The Southern herald., 1912-06-28

eS' III 'front.' OF each and almost de-
.Acned rom II stand out the sculptured figures,
IN pairs, OF the goddess Minerva, one of War.
and the other of Peace
from this Vestibule is entered the staircase
man. apartment unsurpassed in magniA-
oence and artistic beauty by any entrance hall
IN the Wo-id. 1t is truly "a vision in polished
stone" with Its vaulted ceiling 70 feet high,
us sides lined throughout with fine Italian
marble, highly polished, while on the sides rise
pairs OF magnificent marble columns with
elaoorately carved Corinthian capitals Through
the intervening spaces are seen glimpses Of
the rich coloring Of the mural paintings and
the glittering gold Of the ceiling decorations
OF the vaulted arches I'D galleries of the sec.
ond floor.
The grand double staircase with white
marble balustrades one on the north and the
other on the south side of the hall, has prob
ably no equal in the western hemisphere. The
newell posts. richly decorated with festoons
Of flowers and leaves, are surmounted by two
huge bronze figures of classically draped won.
en- bOlding aloft a cluster of electric lights.
The staircases are highly ornamented with
miniature marble figures carved in relief rep
resenting in embematic sculpture the vari-
GUS arts and sciences. On the buttress of the
south stairway are the sculptured figures rep
resenting America and AfricA supporting be-
tween them a globe showing Aese continents.
while on the north side a similar group repre-
sents Europe and Asia.
This spacious and magniicenty decorated
hall, taken in connection with the grand corri
doris and the elaborately and artistically en-
bellished reading room, furnish the finest
marble interior in America
to the balcony of the reading room On the
wall Of the landing of this stairway is a beau
tiful mosaic of Minerva, the goddress of wis
dom. by Elihu vedder. Entering the visitors
gallery an excellent view is afforded Of this
spacious rotunda or main reading room. It's
Hastness is but dimy appreciable from the
bare statement that it is 100 feet in diameter
and 125 feet in height, and that the pillars are
40 feet high and the windows go feet wide
One Of its chief beauties is the harmonious
blending Of the rich coloring effected by the
dark Tennessee, the red Numidian and the
yellow shades of Sienna marbles, accentuated
by the old ivory of the stucco ornamentation
Of the dome. Upon the eight immense piers
supporting the dome are placed female figures
OF colossal stature, above each being quota
tion relative to the phase of learning or
achievement further represented by the 16
bronze statues standing in the gallery two in
each of the great arches which encircle the
ROOM In these statues Religion is represent
ed by Moses and Saint Paul. Commerce by Co.
1umbus and Fulton; History by Herodotus and
Gibbon; Art by Michael Angelo and Beetho-
zen; Philosophy by Plato and Bacon; Poetry
oy Homer and Shakespeare; Law by Solon
Kent; Science by Newton and Henry.
In the collar of the dome, which is $50 feet
n circumference, is symbolism of the twelve
nations and epochs which have contributed to
he advance Of the world, each represented as
seated figure bearing the emblems suggestive
Jf iuy peculiar attribute. Egypt represents
WEitsen Records; Judea, Religion; Greece.