American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-11-29
The city OF washington.

In quoting the following article from the
Union, we omit some passages designed for the
reading of those who are not familiar with this
city. We take only such parts of it as our citi-
zens will read with interest
= l have had time to become COM
pletely fascinated with the place, and have made
up my mind to "pull up stakes" in the Queen
City of the West and locate myself on the left
bank of the noble Potomac river, within the cor
porate limits of the metropolis of this mighty
republic. Washington is certainly
the most lovely and refined city on this conti-
nent that have resided in. 1t is worthy of be-
ing the capital of the United States. Washing
ton is separated from Georgetown by Rock creek,
over which there are several bridges, one of
which is composed wholly of iron; and from
Alexandria by the Potomac river, over which is
bridge upwards Of mile in length, of poor
construction, and miserable substitute for the
| granite bridge proposed by Gen. Jackson during
his glorious administration, and defeated by Col.
Mercer of Virginia, who rs the father of the
present pershable, structure. The
city is well supplied with good spring water for
drinking purposes but have well-matured
plan for furnishing the whole city-and, if re-
quired, the whole District-with an inexhausti-
Bile supply of excellent water from the Potomac,
and discharging the same in jets upwards Of
ninety to one hundred feet above the highest
part of the Capitol, which | intend to lay before
Congress at its approaching session.
Trains of cars run to and from Baltimore three
times day, and sometimes oftener; but the
fare (S1.S0) is entirely too high. The
public buildings are not yet very numerous, but
such as are already finished surpass in architec-
tural beauty those of any city in the United
States which l have visited.
The Presidents House is q small
freestone building, Of two stories elevated on
rusticated basement, embellished with the
Roman Ionic style of architecture. It is about
1876 feet in length, by width of S5 feet, badly
arranged interiorly, and entirely too small for
the Chief Magistrate Of this republic. 1t is
about large enough for the Secretary Of State.
Soon the nation must provide more suita-
BILE mansion for its President, to enable him to
receive the people on public occasions as they
expect him to do.
The south front of the City Hall is q chaste
specimen of Grecian-Ionic architecture, whose
parts are simple, bold, and harmonious-pTo-
ducing fine effect at distance of about 200
yards. The whole front is about $50 feet by a
height of 40 feet. In viewing this beautiful
specimen Of architecture, the beholder, if he
have the least soul for the fine arts, cannot but
be delighted Whoever designed this facade
certainly was q master in architecture.
The Washington Monument is plain obelisk
of about fifty feet base, and now over one hun
dred feet high, and intended to be elevated to
height Of FIVE hundred. feet IL is built Of
blue rock, covered on the outside by white mar
BILE from the Baltimore county quarries. When
finished, / think il will be as imposing as the
Bunker Hill Monument, propided the. architect
does not surround the base with the small Gre
clan columns represented in the engraving,
which will spoil the simple and grand effect Of
the plain Egyptian obelisk. The site is well