The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-11-14
WASHINGTON NEWS AND NOTES


MnttcTs aHd Ti'nus TAX , bout al
the National apitai.
When the next session Of congress
meets the returning members will find
many changes in the capitol to greet
their eyes The principal alterations
have been made in the rotunda For
the first time in fifty years the dome
has been painted, while the side walls
and columns have been scraped and
cleaned, This course Of scraping and
cleaning has brought the stone back to
Its original condition. The side walls
were constructed of Virginia sand
stone and the process of cleaning with
an acid preparation has laid bare the
character of the material, and in many
places stones Of an entirely different
nature from the sandstone have been
disclosed The pictures throughout the
rotunda Will have received thorough
renovation
Capitol Improvements.
The skylights on the senate and on
the house have been enlarged by extern
sions OF ten feet on each side. The ef-
feet has been to afford more light In
each chamber, which will be particu-
larry noticeable from the galleries, for
the extensions completely cover them
Superintendent of the Capitol Elliott
Wood concluded that the chimneys,
which have long been noticeable pro-.
jecting above the roof, were unsIghtIy,
and so much of them as projected
above the roof have been taken away,
and forced draft is created for the
fiues by electric motors.
New Carpets In House and Senate.
When congress reassembles the new
bronze doors at the entrance to the
house wing viii be in position. The
doors for the main entrance and the
senate wing were hung in 1853, but
the house doors were not authorized
untII 1903 They cost $4,000 and were
cast at the same foundry in Chicopee,
Mass. where the other doors were
made before the civil war
Throughout the Interior of the CAPT
tca building all traces of calcimining
have been removed as far as possible,
ana the Italian renaissance has been
restored The senate will have new
greeus carpet and the house of repre-
sentatives one of red. No readjust
menG of SEATS has been necessary in
the house. The last time the hall Of
representatives was remodeled space
was AFFORDED for placing 400 seats, and
these are not all occupied.
Treasury BuIdtng Crumbling.
The soft walk, pillars, eornices and
ether portions Of the east front of the
treasury building have been slowly
crumbling for years. and it is only a
question of time when that part of tie,
historic building win fall to pieces.
Various officials of the treasury de-
partment are. urging Secretary Shaw to
recommend to, congress at the coming
session an. appropriation TO replace all
the sandstone used in the east front Of
the structure with granite, and Seere-,
tary Shaw has the matter under adj
vlsement. The supervising architect Of
the treasury has been consulted, and,
his estimate is that it will take $3.50
600 to do the work His opinion is that.
If the. sandstone is not replaced before
a great while some serious accident
may happen, as the sandstone crum+
bles away in big pieces ut times.
BY replacing the sandstone east front.
with granite the entire outer portion or
the treasury will then be of granite
and mtllllast almost as long as time.