The Dome At Washington

The capítol dome at Washington is the only considerable dome of iron in the world. It is a vast holloVir1 sphere, weighing 8,000,300 pounds. IIow much is that? More than 4,000 tons, or almost the weight of 70,000 full-grown persons, or about equal to 1,000 ladened coal cars of four tons each, which, if strung out one behind the other, woujd occupy about a mile and a half of tir.clc. On the very top of the domo the allegorical figure "America," weiffhing' 13,985 pounds, lifts its proud head high in air. The pressure of this dome and figure upon the piers and pillars is 14,477 pounds to the square foot. It would, however, require a pressure of 755,286 pounds te the square foot to crush the supports oí the dorae. The cost of this immense dome was a little short of 81,000,000.