Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-09-24

Of reporter, is intense, a-absorbng. Life itself
is viewed only with reference TO the paragraphs"
il will furnish.
Magnificent Improvement.-The plan of the
city shows circular space on the line of Penn
sylvania avenue, near Georgetown. The centre
of this space is the point of intersection OF the
axis of Pennsylvania and New Hampshire ave-
nues, and Twenty-thrd and streets The ra
tius Of the circle is $50 feet s inches, giving
therefore, an outer circumference on the house
line of 575 feet and an Of 4.53 acres.
Heretofore, in the grading of streets and ave-
nucs through the public spaces, SO many ofwhich
occur in various parts of the city al the intersec-
lions of principal avenues and streets, the works
have been carried continuously on, thereby con-
vertng those spaces into great deserts Oft sum
mer time) hot sand and stone, instead of the plea
SAINT little GASES for which the authors of the city
evidently designed them. 1t is matter of con-
graduation that, at last, this bad practice is likely
10 be permanently abandoned.
The paving of Pennsylvania avenue from Rock
Creek TO Georgetown being commenced, the late
President Fillmore approved plan, submitted to
him by Mr. r. Coyle, uhe gentleman 10 whom the
general government, at the request of the corpo-
rate authorities, has entrusted the work of COM
plotting and revising the graduation and drainage
of the city, which provides, within the great cir
Gle above referred to, smaller circular enclosure,
to be adorned in its centre with fountain, and in
its area with lawn and forest trees The diameter
ofthe enclosure is 800 feet its circumference there
FORE zoos feet, and its area SIG acres. Gravelled
lla feat fanlt uol,th n ura
on the line Of the axis of Pennsylvania avenue and
one on that of New Hampshire avenue. The planta-
lions are to be so arranged as to leave the view,
Cor width of so feet along the middle of each
street and avenue, uninterrupted. The width of
the circular roadway between the houses and the
enclosures 90 feet; the fooway next to the houses
being 20 feet wide that next TO the enclosure
IA feet wide and the width of carrage-way So
feet This of course gives for available carriage
way around the circle l12 feet in lieu of so feet,
which is the width from curbto curb on the avenue
proper, west of seventeenth street The govern
ment being the owner of the small triangular res
ervations, lying ono on the south side of the av-
enue at its eastern intersection with the circum-
ference of the circle, and the other the western
circumference Of the circle, and south side Of the
avenue, the CIRCULAR roadway immediately NJ the
right hand turning from the avenue in each dircc-
ton of travel, is to be 50 feet wide
The Improvement will be very beautiful one,
and has already increased the value of the proper
" surrounding il. It's omission would be the con-
unuance of a nuisance II will offer to the pedcs-
tran no interruption, increase of distance, while
Il will give him pleasant shade and resting SPOT
aear the fountain To ''thc rich who 'rde i'll
chaises,n or the people who avail themselves of
the omnibuscs, il will increase the length, ana,
a consequence tho pleasantness of their journey,
the enormous distance of II yards!
We have seen the suggestion that eptical
enclosure, with its longer axis on Pennsylvania
avenue, would have been better than the circle.
This is eccentric taste. IL every ono of the four
wide streets and avenues which intcrscct there
should claim the shorter axis of the elipsc, the
inevitable conclusion would be TO wipe out the
enclosure entirely and restore the supremacy of
sand and cobblc- stones. Whata delightful space"
that would be with the thermometer at 90 in the
shade! @..~.. ~
We go for the circle. The plan is g fact, an
excellent one /; and, independent of all tastes and
distates. well /" fixed