President. Chief Justice Fuller
and the committee.
| The table was closely guarded this
year. because II came very near being
carried off bodily four years ago, when
the Capitol officials failed to remove
II from the stand Immediately after
the President and his escort left for
the White House. A heavy rain had
! precipated the direst confusion on the
! inaugural stand, and the invited guests
, fastened into the Capitol. while many
unlimited guests rushed over the stand,
and ono of these was just in the act
OF passing the historic table over the
railing to confederate when detected
+, by n Capitol policeman.
| One Of the most serious evidences of
vandalism is to he found at the House
end of the Capitol, where the gallery
doors are ornamented with bronze ira
Gerry, representing fruits, flowers and
geometrical designs. The delicate ten
drills of the vines and similar projcc-
tons have been so rnthessly destroyed
by the vandals that an estimate of the
cost of repairing the injury was made
last winter, and II was found that an
appropriation of $4,000 would be re-
CURED to restore the artistic orna-
mentation to its original perfection.
: On March 4 Of this year the vandals
made an heroic attack on the statue
OF Ceres, the occasion was of concen-
trated attack. and as result the mar
bic efngy now shows five white spots
where ships, varying in size from a
: quarter to a silver dollars, have been
| removed.
Fortunately the most common form
Of vandalism practiced at the capitol
nowadays is comparatively harmless.
| 1t consists in the ancient and honor
able" desire of various tourists ia
leave record of their visits by
scratching their names in some con-
! spicuous place. The favorite scene of
f, this form of vandalism is at the base
or tholus of the great dome. this place
being least easily observed by the
alert watchmen. The stone work at
+, this point has, however, been painted
many times, and few of the seekers
of this cheap fame succeed in doing
more than scratching the paint, so that
all trace of their work is removed as
soon as the next painting occurs, and
! such paintings take place about once
| III two years.
| On one occasion an eager souvenir
ficnd was caught in the act of taking
the clock from the wall of the Presi-
dents room, off the Senate lobby.
Probably no official department. in
| Washington has been subjected to as
much spoliation by the hand of the
vandal MS this, chamber. The room is
|
day of the session the President rides
up to the Capitol to sign belated bills
before the presiding officer declares
the session at an end. He takes his
seat in the Presidents room, usually
with his Cabinet surrounding him,
and generally holds sort Of Informal
reception. Throughout the rest, OF the
| year the only use to which the apart
ment is put is 10 serve as a showplace
for the ,ediflcation of tourists. Nova
days guard is stationed within the
{. room every minute it is open for in.
spection, whose sole business Is to pre-
i vent relic grabbers from stealing or
damaging articles within the apart
! ment. Before the Presidents room
was protected by n special guard it
was periodically wrecked by = the
tourists. The sillSen tassels of the
draperies. the knobs on the doors, the
Heather seats of the chairs, the uphol.
stery of the sofas and the handsome
rugs were either taken away entire
or were cut out piecemeal by vandals.
Time after time the damage was re-
! paired only to be repeated in more or
less aggravated form, and finally it
was deemed advisable from the stand
point of economy, II for no other rea.
son, to put an officer on constant
watch
Not only has the Presidents room
been the harvest field of the. curIo
, collector in the Capitol. bit every cor
ner of the great building has suffered
from time to time. Many of the dis
honorable scars are very patent to the
, naked eye, for it has been found inn
possible to repair much of the damage
without the expenditure Of more
, money than the superintendent Of the
building has had at his disposal. Near
by ever, one of the beautiful bronze
; doors on the eastern front Of the build
ing has been mutilated. These doors
cost many thousands of dollars. for
each presents numerous allcgorical and
historical scenes In bas-relief upon It's
panels. These costly examples of the
metal workers art have been serious
ly married by the vandals, who with
hammer and knife have Clipped away
parts of the figures represented. Here
o soldier lin one panel has been robbed
of his sword; there q horse has lost