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Story
July 8, 1868
The Kentucky Gazette
Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
What is this article about?
Factual description of the U.S. Capitol dome as America's most ambitious iron structure, detailing its height surpassing landmarks, immense weight equivalent to thousands of tons, bronze statue, pressure on supports, and total costs including wings and future plans.
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OCR Quality
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The Dome of our National Capitol.
The dome of the Capitol is the most ambitious structure in America. It is 108 feet higher than the Washington monument at Baltimore, 68 feet higher than that of Bunker Hill, and 23 feet higher than the Trinity Church spire of New York. It is the only considerable dome of iron in the world. It is a vast hollow sphere of iron, weighing 8,000,200 pounds. How much is that?—More than 4,000 tons, or about the weight of 70,000 full grown people, or about equal to 1,000 laden coal cars, which, holding four tons apiece, would reach two miles and a half. Directly over your head is a figure in bronze (America,) weighing 14,985 lbs. The pressure of the iron dome upon its piers and pillars is 13,477 pounds to the square foot. St. Peter's presses nearly 20,000 pounds more to the square foot, and Saint Genevieve, at Paris, 66,000 pounds more. It would require to crush the supports of our dome a pressure of 755,280 pounds to the square foot. The cost was about $11,000,000. The new wings cost about $6,500,000. The architect has a plan for rebuilding the old central part of the capitol and enlarging the Park, which will cost about $3,200,000.
The dome of the Capitol is the most ambitious structure in America. It is 108 feet higher than the Washington monument at Baltimore, 68 feet higher than that of Bunker Hill, and 23 feet higher than the Trinity Church spire of New York. It is the only considerable dome of iron in the world. It is a vast hollow sphere of iron, weighing 8,000,200 pounds. How much is that?—More than 4,000 tons, or about the weight of 70,000 full grown people, or about equal to 1,000 laden coal cars, which, holding four tons apiece, would reach two miles and a half. Directly over your head is a figure in bronze (America,) weighing 14,985 lbs. The pressure of the iron dome upon its piers and pillars is 13,477 pounds to the square foot. St. Peter's presses nearly 20,000 pounds more to the square foot, and Saint Genevieve, at Paris, 66,000 pounds more. It would require to crush the supports of our dome a pressure of 755,280 pounds to the square foot. The cost was about $11,000,000. The new wings cost about $6,500,000. The architect has a plan for rebuilding the old central part of the capitol and enlarging the Park, which will cost about $3,200,000.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Triumph
What keywords are associated?
Capitol Dome
Iron Structure
Height Comparisons
Weight Equivalents
Construction Costs
Where did it happen?
National Capitol
Story Details
Location
National Capitol
Story Details
The Capitol dome is described as the world's only major iron dome, a hollow sphere weighing over 4,000 tons, taller than key monuments, with a bronze America statue, specific pressures compared to St. Peter's and Saint Genevieve, and costs totaling around $20.7 million including wings and future plans.