The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1907-07-13


ward TO the day when her splendid
capitol building will be completed and
her lawmakers will once more have
place they can call home. Not since
the fire several years ago which de-
stroyed the state have have the mem
bers of the legislature and other state
officers ceased planning to provide a
structure which would not only be
adequate 10 the needs and convenient
in its appointments but that from an
architectural point of view would be
credit to the great state and in har-
mony with the magnificent site pro-
vided on the commanding heights at
Madison. And the fruition of the
planning is to be found in the stately
building now being reared out of the
tons upon tons Of steel and the noun
tains of stone and cement. The work
Of setting the pure white Vermont
granite of the exterior walls has be-
gun and it is expected that the west
wing of the ix-million-dollar capitol
will be up and enclosed by next Janu-
airy, and the architect promises to
have this portion of the building,
which is about one-ffth of the entire
structure, completed and ready for &C.
cupancy by the time the next legisla-
ture cOuyenes two years hence.
1t is expected that when the new
capitol is completed, which will con-
sumo about ten years, Wisconsin will
have the handsomest and most con-
venient state house of any common
wealth in the United States. Archi-
tecturally it will be massive and mod
estly ornate The exterior walls will
be of white granite Quarried at Bethel.
Vt, and generally considered by eX-
perts as being the best building stone
in the world. 1t is the hardest and
whitest granite known, qualities
which prevent it from absorbing much
moisture and becoming disCOlOred and
dirty like most building stones. An
other of its good qualities is its fine
texture, which makes it an excellent
stone for the carver and sculptor.
The granite will be cut and filled
marked as it is finished so that the
workmen will know just where it be-
longs. The granite will be about one
foot in thickness and will be backed
by a two.foot wall of brick. The
courses or layers of granite will be
% inches wide. The back walls will
be built simultaneously with the gran
lite facing. The total weight of the
granite to be used will be 99,000,O00
pounds or 1850 tons. At 40 tons to
a carload it will require 1912 cars
to transport the granite from Bethel
to Madison. The cost OF the freight
and the cutting of the granite will, it
is estimated, be about six times the
value Of the granite in the rough at
the quarries.
The largest pieces of granite will
be used in what are known as the
"pediments' or gable ends of the
building. where the ornamental sculp-
turing viii be. The sculpturing will
be done after the pieces have been
set. It is estimated that these pieces
will probably weigh IS tons each. The
pillars and columns will consist of
round blocks 20 inches thick, the
same as the course in the walls
The most notable building con
structed of the Bethel white granite
so far is the new Pennsylvania rail
road station at Washington, D. c.
The foundation walls for the west
wing of the new Wisconsin capitol
are now ready for the superstructure
The foundation walls are built of con
crete reinforced with steel. The out
or walls have been finished and the
interior walls and supporting pillars
are being put in
In form the new capitol will be
much like the old one, consisting Of
a large circular part bearing the huge
dome and four large wings extending
out toward the cardinal points of the
compass. The wings will be 100 feet
in width and the distance from the
entrance to one to that of the op-
posite one will be 4iO feet. Their
height will be four stories exclusive
of the basement. The central point
of the new building will be just %
feet west Of that Of the old one, this
being necessary to make it CORE
sDond with the central point of the
capitol park Just why the old capitol
was not built so that its center cor
responded with that of the park is not
known. but it is said that the first