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

4
| fRSDERICK Law oLMsTRAD's PLAEs-WaAT
has BEES ACCosPLIsaED-rHE "sUNSks
FEhCH."
| lWGsit'cton ce-resyaHds.ee " 2. Macs
ISo husared thousand dollars we're spyroYri-
ated by Ccrgrvss last winter, '.for the ion profe.
| mentor TIE capitol groaDGs, according 60 the
pishs, and Gnoer the general direction 81 Fred
eJicA Law 0lmstesd, 10 be expended Nv the ar
cAiteet OF the Capitoi." Steps had been taken
IN he hrst Instance, st the suggestion of Arssi-
teCt Ozark, more ;haa year aSo, to sscnre the
serve, 81 Orblmstest, but az was not I'M atrsr
| the meeting OF Congress that any OF tue ore.
| liminsry work, zach ss al accurate - pasrapA-
| Teal survey oI the grounds, lad bueu done
which Wa necessary before labor could be as-
| lively begun upon IHe plans; aud 10 IVES not TN
| MsTch last thst the authority ami sppro-
priaJiOn for the employment OF Mr.. Osnl.teai
we're granted. He had, however, gwen coaSld-
Tsble study, Ia general WY, q tno p1op-r
tre atmeB Ut OF the grounds, and hsI a. de a per
| sONsl examination OF them. TRs large Asato-
piiafion Tor the work 20 be don g..def as pau.
"us ,nate June p, since waiea TINE tae mss
| r-p progress possible has been made.
! The suisTsiructure Il the Cali.O hsS cost 10
the pIesent date nsar.y az Ol5 900, and vet the
| principal facade has been hidden py grJaps OF
| siFsggIng tTSss hat have been left - grow ap
| wiid and IntTaiued, ~ IhOU.l they we're a nari
| Of the forest primuvsl." Toe around. on rae
east sioPed rapidly toward the Capitol bulldog,
| which TAD the appearance OF being set uuier =
| NCoutc hili. Ga the west the building xss
| supported by two great grassy terraces. r. "a.
| one above the other ike military eaythw5rks,
| Nhtch seemed a. II taey would nc crushed py
| the vast wtlg imposed upon theSn. Toe sse.
| ern front, on this account, lad a patafai aa
| lesfznce of insecurity. BsiOw the western
| terraces was n patch of swampy forest, even
| more dense than the wool uion the east. The
| trees. Tor the most part, were species OF pop
| lar, known ~ cotton trees, which hal been
| planted because OF their Rapidly OF growth
| Through this park were laid two or three
| stiaish t walks. and among it, juugles might bs
| found two old and SHABBY fJuut ANS. Tns
| grounds on the east have already been n. Ar
| yeiously changed, and thouga lille has been
! accomplished on the western grounds, TIE
| swamp and forest anu Terraces are dJ0msl @
| pass away, aud deserve alrealy 20 ba sp1ksa OF
| az belonging 70 the past.
| The beginning CT a serious attempt % givs %
/ The tapitoi surroundings character Dea--
| ting IFS magnineence and beauty was made two
/ years ago by al appropriation 10 purchAs the
| Two squares lying respectively northeast snd
| sGrtLeast or the building, which completed the
| rectangular tract which was desi Ened from the
| time the extensions were erected 20 be tiaally
| lbciuded in the Capitol park. IL was proposed
| long ago that the rade on the east should be
| changed 20 IS TO slope from instead OF toward
| the Capitol thus leaving the building uDon the
| highest elevation within the grounds. rhis
/ proposition met with much oppJst tioa, both ia
| AID out OF Congress, principally because II was
| supposed to involve the destruction OF the trees
| growing III the park. Ii WAS discovered that A
/ great many members OF Congress possessed a
| remarkable and unexpected love FOR nAtaTe:
| and not lew newspaper writers, including a
| long list OF those who mad adopted literally the
| sentiment OF "woodman spare that tree" began
| TO cry ont against the vandalism. You could
| build a new capitol, said these sc ntimentalists,
/ az NcSaSCs bNA sOu iidNC NGccS II 20.
| ia half h century.
| An ambitious architect, who has planned
| many great buildings for the government, op-
posed the changing of the grade. The Capitol
| building itself was un~orthy a great nation.
| aid new and more magnificent structure
| should be erected few hundred feet fartaeF
| east Oh the highest ground, FOR which the old
grade was exactly suitable. The Board OF Pub
/ lie Works had Its views about the CAPITOL
| grounds also, and DISTRACTED the change a.
| long as possible. Finally, through the persist
| eDce OF Architect Clark, aud Senator Morrill,,
| chairman Of the bmmIttee on Public Build.
| iDgs and Grounds, the streets ia the vicinity
| were reduced TO the newly-established CRATES,
/ and when this was done the cutting DO VA OF tue
| Capitol grounds became a recognized necessity.
/ The sehtime ntslists are overcome and satisfied
at the ssme time, for they have discovered Ia AZ
/ AIT and nature may be skllfaily combined 60
| make hitter setting for the rand Capitol than
the struggling forest which grew arodnl il.
| Work on the east Capitol grounds has been
/ pushed forward very rapidly during the latter
| part or the summer and the autumn. The area
| OF these grounds Is about twenty acres, and the
first labor, which III itself lie vast one, was the
| reduction of the grades. The whole area W as 10
| be excavs-ed 10 depth varying from two or
| TIRES to eight feet, requiring the removal OF
about l56, eco cable yards or earth. The grading
| Is nearly c. mpleted, and when fully done vii
I have cost over $50 coo. The top soil is first
taken on and deposited by itself, % be returaei
! when the excavation IS complete, as part of the
/ surface and productive soil a. the new grade.
| The two squares which were added 10 the
| grounds year ago are graded, and TIE new s)il
! has been prepared, and some OF the trees are
| trsnsplanted. The drives and walks are IN pro-
| cess OF construction, and some portion. OF the
| curling have been set. Where . year ago stood
| a row OF solid brick yelling houses are now
| several well grown trees foot or more in dI-
| ameteF.
4 TIE preparation of the soil has been very
| carefully attended to, a. Mr. Olmstesd believes
| it l. only 10y providing deep and rich soil thst
good tarf ana thrifty trees can be produced.
| After the excavation was completed tho sub
| stratum was deeply piOwed and puiverized to
| the depth OF q foot or more, and thoroughly
| mixed with the best fertilizers. on the top OF
| this has been spresd another foot of loan, care
| FULLY prepared and highly enriched Upon this,
| after all other work il done, grass seed will be
sown this fall, 50 that a smooth and firm swsrd
| may be produced a. soon as possible Among
| the trees on the old portion of the eastern PARK
| were several varieties, including the elm, ms
| pie, linden and horse-cAestnut. They grew in
| two large clumps, and IN for NAL lines extending
| across and around the grounds In several direc-
| tions. They hid the Capitol from view, 10 that
| from no point could a complete view Of the
| eastern facade be obtained. There were among
| them a large number OF cotton popiars, like
| those growing in the west park. These have ali
| been cut away and removed. All the best of
| the other trees, and, indeed, all that were
| thought worth preserving, have been selected 20
| be saved and removed 10 positions where they
will conform 10 the general plan Of 1he grounds,
| without concealing tom view the front of the
| Capitol building.
Ibe work OF tFsnsplsnting the trees has been
| intTusted TO M. .. q. Billiard, VITO is con
! nected with the Prospect park at Brooklyn,
| and who has there been 80 successful Ia trans
/ planting trees of large growth. In grading,
| the trees TO be removed have been lett upon
| large round monpds OF earth, in order that
| they might lot be injured by the cutting away
| OF the roots, or by the d. weather during the
| season WREN they we're covered with ToIiage.
| Quite y large number have been transpIapted
| during the pact week, though none OF tse lsrg
1 est have yet been attacked. Mr.. Bullard is
| confident OF good success, though there are
| mary obst acles which were not enco 1ntered at
| Prospect park, where, out OF two thousand large
trees uansp planted, less than twenty have died.
One of the obstacles TO success here is the
| long Summer, which will be very trying dHrisg
the first year or two after removal. The soil Of
| the Old park was very shallow, being not more
| than six or seven inches deep ia many places,
and this has caused the extension OF the roots OF
| the trees upon the surface tor long distances,
| and IL viii be necessary 20 cut OFF very large
| proportion Of the sustenance roots IN order 10
get near enough TO the trunks Of the trees 10
| manage the removal of them. A proportionateiy
| small amount of earth can be removed with
| them. This will require q corresponding re-
| duction Of the LEAKAGE and timber TO compensate
| for the cutting away OF the roots. The most
| complete preparation of the soil for the trees
| trsnsplanted will be made, so that they will ad
l in beff az ou.h f.ara