Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-17
The Capitol Grounds improvements

:
! he says: Since my lest report many improve
nents have been made, such as extending the
| steam heating apparatus In the central portion
OF the building, placing radiators in the gallery
| OF the Supreme Court room, &c. The wall in
front of the committee room on Foreign Affairs
| of the Senate has oeen epriched by picture in
| fTtsco representing the signing of the fist
4 treaty with Great Britain from a sketch nv
ltnjamin We't. After speaking generally ot
's-lcus improvements in the building the re-
| port thus treats of the
| IMPROVEMENT OF THE CAPITOL GROUNDS.
The streets leading from Pennsylvania ave-
| nue. 70 the Capitol have been paved, and tue
| grounds to the west filed. The greater portion
ot the eastern grounds hPl bsen cut down >,
| the grade Of the surrounding streets. Many Of
tue worthless trees nave besn taken out, and
the inOTe valuable and healthy ones let dogn
ana put IN place to suit the new plan.
BY the act OF Congress, approved june 2lst
the impF0vemeut OF thee gTnuuds was placed
under Fred Law Olmstead. landscans architect
OF the city Of New York. Particular attention
| Is called TO the following memorandum, $40 ~
ing The general feature of the plan:
MR.. OLMsTEADs PLAN.
Previous - the last session of Congress the
area OF the Capitol grounds had been enl Irced
so as to form d parallelOgram OF $50 bv | 500
ie6t, including the public tnOrOugbfare crossing
IL ana TWO 'iangUlar spaces separated by them
from The main body. After speaking of the APP
pTopTiatlon OF 500, 600 for the Improvement of
fee GROUNDS, tue plan Is set forth as follows:
tt tprOFide7 for a court upon which al the doors
OF the eastern front of the Capitol will open,
ana for csrriage and foot approaches to the
court from each of the avenues and streets tn AT
open on the boundary Of these grounds. The
public thorough, are heretofore dividing them
are to be abolished. The treatment of the
surface not occupied by rOstwsys and
other necessary cOnveniences Is designed
10 be very simple with the purpose of its
perfect subOrdinatlOn in interest to To
the architectural design of the Capitol.
Arthcla' decoration Will be applied only to OBJ
Iects which serve a stinctly useful purpose
ana .o tnese only when by their form aud posi-
ton theylmay be made to appear as attach
mems ana supports Of the central structure.
Ornamental objects of this class though suf.
stautai and elegant, will, with r siuyls exce,-
ton, be iucoaspicuOus in general view. The
exception proposed Is deSi gued 10 induce an eff
rect OF greater strength and more stately nro-
portions in the western portion OF the Capitol
The nresent building is set further out upon the
hillside, than il would have been, had the a p
sign fro 81 the beginning contempisted so lara
structure, and the sc4nt emb4uk ment f.esi
win turt hy which its deep basement and fonn-
9al'oNs are concealed, have the effect OF en-
ha' { ng Rather man overcoming the defect OF
position.
THE PROPOSED IMPRovRNEyT.
IT Il proposed 70 substitute Tor this a sin rle
terrace % feet wide, with supporting wall 10
teet in height OF the same material aud srchi-
,ctural character as the main structure, which
IN general view will thus have greater pro-
per'ioTate height and breadth Of base than at
present, and will also appear to be ceated much
more firmly on the SUNNI of the hill.
Operations have thus far been limited mainly
a
which has Involved the removal of I50OlO cuhir
yards OF material the laying OF new system Of
sewerage, gas ana water, and the estabiishm hment
OF suitable .Oil upon the new surface To
clrfYont bis plan, 1t becOm les necessary to move
the frame stables, sheds, workshops SC, from
tle SPACE belonging to the United States, at b
street. north and -Outh and 1st street at the foot
or tue grounds, as these pieces of ground will he
incorporated with the main portion, thus in
creasing It's area considerably.
THR PNEUMATIC TUBE.
ID SpeaF' 'ng of this en-
me protector will not be able 10 carry il to the
Government Printing Office until North Ca2i-
tol street is filled and graded.
The report then speaks OF the removal of the
20 utAbla flrS Engine house, WOmen's Chris
tian Associat on, sc.
g., The her report shows an expenditure from July
ISL l3t5, TO July 1st, 1874, OF Sl0s 1876 leaving
an uneApended balance on hand of 50, ,2sl.59.
PERsoNAL.-Gen. Sherman Is in Washington
the guest Of his brother, Sel-ator Sherman. a
biz residence on K street. Late yesterday ae-
tsrnOon Gen. Sherman called at the Fxecntiva
dent 'osi
WILLIAM STICEERY, ESQ, of the District Of
Columbia, has been appointed a COMMIT ssioner
under tue fourth section Of an act making an
preparations for the current and contingent ex-
penses OF the Indian department, apoioys
April 10th, 1863.
IHE CABINET met at nOoa to-day, with all
the members present, and continued in session
until quarter past O'Clock p. m. The Arkan
gls muddle was the chief topic of conversation
On this subject the President decided that as
new ADVISED, he must decline to take any action
in the matter.
The LECTURE on "Sidney Smith by Jamss
L. Fields at Lincoln Hall last night naturally
attracted an audience of inteIIi gence and cul-
tuTe; and the delightful 10 amer in which the
subject was handled by the distinguished lee
W -
heartness and warmth for a gathering 50 criri-
cal. 10 fellcitOus thou ght and language were
added the singular charm and interest coming
from nearing the story Of the sayings and doiuys
OF the Wlse and witty divine from raconteur
who had gathered many "reminiscences from
the lips Of intimates Of Sidney Smith, like
Dickens, TaltOurd, Charles Sumner, Edward
Everett and others. This lecture will serve m
whet the appetite for the succeeding ones by
him upon "Tennyson" and "LOngfelIow."
NAVAL LORDERs.-Lieutenant John ID. briggs.
ordered TO the receiving ship Sabine, at Ports
mouth, n. H. Lieutenant Isaac l. Yates to the
receiving ship Ohio, at Boston, Mass; Ensign
y. v. Burnet to the north Pacific station;
Passed Assistant Surgeon George f. Wins,ow
20 the receiving ship Sabine. Portsmouth, n.
H.; Lieutenant Commander Charles j. Barclay
mas reported bis arrival home, having been de-
taehed from the command OF the Saugns on the
ith instant, and placed OIL sick leave; Lieutsn-
ant Joseph G. Eaton, detached from the Wor-
cester aud ordered 20 special duty at New York;
ship New Hampshire, and ordered to the WOr-
cester; Passed Assistant Surgeon George P
Bodley from the navy yard, Boston, and or
dered to the Colorado, at Key West, Fla As
sistant Surgeon John l.. Nelson from the naval
laboratory, New York, and granted leave OF
absence for three months; Acting Assistant Sur-
geon William Houston from the Colorado ana
ordered to return home and report arrival:
Passed Assistant Paymaster j. MacmAhon has
reported his arrival home, having been detached
nom duty connected with irOn-cl lads at Pensa
cola, Fla, on the 4th instant, and ordered to
settle accounts.
IHK SUNDAY AMUSEMENT QUESTION IN
NkW loRK.-The opening Of the theatre and
the opera On Sunday evenings continues to ex-
elte much remark. Surprise is expressed that,
considering the strong opposition that was
made TO any approach OF the kind wears ago,
that the public should now be so easily recon-
ciled TO it. Many Of the leading clergymen are
out IN the journals ag ainst il, however and the
Sabbath observance so ciety are to have meet
ing TO deDounce it next week. SUNDAY sermons
IN the same line are also announced as forth
coming. To meet the point that these Sunday
amusements are necessary for the recreation of
the working people, it has been suggested that
the half holiday system be extended. The the
CRY ls that, with this addition TO their opportu-
mites for recreation there would he M incIina-