Evening star., 1944-10-01
Capital Sidelights
6 = 'f-.4g
By, Will P. Kennedy.

For several months it was whispered
around the Capitol that nobody knew
what had become of the original sonnet
penped with quavering hand by John
Quincy Adams as he sat in the House of
p Representatives chamber tnow known as
Statuary- HalD, June S, 1840. Gossip al
legged that the manuscript had been
placed in the famous art clock, The Car
of History" created by Carlo Franzoni
in 1919 This contrivance now graces
the wall oyer the door into the rotur1da,
but the missing poem long since was re-
moved from it, Searching for the pre-
cious paper, the writer of this column
finds that it was acquired some years
ago by Chairman Sol Bloom of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee. He
purchased it from DIR. A. S. w. Roser-
bach, dealer in rare books. museum
pieces and objects of art, with offices In
Philadelphia and New York.
Mr.. Bloom also owns the original
manuscript 'of George Washington's
book on agriculture, the Washington
coat of arms with the name spelled
"Wassington'D in colored glass and a
copy of the coat of arms of the family of
Mary Ball., He likewise treasures an al
bum of 80 airmail covers dropped at as
many points of historic interest by Mai
James H. Doolittle, making a dawn-to-
dusk flight Of 2,610 miles over routes
travelled by Washington by coach and
on horseback, July Is, 1882.
The Adams sonnet was the work of
the only son of President to become
President. He was both the youngest
and the oldest public servant in Amer
ican history-a secretary of legation at
IA and a. Congressman at 3D. After his
tenure in the White House, he was in
the House for II years.
David Lynn, the architect, of the
Capitol, recently acquired a set of
photographs showing the dome and
structural details of St. Isaac's Cathe-
dral in Leningrad, formerly st. Peters,
burg, Russia, which inspired August
Gottlieb Schoenborn. principal drafts
man of the United States Capitol for 50
years u850-1902), and in that capacity
the designer Of the Capitol dome. Some
years ago the present writer published
in The Star an article cleaned from
carefully kept, hand-written diary be-
queathed by Schoenborn to his grand
son. August Eccard, civil engineer in the
Office of the architect of THE Capitol,
where he has been employed for more
disclosed that the Capitol dome was de-
signed after that Of St. Isaac's Cathe-
dra1. Schoenborn's work on the Capitol
is commemorated. oficially in the vol
ume, art and Artists of the Capitol"
compiled by the late DR.. Charles E.
Fairman.
/ It is stated that Schoenborns diary
describes the laying of the cornerstone
of the south wing, July 4, 1851, and that
he was head craftsman during the
building Of the extension Of the Cap
itol." His grandson, Mr.. Eccard, has Just
received from Tlrpin G. Bannister, as,
sociate professor Of architecture, Rens-
selaer Polytechnic Institute, and mem-
/ Der Of the American Institute Of Arch
itects and the American Society Of
Architectural Historians, letter which
states that his research after having
seen The Star article makes him Ger,
tain" that st. Isaac's inspired your
grandfather when he designed the
structural system Of the Capitol dome" !"
/ He Is preparing the historical memo
randa Of August schoenborn for publ
cation In the journal Of the American
I Society Of Architectural Historians and
!, has made special study Of the Capitol
]. dome to Be included In. history OF
1 Iron In building corastruction.