Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-08-31
MONUMENTAL LOT.
SPLENDID IMPROVEMENTS,
A MAGSIFECENT BOULEVARD.
Beau iful Walks aud ArtlH,lM I axes.
Trees Plants, Shrubbery, Lawns, Flowers

We have once or twice referred 10 q general
way to the improvements being made 10 the
public reservations by the commissioner Of publ,
buildings, Den. BabcoCk, and have noted tn,
TACT mat these improvements, made and pro.
posed, have not only received from the peoplt
an unqualified Endorsement, but special praise
Tor beauty Of design, richness Of ornament, nd
harmony in detail.
II Is great pleafuro this morning to make
more elaborate reference to
MONUMENTAL LOT,
and TO the plans for is ornamontatlun, and the
convenience Of citizens who, In n little while
Will be able to enjoy its advantages as cool
retreat In summer, and a. one aftordIng full
scope for the refreshing breerss Of tho Potomac,
enlarged Views Of It's historic banks, the sacred
cemeteries Of Arlington; and, turning the eye
tlOn's capital Is revealed.
the EsTlMArEs,
In a communication addressed by General
Babeock TO Congress at It's last session he makes
the following estimates for the Improvement ii
Monumental lot!
For grading, draining and subsolllng, intro
uucing water, constructing, grading, gfavellnp
plants, shrubs, grass seed, 40 ; /, 600 cubie yars
Of gradinE At 30 cents, ~, 800; 1000 feet 3inch
drain Tile, at go per loo feet, $500; 1000 feet
laying the same, s57O; 500 feet inch water pIpe.
at 70 cents per loot, $685. 1900 feet 2Inch water
pipe ut ~ cents per loot ~ 2OO l2strpet washers
walk 10 DO grddod, grtveled and rolled at ~ 90
81 ,60si trees, plants, shrubs, grnss seed and
labor, 5000. Total, t47lds,
This estimate Ia not inclusive OF any estimate
for filling the marsh In the Monumental LOT west
Of the road already built to the canal. General
BabcOck did not ask nor expect to have the tull
appropriation madc, hut no did ask tor els, OUO,
TO DO expendt d this year, and that sum CONGRESS
very ohtorlullv granted.
WHAT IL uKtNu DONE
II Will he recullcctei that the w, uuds sIuth
VI tho Executive Mansion inrluuv tho 'prpsI.
dents grounds the Executive paTk. IplI
white lot,'O aud " Monumental III, horIeT.
Ing on tue Puiumao. The grading In MUnu.
,nsn'9i lot Is ts!t,'shed % as "a appropriately
aud tho rutth Is deposited In the marsh running
along the sou b aud west Of Monumental I0f
This marsh Will DO completely hlled up, not
only thereby adding to the beauty Of the lot, nut
removing what has heretofore been a fertile
source OF malariil ieyers In that section of the
city, and rendering tho Executive Manelon AZ
healthy IN summer as any section Of this most
healthlul city; aud besides tho marsh tho canal
will also be hlled up. The balance Of the
grading In Monumental lot is with special ref
erence 10 the drive around II, to the roads walks
and the proposed artificial lake. A competent
force Of workmen Ia now employed In this work
Of grading.
TUB GRAND BOULEVARD.
The grand drive, or boulevard as tits TO ia
called, round Monumental lot will connect with
the new avenue running aouth of tho n : ocn, isa
Mansion and extend round tho southern portion
OF tho grounds, thence easteTly to Fourteenth
street, whore It will open that street and pass
through the Agricultural grounds, Themes
through the Smithsonian grounds, thence
through ATmnry square to the botanical gar
dens, making one continuous drive 10 ihe CabitaI
from the seventeenth street entrance, When
this boulevard Is wholly completed, rolled, aud
gravelod II will no one u the tinsst IN Inc IoTid
aud Il will DO the scene Of the dispIaVs IN
the way Of wealth In equIpaEs, Each yeaT win
add something To It's grandeur In tho tees Hnd
shruhhery and TO It's lncreasinE beautv X ihs
OrnameniatlOn Of walks and f0seTS. Tach snr,
oeedlng Congress will take fresh Interest IN All.
ing 10 the Elorles Of this great national pSTE
including grounds that will nlWays 10 EnoEn nv
distinctive nAmes. -
We hardly Know how far Uen Rahcock viii
he able 10 20 this wear with his anpTonSi1fI,n ~
$1,000 In the development Of his plans, but, al
any rate, the boulevard viii he GRADED FolIsi
aud gTaVeIed, aud all that portion OF the marSh
allied % which IL not 10 bs reserved for the laEe
The desiga will he no far perfected as 10 enable
Congress TO OBTAIN a fair idea OF the whole and
II Is our deliberate Judgment that Ii cannot IaI
In such appreciation as 70 dotsTnins upon such
additional appropriations as that most excellent
wise and pT1ds1I toaSK ''''" "'"' uo0u
TnE AnTIFTriAL LAyp
In land pc gardening thure Is nothing moro
desirable than the Inclusion OF a lake, either
natural opportunity exists for making a besnti
fuI aTtihciaI lake PARTON OF he marsh "a N IL
easily adapted for the formation Of basin and 10
this basin there are two large natural spFlpgS
capable OF hlllng Il With water pure AZ a etystsl
The lake will be quite large enough Tor pondoIAs
aud sails by moonlight aud, OF course. il will
become the homo OF swans and such Of the web.
footed tribe as will adOrn It's waters It's banks
will he surrounded with shrubbery aud beds Of
flowers, and on the green lawns that will iInme.
diately slope away, seats will be placed beneath
the trees. Il Is d dlnicult thing not TO let ones
Imagination run away with the facts In his head
when writing Of the possibilities and probable
carly realities OF tho lovely place art and taste
will make Of Monumental Tot.