The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-13
WALLS ARE CRUMBLING.
Capitol Stone Is Disintegrating Accord
ing to This Story.

Several hundred thousand dollars
soon must be spent to save the walls
of the $3,0OO00O capitol building. The
state house is crumbling and shortly
kansans will have to pay high price
Tor the pride which prompted them to
erect great structure from stone
quarried from the hillsides of the state.
The following is from a st. Louis pa
per:
Forty years ago. when the east wing
OF the present state house was being
constructed, a demand was made by
native stone. The great quarries at
Junction City and Cottonwood Falls
were opened, and hundreds of car
loads of the famous cottonwood lime
stone" were hauled to Topeka. This
stone. when taken from the quarry, is
SOFT and may be easily sawed into
blocks ready for laying into the walls
AS it stands in the air and elements
1t hardens- 1t was this argument
which induced the officials in charge to
use the Kansas stone in the east and
west wings of the big building.
me east wing was the first built and
for years it sheltered all the depart
ments of the state government. Then,
when the west wing was started, Suf-
1cient time had not elapsed to deter
mine the lasting qualities of the cot
tonWood' stone used in the construc-
ton OF the east wing, and so the con-
tractors and officials went ahead with
the Kansas stone. For ten years or
more these two wings, separated 100
feet or more. and connected with
Temporary bridge or chute, presented
unique picture on the ten-acre plat
set apart for the state house square.
Mistake Is Realized.
BY the time the state was ready to
complete the structure by the erection
of the north and south wings, and the
great dome which rises 2S0 feet
above the completed building, the
architects and officials realized that
serious mistake had been made in
the use of Kansas stone for the east
and west wings, and hence, to make a
part of the building safe and perma-
nent, it was decided to use Colorado
granite in the construction of the
north and south wings, as well as the
great dome which crowns this expen-
Siva building
The east wing. the Oldest part of the
capitol, is rapidly crumbling away,
and there is every evidence that the
west wing will soon be in a very bad
condition One can walk about the
state house anywhere, except on the
window lodges of the new wings, and
pick off big slabs of stone an eighth
of an inch thick. The elements have
loosened these sheets and they come
Off readily by using knife or a fin
ger nail. There are many stones in
the building that can be cut deep with
an ordinary knife and that scar easily.
The store is disintegrating rapidly,
and State Architect Chandler said to-
day that it will be only few years
until heavy repair work or complete
rebuilding will be necessary.
Senate Chamber Fine.
In the second story of the old east
wing, which was built forty years ago,
and which at one time housed every
department of the state government,
is located the senate chamber, one of
the finest rooms in the United States
1t is not as large as the senate cham
Der at Washington, but it is finished
with onyx, brass and Italian marble,
and, with possibly two exceptions, AL
bany and Austin, is the finest legisla-
tive assembly room in the country. In
the second story of the west wing,
which was next built. is representa-
tive hall. which. like the senate cham
Der, has been finished deliberately. If
it should become necessary in the
years to come to tear down these two
wings, the loss would be heavy. for
the people of the state have a pride
in the beautiful finishings and furnish
ings of these spacious legislative as
sembly rooms.
1t is discourag ing to the taxpayers
who have contributed approximately
SO, 900. 600 in the erection and furnish
ing of their state capitol to now face
the proposition of spending one-third
that sum for refacing with granite the
east and west wings, or. if this can
not be done. to dig down into their
pockets for million more for COM
plete rebuilding.