The Washington herald., 1910-03-27
Miss Freedom Has Bon
net of Platinum, which
Plays Important Part
in Safety of the Big
Building on the Hill.
By WILLIAM ATHERToN DUPUY.

by NlLAIAM AIHEhIUA DJfB1s
Platinum, more precious than gold. and
the yellow metal itself, are the basis for
the scheme for trimming this years
Easter bonnet for Miss Freedom, the
goddess on the dome of the Capitol at
Washington. The precarious task OF TT
ting this bonnet TO the head Of the god
dess. 2S7 feet above the pavement, has
been accomplished.
She stands to-day Respondent. chal-
longing all Corners to compete with her
in the hats of the season upon a basis
of novelty of design, eomeIiness, or from
the standpoint Of expense. No head is
to-day held so high as is hers, for free
dom is herself still feminine and suscep-
tible 10 those sensations that go with
spring millinery.
Aside from which It may be said that
Miss Freedom has not had new
trimmed bonnet before for five years,
and this abstinence accentuates the
present pleasure With dignified reserve
she has watched the passing Of five Eas-
ters and the consequent frenzy OF the
millinery world and has made no pro-
test
Merry Widows. peach baskets. toques,
and turbans have come and gone with
out her participation in their bIandish-
ments. But recently she has tired of
neglect. She sent her ultimatum to Su-
perintendent Elliott Woods. of the
Capitol Building. If he did not provide
her with an Easter bonnet of the most
expensive materials. she said. she would
allow a bolt of lightning TO rend the
Capitol asunder. There was a scientific
possibility of her making good on this
threat. and the bonnet was forthcoming.
Plays with Lightning.
It was this way. The goddess, in her
exalted position almost among the
clouds. makes the lightning her play
thing Jove, like Death, loves q fair
mark and he hurls his thunder bolts at
the goddess from May to October Ris-
ing high from the already great eieva-
ton of Capitol Hill. the goddess is the
most attractive mark In the city. It is
a matter of record that great lightning
bolts find her out on an average OF three
times a year. They rend her head dress
and burn blackened stripes down her
sides But she Is invulnerable and suffers
little injury This fact is due largely TO
her bonnet. 1t is specially constructed
with the idea of most successfully hand
ling lightning bolts, and none is so
powerful as to disconcert her. Here
again has hers an advantage over most
millinery.
The best of all conductors of electricity
is platinum. But because of the neces-
sary investment of sl.0OO.OO0 the farmers
use it little on their barns. Platinum
tips are, however. used on all the pro-
jections OF the bonnet of the goddess.
Next to platinum as a conductor of cleo
tricity comes gold, q less expensive metal
but still ornamental. The platinum tips
are backed up by base that is plated In
gold. The whole of this ornamental tip.
which is about three inches in height, is
screwed into the bronze of the statue
itself and forms a part of IT,
Whenever there is a lightning bolt
playing about the vicinity, this combina-
ton of conductors coaxes II into their
lair and dfspenses ii. For, when a bolt
is once induced TO attempt TO find lodge
ment in the headgear of the goddess Il
is entirely undone. 1t passes from the
platinum and gold tips to the bronze
of the statue itself, and from this it finds
its way 10 the roof of the Capitol dome
and the whole great building Ali this
is Of iron. So great is it that the bolt
OF lightning is devoured. broken into
hundred parts, and each unonensive
fragment is sent to the ground by means
Of thousand conductors that reach
mother earth.
The Capitol Building is regarded as
being one Of the best protected from