Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-09-21
RESTORING THE ROTUNDA.
Great Improvement Being Made on
the Capitol Building at
Washington.

The interior of the rotunda of the
capitol Is being restored so that long
before congress reassembles 1t will
look as it did nearly half a century
ago before the inside was smeared
with blue-gray paint and rendered I'M
attractive to the artistic eye The In
side Of the rotunda undeniably needed
cleaning and furnishing up, but 1t
was rather a serious question what
should be done with It, There had
been various suggestions, one for a
mosaic floor and others for mural
decorations, so that 1t should rival the
congressional library across the plaza.
But after considering everything Su-
perintendent Woods decided simply to
restore 1t, and the work which Is now
almost completed seems to amply Justi-
fly the decision, says the Washington
Star.
The work began at the great al
legorical picture in the roof. That
was thoroughly cleaned and then the
interior Of the dome was painted.
This was a work Of several weeks and
the painters did stunts during that
time that would have ranked with
high trapeze work IN circus There
was not a stick Of interior scaffolding
put up for the job, but the iron plates
of which the interior Of the dome is
built were loosened In places, ropes
dropped through the openings and the
swinging scaffolds from which the
painters worked were launched out in
midair from the balconies around the
upper part Of the rotunda. The paint
ers then drew themselves up to the
inside she'll of the dome and worked
as far as they could reach, after which
the swinging scaffolds were let down
and moved to a fresh spot
But when IL came to treating the in
terror of the rotunda from the great
Brumidi frieze down 1t was a different
proposition and one calling Tor the
chemist rather than the painter. Prob
ably many people Of the present gen.
Grafton do not know that the capitol
was originally built of the old Aqua
creek sandstone, a really beautiful
building stone, and one that It was an
artistic sin ever to cover with paint.
All the interior of the rotunda is built
Of this stone that is now a soft gray
white, just the tint to harmonic with
the dark marble floor when the latter
Is cleaned, as 1t will be when the work
Ia done
All around the interior are stone
carvings, wreaths and garlands on the
walls and high reliefs over the doors
representing scenes from the colonial
days and the early history of the
country These carvings, covered as
they have been for years with heavy
coast Of paint Of uncertain color, have
looked like cheap plaster casts and the
whole effect of the interior has been
that of a makeshift structure rather
than of solid stone.
When 1t was decided to go back to
the old stone foundation, the problem
was to get the paint off, and a good
many renovators and paint removers
of different sorts were tried. Finally.
however, Mr.. Woods tried lime, Stacked
with potash, and this did the trick
without injuring the stone. The real
character of the stone carvings only
began to show as the paint was gotten
of. They came out In sharp outline
and proved to be really wonderfully
fine work for this country at the be-
ginning Of the century. 1t was found.
also, that some sections of the stone
work had been destroyed when gas
pipes were run through the capitol, and
these blemishes had to be removed and
the whole work restored. But the re-
suit is very satisfying and the interior
Of the rotunda this winter will look
like what 1t is, solid and artistic
piece of work and not painted sham.
There is, however, some excuse for
the apparent vandalism of painting the
interior. II one will only consider the
conditions with which the housekeep-
ers Of the nation had to deal at that
time. When the capitol was lighted by
gas, the amount of smoke that was
generated was simply appalling.
Everyone knows If you blow a gas
flame It will smoke. Now the capitol
Is o veritable Gave of the Winds"
even ignoring the hot air that is con-
stantly emanating from the house and
senate The hundreds Of gas jets
smoked so that It was impossible to
Keep the interior of the building clean.
The rotunda, every passage and. the
statues throughout the place were con-
SANITY being covered with a film OF
ampblack. Finally, in despair, the ro-
.unda was painted. which made 1t
Easter to clean, but ruined the artistic
appearance Of the interior.
Now, of course. the interior Is illum-
mated with electricity, and there will
,e no more gas smoke to interfere with
he stone work. When the rotunda is
Gifted there will be, 1900 electric
lights In It, all concealed, but illumin-
ting the place without either heat or
moke. The great historical paintings
md their gold frames will all be gone
,ver before they are put back on the
vail, and for the first time since 1868
he visitor at the capitol will see the