Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-09
SECURING GODDESS
ON CAPITOL DOME
Husky Men Apply Soap to Her
Toes, Arms and
Throat.
IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS
SINCE THE LAST BATH
freedom" Will Retain Beautiful
Green Gown-Huge Painting
Job Starts.

the top OF the Capitol dome today. and,
grabbing the Goddess OF Freedom (not
Liberty by the toes, ankle. arms and
throat, began to scour that lady for dear
life. using very strong solution Of cas-
tile soap to make her clean. It is not the
hrst time this conspicuous woman has
had bath. although It was in July, 1910.
when she got her last one, and from all
reports she will welcome the soothing ap-
plication of suds, as the dust has been
flying high Of late. There is a good bit
OF 1t on her skirts, arms and sandals.
BY tomorrow there may be fifty men on
the job. and the goddess will be secured
inside and out as well. and q coat Of paint
will be given the big iron dome on which
she stands. And that coat of paint. by
the way. is more expensive than the ten
thousand-dollar fur coat Of Representa-
tive Levy OF New York. as generous I'm
Gle Sam has put up $4,000 for this smoke
gray coat.
Scaffolding Erected.
To give Freedom her bath, and to at
tend to the manicuring, pedicuring and
massaging attendant upon a perfectly
good job. everything necessary has to
be dragged up the inside or outside of the
Capitol building. There is no elevator.
Already a scafrolding Of enormous beam
has been lifted up hand-over-hand and
placed around Freedom. until she ap-
pears to be wearing a Bulgarian blouse
Of rough pine. A long wooden ladder.
touching Freedoms toes, Grapes care
lessly down to the balustrade from which
the guides point out points OF interest to
tourists whose lungs are good enough to
stand the climb to that point. This lad
der IL. of course. used by the human flies
to climb up on Freedoms feet. There is
not q so-called ''steeplejack'' In the outfit,
all priding themselves on being plain.
ordinary, everyday painters.
Green Coat to Stay.
The soap bath will not interfere one
whit with the lovely coating of green
which has almost covered Freedoms
gown. That could be taken of. but In
the office Of Elliott Woods. superin-
tendent OF tho Capitol. it was said to-
day that every attempt to scour of that
green is the signal for loud and mourn
full cries Of protest from art connots-
seurs all over the country. az 1t is q
mark Of that respectability which
comes to bronzes with age. Therefore
Mr.. Woods declares he will not have
Some Of Freedoms jewels may be re-
placed. She wears seven aluminium
spikes, tipped with platinum. to pro-
tect her sacred person from the thun-
derbolts Of Jove. These little light
apiece and are quite likely to be found
fused and melted from the fierce kisses
of the elements. Mr.. Woods has asked
the human hies to take or these caps
SO they may be inspected by him.
Must Do Other Work.
While the bath Of Freedom Is the
spectacular portion OF the big job. the
contractor is required also to paint
the enormous network OF iron and steel
which forms the inside Of the big dome.
and to carry his painting down to the
ground on certain portions OF the CEN
trail building Of the Capitol. Ola draw.
ings in the office of the superintendent
of the Capitol show the intricacies OF
this work.
The drawings were made in 1853 by
August Schoenborn. craftsman under
Architect Walters, and are looked upon
as masterpieces Of art of that kind.
They are in colors, and are as bright
today as they were half a century ago.
They show about every inch OF iron
and steel that will have to be painted.
Tons Of Paint Ordered.
To cover them. sixty-five tons Of paint
have been ordered. according to a
formula by Elliott Woods. This will
mix into 100000 gallons, each gallon
covering $50 square feet Of surface, so
the actual area to be covered on this
great web Of steel which lines the dome
Is 1872 COX, 900 square feet. 1t will con-
sumo about ten weeks of working time.
OF course, this big surface includes
some Of the sandstone on the outside
OF the center building, which has to be
painted to preserve it from the weather.
Just where the big iron dome rests
upon the pillars and uprights Of the Capt.
In this gutter strange things dropped from
the balustrade higher up are found. To-
day q roller skate. two straw hats. an
American flag. one nickel and seven
pennies were picked up by the human
flies.
Statue Not in Danger.
Charles MacNichol. in charge of the
job. said that the recent report OF a
volunteer steeplejack who endeavored to
climb up on Freedom and be photograph
ed is not accurate. The steeplejack said
that the interior Of the bronze ball on
which Freedom stands is filled with rust
and corrosion, and that the statue Is in
danger Of falling down. Mr.. MacNfcnoi
reports today that the rust and corrosion
is nothing but the dust of carbons from
the electric lights placed high in the
Capitol, and which blaze out during night
sessions. The burning carbon flies up
ward In huge clouds and has settled
thickly.