| I took the outside photos after I
nailed myself to the pavement - very windy day. The two chambers are
the Senate and the House. They seem small but, then, it is Rhode
Island. The dome photo was taken looking up from the rotunda. The
last photo shows a typical hallway lined with photos.
|
| One thing the Capitol does have is
the "Gettysburg Gun" on display in the lobby. This gun is rather
famous and took a direct hit to the muzzle during Picket's charge at
the Battle of Gettysburg. The (replacement) gun crew reloaded it but
found that the cannon ball got stuck as they tried to roll it in.
When the gun cooled, the ball was there forever and the gun was
given to Rhode Island in 1874. But there is a squeal: in 1964 it
dawned upon someone that the canon was, after all, loaded to shoot
at the battle. This meant that there was a full charge of powder
inside the barrel. So someone else drilled some holes - with
infinate care - and removed the gunpowder. Good idea, guys. Today it
sits opposite and aimed at the security guard.
|
