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.

24 BPRIN~GFitLD, ILLINOIS, AND
perhaps you can comprehend their solid- A great outcry has been made by somid
ity. parties that the work was defective.
The excavation for the outer walls, Those who make such charges are either
around the entire building, is twelve feet ignorant or what they say or write, or
beneath the surface and nine feet wide. they have some less worthy object in view
The walls are commenced with two feet than-to subserve the interests of the State.
depth (of concrete all over the bottom. To those who know Mr. Clark, such a
They are eight feet and eight inches wide charge seems utterly absurd. They would
at the bottom, and run up, with offsets, be no more surprised to hear that he had
to six feet three inches at the ground line. put his hand in the fire without an obParts of the walls are seven feet nine ject, than to learn that he had permitted
inches at the bottom, tapered to five feet a piece of defective material or workmanfour inches; and yet other portions ten ship to enter into the construction of the
feet and eleven inches at the bottom, and edifice.
eight feet six inches at the top or natural The entire outer surface of the buildsurface (f the ground. The stones in all ing, below the Mansard, will be planed
the foundation are large; not a single one Illinois limestone. It is taken from the
is put in place by hand-they are all quarries near Jolie:. By a law, enacted
moved by steam derricks. One of these in 1869, the work of preparing the stone
machines will take a stone of many tons is confined to the convicts in the State
weight, lift it from the ground, swing it penitentiary. The contractors have, at
to its place on the wall, and lay it down all times, promptly discharged their obas easy and gently as a child would take ligations.
a peach from the floor and lay it on a table. EPITOME OF THE LEGISLATION FOR THE
The foundation was commenced by lay- NEW STATE HOUSE.
ing the first stone June 11, 1868, and fin- The laws of February 25 and 27, 1867,
ished in August, 1869. This includes the to provide for the erection of a new State
foundation for the Dome, and the outer House, appropriated $450,000 to begin
walls around the entire building, 266 by the work; declared that the total cost
359 feet, with all the buttresses on the out- should not exceed $3,000,000; named
side, and the inside walls and piers. The seven commissioners and one secretary to
superstructure to rise on these walls is to carry out the law; limited the amount of
be of heavy stone, with brick backing. To expenditures and liabilities they should
the top of the; FIRST STORY, which is incur within the amount appropriated;
twenty-five feet above the ground line, and delared that everything in excess of
they are five feet thick. All the walls that should be deemed unlawful.
are now completed to that height. Viewed
from all sides now, it begins to disclose lated the seven ommissioners and srelated the seven commissioners and secreits vast proportions.
its vast proportions. tary out of office; provided for the apFrom-the top of the basement story to pointment of three commissioners, by the
the cornice, sixty feet, the walls are to Governor; ordered that all stone, iron
be four feet thick. The brick backing and labor for the new State House that
is so constructed as to make them hollow, could be procured at the penitentiary, at
for the purpose of keeping the interior Joliet, should be obtained there, and at
dry. no other place; required the new comW. D. Clark is the assistant superin- missioners to have a full copy of plans,
tendent, under the architects. He has specifications and estimates, made in dedone the civil engineering also, having tail; and when completed, to notify the
set every stake and laid every line. committees of the Senate and House of