Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-30
cATAcoMBs OF THE CAPITOL.
Underground Secrets Of the Nation
Great Law House.

Eentucky'S Mammoth Cave and Lu-
rays wonderful subterranean laDy-
rinth. says the Washington correspond
ent OF the News and Courier. are prob
ably better known by the average
sight-seer who has visited them thah
is the familiar Capitol of the United
States. the one great national Struct-
ure which every American who has
viewed and entered it, imagines he un-
derstandS above all others. unless IL
be the Washington monument.
In truth. the average visitor To the
Capitol building. VINO follows the beat
en- paths of the guides, comes away III
Ignorance Of many Of the most inter-
cSting secrets of the mighty edlilce
Like the stately pleasure de-
creed in Xanadu by kubla kahn, the
Capitol of the United States may be
said. with little rhetorical eXaggera-
ton, to be Subtended by caNernS meas
urelrSS To man. Those who know
the ropes du not travel overland from
the Capitol building To the great white
office. buildings OF the house and sem
To make the journey. They frequent
the cool SubwayS which run under and
connect the three structures. These
subwayS are identical in shape ana
construction. and contain roadways
and sidewalks of concrete. Their de-
sign is much like the letter =. and
they are lighted by beautiful rows OF
electric bulbs. Beneath the office
buildings the SubwayS open into u CIR
cular chamber, out OF which radiate
additional subwayS running directly
beneath the halls of the buildings
above.
Mystic Maze Affair.
The unsophisticated traveller could
easily be lost in these underground
passages. Without knowing their plan
he would be hopeleSSly confused on
arrival at the round chamber whlch
has lust been mentioned, because ne
would not know where the passages
radiatng from this central court are
intended to take him. and there are
no signs to show. or course. he can
find out by inquiry from some ot the
attendants but if he did not seek Such
assistance it would be easy for him To
wander about for hours in the glitter
ing and apparently endless maze.
-
these Subways is that the senate sub
way includes an automobile service
for the benefit Of those who use II.
while the house subway has To be ira
verSed by foot. As all appropriations
have 10 he sanctioned by the house
and must technically originate there
in, ii is somewhat surprising that the
lower chamber consents to letting the
senators ride at public expense
through the underground passage con-
Meeting its offices with the Capitol.
when the humble house member must
Use the. means Of lOCOmOtiun with
which nature endOw ell him.
Senate Subway Autos.
The autos provided for the senate
subway are quite different from the
sort We usually see in the street TheE
look more like wagons. ana without
being much larger than the average
motor car which seats half Il dozen
passengers. these queer contrlNai!ceS
will carry eight or ten persons. They
90 at a pretty good rate of speed. con-
Sidrring the meandering path of the
subway. and do not have To turn
around at the end of the trip. They
20 either way with equal facility. IKE
a street car. the operator merely
changing his seat 10 ON" racing the
other direction and reversing the ma
Chimery. These senate automODlleS
give forth in motion Il sound very SIM
liar to that Of the big autO-buSseS
which are 50 often used in suburban
travel in our modern American cities
that is. they make Il fuss that sounds
like Il rock cruSher. slightly Subdued
But not all the secrets of the Capt.
tul are in the SubwayS. or in the great
nd
tilatimg machines that make the Capt.
tul cellars seem like some enormous
manufaCtury. ON the most frequentcd
upper ilOurS of the Capitol building g--
the main fluor itSrlf-arr whole suites
of rooms. libraries. offices. and what
not. that rvade the pccrimg eye of the
<ightS,.rr. \ person not we'll NerSed
in the architecture of the great build
ing would be- wise Ia tax" Il thread
with him if he explored thrS" cavrrnS
alone. 50 that h" might be sure uf find
ing his way out. There are scores Of
hidden Railways and StHrwayS and rl-
rNaturS that contribute To the COlve-
ni,ncr of those for Whum they ar" in
tended. and which the newcomer
learns only 10y slow degrees i'm his pc
rrgrmatiunS in search Of elusive COM
mittrr ruumS and congressman dcSir-
ing S,'cluSiun for Il conference.
The Office Buildings.
And the gigantic white marble "liic"
buildings of TIA" representatives ana
senators are the special hugh"arS OF
those who have frequent business with
these representatives of tn" p""pl" ANA
Of the states To 20 L. room 800. To
be told that the gentleman YOU Wish
to see il now in room l99 is almost Il