D.C., Day 2--Capitol tour

 Day 2 started out with more training for me and more lonely touring for Del.  In the afternoon, though, we went on a tour of the Capitol, which is a beautiful building with a fascinating history. 

Full-size model for the Statue of Freedom at the top of the Capitol.

The compass at the center of the Capitol Crypt.  Rubbing your foot over it is supposed to bring good luck.  Because of this, the marble compass dips down from centuries of people rubbing away at it.

We wanted to climb up to the top of the rotunda, but I would have to have the Senator with me.

This statue of Lincoln, made by the sculptor of Mt. Rushmore, is missing one ear to represent that his life and public service was cut short by an assassin. It is considered to be the most accurate depiction of Pres. Lincoln.

Our tour guide, one of our D.C. interns, loves the rumors of the Capitol and she shared one with us about John Quincy Adams.  We stood above the plaque where his desk sat and she whispered something to us 25 feet away; we could hear it loud and clear.  Very bizarre.  The acoustics are incredible.   She told us the following story:

It is rumored that when John Quincy Adams was a Congressman, he would pretend to sleep at his desk while really listening to conversations on the other side of the room.  Often, they were discussing how to thwart Adams' attempts to bring the issue of slavery or of scientific progress before the Congress; sometimes, they were discussing the fact that it might be better for all concerned if Adams weren't around at all. Indeed, Adams reports in his diaries overhearing conversations which were in fact out-and-out death threats against him. The other Congressman were amazed at how he always seemed to know what they were discussing and would thwart their plans.

The Grand Hall was the original meeting place of the House of Representatives. Now it is called Statuary Hall because it houses statues representing each of the 50 states, 2 per state (many are in other rooms).

 Another Capitol rumor she told us was about a black cat that has been spotted in the building on the day of several national disasters, such as the assassination of JFK and the stock market crash.  People have seen the cat and tried to catch it, but they never can.  My picture doesn't show it well, but if you get down on the floor you can see 3 or 4 cat paw prints in the clear finish on the floor.  Kind of fun!

Since I had a Senate ID, we got to travel between the Capitol and the Dirksen buildings by an underground subway that connects the two for the convenience of Congress and staff.  There are also restaurants and a salon in between, so they can eat and get their hair cut without leaving the buildings. It was pretty fun to be able to see that part of the building.