The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-06-18
Iron TILL INDEPENDENT rREss
Trip to Washington American Medical
ssciation--Excursion to Mt. Vernon
BOARDED shad Entertainment, &c.
(coHCLUDED)

Observation-Disclosures to Mt Vernon
! BOARDED Shad Entertainment, &C.
{coNCLuDED.)
| We visited In company with Mrs. Speaker,
| Orr, the
| WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
| Mrs. Orr introduced to the gentleman who pre-.
sides over the work, who very promptly and
| politely showed US NIL the different blocks of
carved stones that were ready to be put up. in
side the obeIisk the shaft of which has now
reached considerable elevation this shaft is
seventy feet in diameter, and intended to be
raised six hundred feet from the ground, or five
| hundred feet above the top of the rotundn,
which will form the grand base Of the monu-
ment The site Of the monument. is on the
mall, between the Presidents house and the
Potomac; the grounds around are susceptible
Of being beau,ificd and made pleasant resort
| for recreation to the inhabitants Of the CITY,
| On thc ground floor of the obclisk it. is intcn.
dcd TO place the marble surcophnyus. that con.
! tains the remains of "Thc Father Of his Conn-
try. This appears to us, to be the proper
place, when it is finished according to the de.
sign adopted Iy the board Of managers, which
design is MS follows:
| "Thc grand base Of the monument will be
surrounded by thirty columns of massive pro.
portions twelve feet in diameter and forty five
feet high; elevated upon n base twenty feet in
i'eght, and three hundred feet square, surmoun-
ted by an cntab'aturc twenty feet high, and
covered by massive balustradc, ii ftecn feet in
height. The terrace outside the colunnndc will
be twenty five feet wide, and the walk within
the coonnadc twenty-five feet. The front por.
tico will hc adorned with n trumrhal car, and
statue of the iustrious chief; and over encll
column around the entire building, will be
scnlptnrcd cscutchcons and the coats of arms
of each State of the Union, surrounded l.y
bronze civic wrcaths. banded together by fes-
toons Of oak leaves, while the centre of the
portico will he cnLlazoncd by the coat of arms
of the United States. Around tue rotunda.
| vii bc placed statues of the sisncrs Of Tic
Declaration Of Independence; in inches pre-
pared for the purpose statues Of the Fathers
of the Revolution contemporary with Wash
ington will be placed and directly opposite to
the entrance; will be placed the statue Of
Washington.
The interior of the Shaft will be cmlvllshcd
with great variety Of inscriptions; at one
point ii will be ornamcntcd with four Of the
leading events of Washington's career sculp-
| tured in basso reiicro, above which will be
placed single etar cmbemntic of the glory
which the name Of Washington has attained;
and in the centre of the monument will be
placed the tomb Of the "Fathcr Of his Coun.
try"
Inside the obclisk will be an iron staircase,
running to the top, with floor every twenty
feet giving. MS it were. twenty-five rooms from
bottom to top; from the floors of these rooms
can DC seen all the sculpturcd stones basso re-
liefs, and inscriptions that ornament the inside
; of the shaft. These ornamental stones are the
free will offerings Of the world. to the memory
! of Washington; who that looks on these, but
must feel the impress male on the world by the
good and great George Washington.
The superintendent Clipped off for us several
! fragments of the stones that had been sent from
! different paris Of the world he also gave Mrs
! Orr a full.lcngth portrait Of Washington to
! present 10 u.s. VIC priced it much, for the man
ner in which it was given.
Our next visit to the Congressional
burying ground, or
NATIONAL CEMETERY.
| This is situated about one mile east of the
! Capitol and cont aims about ten acres of ground
| enclosed by brick wall; and oruamented with
trees, and shrubbery. Upwards Of six thou
sand already tenant this City of the Dead"-
| We felt solitary and mourn fnl as we wandered
among the monuments. to the memory Of the
dead, and more SO, when we reached the spa
c'ous vaults. for the reception of the dead
members Of Congress, for in that gloomy en-
closure lay one Of South Carolnn's aged Sena
tors, who but yesterday, wns animated with
life, and all its instincts, and feelings, now cold
innnimate, and still yes, oil thut remained of
Josiah Evans was there, wrapped in the ha bill
aments of death. and deposited in the tomb of
the dead. We felt that in him, we had lost a
friend, and our heart beat in unison with the
feeling. We could discover that many mem.
bers of Congress from different States of the
| Union were buried here: the names of many
OF Carolina's honored sons are engraved on the
cold marble, which added to the mourn frl in.
terest Of our visit TO the Congressional Gene.
terry. Fwo long rows Of marble monuments,
commeEnorated the names Of dead members Of
Congress whose bodies rest at their far dstap
homes; noticed the names Of several Of our
own Sons. who had fallen in the harness of our
country; we left this "City of the dead" in an
humble state of mind. and wendcd our way to
the
NAVY YARD.
This is situated on branch of tho Potomac,
called Anacostra or eastern branch, it covers
An area of about twenty acres, enclosed by q
substantial brick wall a handsome archcd gate.
way at the foot of eight, street, is the pr,nci-
entrance, guarded by ma, ines. There are sew
er"l substantial and apparently comfortable
dwellings. which, we were told are occupied
by the Commodore, Executive Officer, lst Lieu.
tenant, Sailing Master, Surgeon, Gunner, and
Boatswain. The duties Of these officers re-.
quire their constant attendance in different