Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-30

Washington, has turned interest to-
ward what lies beneath the ground on
which the National Capitl is built
Consideration of this fascinating cub
ject reveals that underground Wash
ington ls equal in interest 10 that
domain recently called Behind the
Mirrors Of Washington"
The historic forest wa" dis
covered while the steam shovels were
making deep excavation for new
: hotel. The remains were uncovered a {
a depth Of Is feet and the experts OF
= the Geological Survey declare that the /
: subterranean discovery is anywhere
from 10000 to 10000 yeara old and
= contemporary with the earliest human
life on the North American continent.
] The rennains Of the prehistoric
8 trees indicate that they grew in one
of tho vast swanps in the murky
9 dampness Of which the life which the
. researches OF investigators have de-
q ecrlbed. developed. Great winged
pteradactys few over this region and
Y the dinosaurs here sought his food
It was an age of vast physical pro-
p portions. The tree stumps found show
a that the treee were 0 or 10 feet in
n diameter These trees were more Ike
= the modern cypress than anything
n else.
10 Chester K Wentworth, one OF the
o Geological Survey experts who ex-
n smined the remains. traces the action
= OF the Great Ice Age on the prehistoric
swamp and finds many other indlca-
s tions OF geologic history Of the utmost
value 70 geologlsts.
n To find prehistoric survivals BE
n meath Washington is exceptional and
l. ls only an evidence Of the story OF
what Lies beneath the National Capital
Ia Curiously enough. NJ the same time the
4. excavations revealed this find. one Of
10 ouual interest. though In q different
n field. was discovered At the Capitol
u Underground Washington belongs
m both TO an historic period and 20 A
70 prehstoric age.
10 For y century there have been
fugitive legends of the secret passa ges
~ and concealed apartments Of the old
Capitol Building The other day a
m piece Of masonry at the Capitol be
no came dslodged and showed an open
~ ing. wholly unsuspected by the su-
N perlntendeut and other functionaries
VI ApN ' ADlNtt. = tfiHA llOk bi
- masonry dropped from its place and
4 disappeared. According to all reason
liable calculations. the stone should
-, have fallen into a known passage be
" low II did not. but crashed through
the ceiling ~ a. room on lower
floor. To do so it must have faller
- through a shaff the existence Of which
." had not been known. The acoiden
has started Investigations which are
now in progress and which are sx-
pected To reveal a few Of tho struc
IL tural secrets ~ the building
'e- The Capitol ia a vast structure
TX portions Of which have been con.
ne structed at different periods. Il vii
IL be recalled by every schoolboy thai
the British burned the old Capitol IL
OF the War of 1912. A new building va,
a reared on tho old foundations Thes.
were extended and utilized and tn
o, new mingled with the old in such
'er way that no plans exist which shov
w. the entire scope Of the masonry.
An Buried Treasure, OF Course.
ere DR.. William Thornton the architec
Us. ot the part OF the Capitol built follow
ote- ing the fire. was builder Of the o.
,ed school and doubtless followed oil
ZEN English traditions which leane
strongly 10 the idea OF secret pass
In" ages and apartments. There has lon
been a legend that somewhere beneat
the the great terrace on the West sid
sci OF the Capitol. there is a secret cham
or ber which contains treasure secrete
IN there when the British were march
,be ing on Washington and never r,
,,b covered because the men who had Al
,ba ranged the hiding OF II alone kne
fnu how to fnd the place.
=. ANY person who will go into h
"a crypt and cellars OF the Capitol
even in what is known as the OI
Library Space, which is the mo.
ancient part OF the Capitol. will readil
understand how Il is possible for n
massive walls 10 contain hidden pas:
ageways, and staircases. The know
corridors take surprising twistine
and turnings and there are who
L sections OF masonry, large enoug
- 10 contain rooms, which apparent
have no entrances.
When the recent discovery Of an III
o, known shaft occurred, il was recall,
by old employees of the Capitol ar
, - by certain members Of Congress thi
Henry ID. Flood. a Representative
4 Congress from Virginia and Chairma
old OF the Foreign Affairs Committee. wi
died recently was regarded as a so
go Of man Of mystery around the Cal
TO itol because of his wholly unaccount
BILE disappearances. The story go
that at times when Mr.. Flood wa nt'
AXE, TO be alone 10 transact urgent busine
ant without interruption he would disa
Npear absolutely. He would be Sc,
you walking down a corridor of the Ca
itol, would turn corner and, sudde
ak; ly, would be gone.
Floods Secret Died With Him.
ling Virginians took a large part in t
building Of the Capital. the present.
ence of such men as Washington, Je
W. ferson, Burr and others giving the
v; prominent place in any COVER
ouT mental undertaking. The theory n
been advanced that Mr.. Flood, Of "
|. ginia, the political heir OF these far
'y is Gus statesmen in some way becar
possessed of some of the architectul
YOU secrets of the Capitol and used the
Mr.. Flood Is dead and. presumab
neh' his secret, II ne had one. died VI
'ui him.
The Capitol remains and looks so
ene enough TO remain 20 the end of tin
wfu some enterprising architect II
cast it's secret or will the building cruml
with no one the wiser?