Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-21

m,be Ll9hef thsn the tcp OF the M ala sf-tn
Rne iVhsge OF The tree, witch ~ VERY drnsr soa
green, tVIms slightly rounded ca0,. ~bt,h \.
htte higher than the diameter Of q hsSa a.
sumner, who always tcOk a sefp Interest In
Wtes, soEifeo thif horbhsam especiaifv r.
fsidinE IS A. the moSf beautiful tree m 49,
ln2ton. 10 NA> thsa al gnit alton o. hts uhlcs "a
20 - desisnstiOn, - The sumner Beech"
1he tree Vss also greatly admired by Mr.
Bingham. and many discussions arose hef sea
lam SID Mr. S1mner, and NJ. smith, ; tperin-
tercent Of The Botanical q trieus a. 20 q hsther
tais tree Ms OF wss not toe beech o. which VIZ
EHssng. The tree - SIR. smta showed Nss
tCt q beach. bat j. eytryw here no~-n a. /. BORN
beam. Bat. CuriOusiy enough, IA ttalv. where
the tree found, u hes = local designation 81
btsco lust a. he American tree 20 ~hlch Il "A
closely allied = known IN some t,s-r. az a., ,.r
- the Na'gf srecb. Catching hv fhts slender
fas, IN ~hlsh the ims g,nsiion easily ciaag.
the tree hsS been ierststrut'v ca iiec bv A 80.
adm rers the italian beech .nr rta bs.5r,s,I
llnes Inch optn Tie erst Of me Eclagnes a.
Nirgil have eeea ei,en recalled bv a.
"litAFe, "a patulze recuhkns suh fFranfna f..g
Silv,strt N tenat ru-am medIt,rrs avr7a /"
beech.
ri'yru., yoa practice pastoral cong 10 low
IL mAtters little uhether the CONTROVERSY he
tween science shd IMAGINATION n settled one
ssy or the other, or Lot NJ 81. Crrf.iuly IA
tee vas ever more deserving o. the sDifh.f
used by Virgil. But apart tr0m any dtscgs.iea
regarding hs identity with the "sYreadtng
beech uu Ser the s4aIe o. WAicA gtrvrrs ca
give n" thts beautiful hornheam VAL have ~
interest - - own in the Admiration which Mr.
Sumner often expressed tor n
hgse mounds y hich have been rpfsrras n
viii be planted with trees And shruhsrrv. an1
sin he surrounded by circular drive ana Wa!k,
snu The carh> on the sides toward tbs Capitol
viii he mace h gh, sni finished 20 &c used -
- ats. from VI trNlsnd and Pennsylvania ave
nues, aud from each OF the eastern corners or
the park, there Eiil be carved drFes. watch
VIII lead into the principal drive Rraaud the
he fafu rrfrs
Capitol street % the Plaza These drives VIA
alsn lead SehtCi approaching fram ANY firsr-
non 10y gfaceini curves u the main front. or 20
either o. The wings al the bnlidiUg Appropriate
sIsces have been designed To be lalt doEn a.
me lawns, while stlu other spaces are 10 be
Oiled with IaftsTres o. howers.
The Klsn tor .le improve mt OF the western
grOuDos Il not VI fuliy determined upun. IN ali
IT. details, tloIgh IL principal eatures arc
nNod. Tire sWsnpy forest l. - b. improved %
q Ing aud BY cutting out the useless aud ireg
ular soft wood trees, ana those witch are cos
stfSTec useful viii Dc saved and transpiartrd .
~ n the eastern park. TIE lower terrace VII
be removed by niiing up che grounds aud xiu
fan "a slopes, with graceful lines, ~ various ,i-
reetions, from the top Of what : now the lover
terrace.
Jhe grand feature Of the improvemsnt On
the western sice, which has been ie,ii led uroa.
10 Congress VIII make the necessary appropria-
ton, ~ stone terrace, 90 taAe the uia.e Of thp
uTIer grassy terrace, The stone terrace Wll
remove TIE impression OF Insecurity Thtch has
been alluded 20, aud give the bliiding au an
pearAnce OF stability which 10 greatly needs
he terrace ie 10 be very elaborate and artistic
IL ste characterization. snd H. % be crognsI srlfh
a handsome balastrsle suitable 70 the .fyte o.
the architecture Of the building ITSELF Tue
main western parficO viii be alptoached nv J.
grand S'ene stairway.
One effect OF the proposed terrace will De to
increase the apparent height Of tbe building.
Tie eastern front was originally designed % b
the principle facade OF the building, and archi-
tecturaliy u VIII Always remain 80, bat Ia resi-
ity the western front is more prominent since
tie cay has grown up on the wet, aud the
Capitol IL almost universally approached from
that direction. The building, owing % ne eN-
IRENE length, and straight skyline with the
immense height or the dome towering above o.
decreasing the height OF the bulliiag by con-
tFast, has always app AIRED from the western
side TO be lo~ and depressed. Toe appearances
has been Intensified By the formation 81 the ter
race which cuts OF from view the lower portion
on the basement. The stone terrace, - shown
by the plan, viii remedy this defect, aud white
~ VIII give the western front an entirely diner
ent character from the eastern, il will give IL
egusl, IL not, indeed, greater imure.sivensss.
IL should be mentioned that the plan alsO con
templates the reconstruction OF tue western
Iront Of the central bailding OF white mArb.a
TO correspond IN style with the extensions, aud
when II Is rebuilt IL will be brought foT ward
some thirty feet.
The sPPaTeft height o. the Capitol on the
east is also much Increased by the Ca1ang do~
oi the flights OF steps leading up 20 the pottico-
which have always been admired a. the most
besutifni features of the structure.
IL NUT be well known that the central or oil
part OF the Capitol Is not bntit Of marble, but
VI Maryland SAND stone, which j. porous aud
sOft, ard would have tumbled down long rincs
except that Il has been kept covered with a
coat OF paint to preserve II from the weather.
IL style The central building II inferior 10 the
eNteIsiOus, the pOrtico being less prominent
and the columns plain. IL Was alWays Intended
thai this central portion should be rebuilt OF
marble and extended 20 - 20 bsImoRiEs 10 al
respects with the wings. Last winter the pro-
ject tor a new library buiioiNg having met with
failure, Temporarily at least. an appropriation
OF - q o WAS made 10 enable the Library Com
mittee TO secure plans for enlargmg the Capt u
20 az 10 give the library increased room within
the building. Plans are nearly ready, pre-
pared ACCORDING 10 two or three different views
VI Tie result 90 be accOmp ish0d. one Plan t.
20 extend the central bnilding one hundred
or one hundred and fifty feet toward the east,
go that II will become the prominent and
syershadowtng feature of tue eastern facade.
The extensions are now much more prominent
and eonspieions tbsn the central building. and
the Interior refreshing portico AMI low tympan-
UNI DO Lot anOTd adequate support for the dome.
Till recently il has only been proposed TO ex-
tend the central pOrticO TO the line OF the wings
which would not very greatly improve the
building beyond the correspondence n wOutd
give in style and material with the more re-
Gently constructed portions. The idea OF eN-
tending the central pOrt!cO as above noted. u
an original aud b0ld one, and on the whole,
seems decidedly striking. The long. straight.
skyline OF the baildins, uubrOkeu save BY the
dome, would be relic yed-in Itself an exceed
1rGiy desirable object, and the massi veness OF
the whole structure would be vastly incre Nsed.
The dome would then rest upon the building
instead OF shutting down over IL ike az extin-
guisber, a. n no. seems 70 do when seen from
The east. The extension would. - the whole
he an economical work, for u would remove
the necessity or constructing a separate build
ing for the library Of Congress for az least half
4 century.
The Capital OF the United States holds place
IS one of the three greatest architectural works
Of the Christian era. In some Tespects a com
psrison with St Peters ana st. Paul's is unfav-
oIsbe 20 IL, and ia Others uatavorahle 20 them
in purity Of style the newer portions OF the
building are unsurpassed by any Gfecian tenn
pie. Many critics most competent by study.
travel, and observations say that, with al SIS
architectural faults, II il, az a whole, the most
beautiful and impressive structure IN the world.
Like the AtheuiAns AcrOpOlis IL l. the most con-
spcnous object Tor many miles around, and ut
distance where all other buildings ia the city
lose their distinctive forms, and their lines
merge into one another aud are lost, the great
white dome seems 20 rise higher and shine
brighter than when seen from within the bound
aries Oh Washington. When Il has already cost
20 great a sum, IL seems no; dttIug or proper
that Congress should refuse 10 graut whatever
appropriation may he necessary 70 complete aud
improve IL till IL shall become, By the confession
Of All the most beautiful and most magniRcent
structure in the world.