History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantages for business, manufacturing, etc. Pub. under the auspices of the Springfield board of trade, by J. C. Power.

22 SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, AND
by wrought iron beams, properly braced Chamber, are in a semi-circular form.
with angle irons, all well secured with Here we find, under somewhat different
rivets. The spaces between the wrought arrangements, rooms attached, for the
iron beams are filled with brick arches, same offices as those connected with the
the whole of which is covered with ccn- Senate Chamber. In both halls there are
crete, having wooden strips imbedded, cloak rooms,wash rooms and water closets
to hold the wooden floors, in the rooms conveniently attached. Both are lighted
only. The floors in the halls and corri- in the day time, principally through the
dors are all marble, chequered by alter- roof.
nate squares of different colors. The east wing has rooms for the Canal
The principal entrance is at the east Commissioners, and committee rooms,
side, by an immense flight of stone steps, with cloak and other necessary rooms atseventy-three feet wide, landing in a tached. Between these rooms and the
Grand Portico. rotunda there is a lobby 26 x 104 feet,
We will ascend the front steps, enter extending across the wing from north to
the east portico, pass along the Grand south.
Corridor, over the glass floor in the roThe west wing has rooms for the State
tunda, and continue west, to the foot of
library, the librarian, a reading room,
the grand stairway, which we ascend, to
half' the' hand an audience room each, for the Senate
half the height of the story, then turn
and House of Representatives.
about, either to the right or left, and
ascend to the SECOND PRINCIPAL STORY. The Senate Chamber and RepresentaThe floor of this story is constructed tives Hall have each a gallery, extending
exactly as the one described below. Keep around three sides, half way from floor
in mind that the entire edifice retains to ceiling. A portion of the gallery in
the form of a grand cross-first story, each house is set apart for the use of reprincipal story, and second principal portersofthepress. On a levelwiththe
story. It is the floor of the latter on galleries, a floor extends over all the ofwhich we are now standing. fice rooms connected with both houses,
This story is forty-five feet from floor the Governor's rooms, State library, reto ceiling. Let us enter the north angle ception rooms, and all except the two
or arm of the cross. Here we find the legislative halls. This floor is divided
Senate Chamber, sixty-two by seventy- into a great number of small rooms, for
five feet, with the desk of the presiding the use of committees of both houses, and
officer at the north side. In the extreme is designated the GALLERY STORY.
north end of this wing, we find rooms To impress it on the mind, I will here
properly arranged for the speaker, chief recapitulate, that the body of the edifice
lerk, enrolling and engrossing clerks, above ground consists of the FIRST STORY,
sergeant at-arms, post office, and folding PRINCIPAL STORY, SECOND PRINCIPAL
room; with corridors on the east and STORY, and GALLERY STORY.
west sides. The roof on all the wings is of the
We will now pass out south, around Mansard style, covered with slate on the
the rotunda, and across the corridor into sides and copper on top. Above all this
the Hall of the House of Representatives, rises the stately DOME, surmounted by a
in the southern angle of the building. lantern with a ball on the pinnacle, 320
This hall is sixty-six by one hundred feet from the natural surface of the earth,
feet, with speaker's desk at the west being forty-three feet higher than the
side. The desks here, as in the Senate Capitol at Washington. The lantern is