New-York tribune., 1874-12-05
THE NATIONAL CAPITOL.
Mr.. FRED. LAW OLMSTED ON THE I'M
PROVFMENTS IN PROGRESS.

ANCR TO BE MADE FOR ARCH tEC4oi'Ah h''N~i
PROGRESS or THE CHANG'S'
TO the Edftor Of Tht Tf'o"ne' ,
S,p. Icbeerfully comply with your request for the
means oflaying before your readers more complete
and detailed explanation than that supplied by the
report of the Secretary of the Interior of the opera
tions in progress the ground cast Of the Naiona
Capitol The need for it presume TO lie in the fact
that, while much destruction is evident and large
force is atwork, nothing is approaching compieuoh'
no Improvement is found, and no intelligiblo plan
can vet be recognized.
The place was originally fiat table, slightly In
clined toward the west. where a straight street.
crossing il from north to SOUTH formed the only ap-
proach for carriages to the Capitol from anv direc-
tion East of this street there was rectangular
yrass-plat bounded by straight walks; other trees
appear 10 have been planted, at an early day. In
imperfect rows alongside these walks, most Of which
died young. At various periods since then trees
have been planted in and adjoining the first rows
some TO take the place of those dying some because
of unwise haste t. secure shade some because they
were of species newly arrived in the country and
fashionable, and some with no intelligent
purpose. A great number of rank upstarts
were allowed to crowd and distort and starve
the permanent and valuable sort.
The original thin soil had probably been worn out
and left little but sterile and exceedingly stiff
brick clay, over which street-sweepings from the
old dirt roads of Washington, with some Tiber mud,
have from time TO time been laid. A careful for
eSiers survey made this Summer indicated that the
trees must have been generally taken from the
woods, poorly lifted and poorly planted, and that
their roots bad rarely attempted to penetrate the
clay but had sought food by running far and wide
close to the surface. Threefourths of them were in
unsound condition, many far gone with decay, and
the foliage Of nearly all began to wilt after lacking
rain but two weeks. With two exceptions the
largest and best stood the east boundary, their
roots breaking out on a bank eight feet in hight
formed by the recent grading down of First-st.,
which bank barred both approach and vision toward
the Capitol. Shrubs and flower beds were dropped
about here and there. many OF the shrubs being of
late sick or dead and the flower beds overgrown by
grass and weeds.
THE OLD GROUNDS NOT IN HARMONY WITH THE
CAPITOL
Looked at by itself. without reference to the
Capitol looked at in comparison with what Is
now to be in the early building stage of o
designed Improvement, with any of the desert
tracts which lie at short distances in all direc-
tons about it, it might be regarded as beauti-
fuI place, and it toerably served the purpose of
local playground for residents of the neighb0rhoOd
Its devastation could not therefore DC prOJeCteu
without some pathetic feeling, nor without giving
occasion for honest, earnest and rational remon-
STRANGE. The beauty of the trees and old associa-
tions connected with them have been feelngly de-
scribed and it tas been urged that once removed
they could not be replaced in fifty years.
On tho other hand, it was to be said that the Cap
itol could not be replaced at cost OF less that than
S2O0O0000, of which sum but small part represents
the body of convenences provided for the transac-
tiOn of the business of Congress- the remainder and
larger part standing for the means of suitably dig
ned beautiful, and imposing effect in the vestment
of these conveniences; that the ground, as it was
contributed not in the slightest degree to the conve-
niences for business of the Capitol while because of
the inclination of the surface toward the building
and the position Of the trees not half its due arch
tectrral effect could be enjoyed; that scarcely one
of the larger trees had 80 % years life in it
and the Capitol being "a permanent and monumental
structure the ground about it should be managed
with reference not merely to present but to future
effect.
THE OLD PARK SWEET AWAY.
This view has prevailed, and the old park has
accordingly been swept away. Congress, at the close
of its last session having provided means for the
purpose the work began under contract on the 18th of
August since when there has been not yet quite time
with all the men who could be employed econom-
earth to be removed being about 10000 cubic yards
Other operations seen in progress on ground where
the grading is complete are the tiage and temper
ing of the newly exposed subsOl to the depth of two
feet the return to it of the old soil with additions
10 the depth Of a foot; the taking up OF the old
sewer. drainage, water and gas pipes, and the lay
ing of new and much better and more elaborate
systems of each the transplanting of some
Of the more thrifty of the old trees
which have been preserved, to new places;
and some LAYING of curb, CUTTERS gratngs and road
and walk foundations, with little pavement.
These operations have seemed detached and pur-
poseless because divided by those of grading, but
the missing links are expected to be for the most
part inserted before Winter stops work. when the
plan will be more Ineligible.
MAIN PURPOSES OF THE DESIGN.
The general design is very simple, and will be
easily understood. 1t has two purposes: First, to
provide convenient approaches to and standing room
about the Capitol; second to allow its imposing
dimensions and the beauty of its architecture to
have dro effect and 80 far possible, to aid and
hgten that effect.
The idea of park, flower garden and playground
is discarded and the whole meager of the little
lot in which the Capitol is placed is to be treated as
a courtyard and dependency of the building. A
paved carrage-court is to extend all along its east
front giving access 10 eacn door. Walks ana car
rage-ways are TO be formed between it and each OF
the fifteen streets leading from all sides toward the
Capitol the course of these approaches, with one
exception will be curved, but each curve is to be
governed by reference to purpose of convenience.
Where two purposes of convenience come in cOmpe-
tltion, that one is to be allowed the advantage by
yielding to which greater breadth for turf surface
will be gained and by humoring this secondary
purpose as much possible without an essential
sacrifice of convenience on the whole two elhptical
spaces are to be obtained measuring each from