The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-07-12

Wisconsin is proudly looking for
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 to 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
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-fifth of the entire
structure, completed and ready for oc-
cupancy by the time the next legisla-
ture convenes 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 it's fine
texture, which makes it an excellent
stone for the carver and sculptor.
The granite will be cut and filled
at the quarries, each block being
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
20 inches wide. The back walls will
be built simultaneously with the gran
tie facing. The total weight of the
granite to be used will be 100000
pounds or 1850 tons. At 40 tons to
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 will be. The sculpturing will
be done after the pieces have been
set. 1t 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. G.
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
er 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
large circular part bearing the huge
dome and four large wings extending
out toward the cardinal points of the
compass. The wings will be 120 feet
in width and the distance from the
entrance to one to that of the OPP
posite one will be 440 feet. Their
height will be four stories exclusive
of the basement The central point
of the new building will be just 26
feet west of that of the old one, this
being necessary to make it CORE
spond with the central point of the
capitol park. Just why the old capitol
was not built so that it's center cor
responded with that of the park is not
known, but it is said that the first
capitol was located little to the east
of the center Of the park because
that location afforded better founda-
ton and when the legislature provid-
ed for the erection of the present
capitol it through oversight or error
required it to be placed in the same
relative position as the old building.
This at least is the explanation of
the matter given by Secretary Porter
The main entrance Of the new capitol