The Elbert County tribune., 1912-06-07

oSAoSs III lTOuL OF edCn and almost ue-
tached from 1t stand out the sculptured figures,
In pairs, of the goddess Minerva one of War.
and the other Of Peace
From this yestibule is entered the staircase
hall, an apartment unsurpassed in magnifi-
cence and artistic beauty by any entrance hall
In the world. 1t Is truly "a vision in polished
stone," with It's vaulted ceiling 70 feet high.
its sides lined throughout with fine Italian
marble, highly polished, while the sides rise
pairs Of magnificent marble columns with
elaborately carved Corinthian capitals Through
the intervening spaces glimpses of
the rich coloring of the mural paintings and
the glittering gold OF the ceiling decorations
of the vaulted arches and galleries of the sec
ond floor.
The grand double staircase with white
marble balustrades, one the north and the
other 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 surmounted by two
huge bronze figures Of classically draped wom-
holding aloft cluster of electric lights.
The staircases highly ornamented with
miniature marble figures carved In relief rep
resenting in emblematic sculpture the vari-
arts and sciences On the buttress of the
south stairway are the sculptured figures rep
resenting America and Africa supporting be-
tween them globe showing these continents,
while on the north side similar group repre-
sents Europe and Asia.
hall. taken In connection with the grand corrt-
dors and the elaborately and artistically en-
bellished reading room, furnish the finest
marble interior in America
From the east corridor a stairway ascends
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 main reading room. Its
vastness Is but dimly appreciEble from the
bare statement that 1t is 100 feet in diameter
and lbs feet in height, and that the pillars arc
40 feet high and the windows 80 feet wide.
One of Its chief beauties 10 the harmonious
blending Of the rich coloring effected by the
dark Tennessee the red Numidan and the
yellow shades Of Sienna marbles. accumulated
by the old ivory of the stucco ornamentaton
of the dome. Upon the eight immense piers
supporting the dome placed female figures
of colossal stature above each being a quota
ton 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
cd by Moses and Saint Paul: Commerce by Co
lumbus and Fulton; History by Herodotus and
Gibbon; Art by Michael Angelo and Beetho-
ven; Philosophy by Plato and Bacon; Poetry
by Homer and Shakespeare; Law by Solon
Kent; scieno, by Newton and Henry.
In the collar of the DOME which Is $50 feet
In circumference. is q symbolism Of the twelve
nations and epochs which have contributed 70
the advance Of the world. each represented rs
la seated figure bearing the emblems suggestive
of Its peculiar attribute Egypt represents
Written Rscords; Judea. Religion; Greece.