National Republican., 1877-09-21
AT THE CAPITOL.
OUTSIDE WORK COMPLETED AND
PROGRESSING.

LABOR EMPLoYED-CoNDITIoN OF THE
LAWNS, DRIVES, WALKS AND CIRCLES-
NAVAL MONUMENT FoUNTAIN-CoNTEM-
PLATED GRAND MARBLE TERRACE
OTHER INFORMANT FACTS
The whole number Of persons employed ont.
side Of the Capitol building and under the en-
ginecr Is about one hundred and thirty.fvc,
nearly all of whom are allowed to work only
half month at q time. The exceptions are
specialists, whom IL is necessary to keep at
work longer. The rates paid are from ordi-
nary lnborers to frst-class gardeners ~ .25 to
| 81 day, mechanics carpenters, blackSmiths,
painters, stune.cutters, bricklaycrS, &c, 81 to
81 day. Only very few are receiving the
latter. About fourteen acres, comprising the
LAWNS OF THE EAST PARK,
have been completed and the shrubbery all set
ont. The seeding has been done in the most
| careful manner. Kentucky blue grass, red
| top and clover have been used. The general
view is grand. All the trees and shrubs have
been remarkable for their growth and health
fulncss, scarcely one having been lost.
During the past year over thirty large trees
and fifty small ones have been transplanted,
and one hundred
| ORIENTAL PLANE TREES
have been imported. Scvcnty-eight hundred
aud thirty. seven plants aud trees have been
set out. A hrgc number of the plants are
| Towering shrubs and are now in bloom, pre-
sentng most charming sight.
| LARGE TREES TRANsPLANrED
| II has frequently been asserted that large
trees could not be transpanted with safety.
| The experience on the Capitol grounds, how
| ever, has hccn highly gratifying. More than
| one hundred such trees have been trans
planted. and only two have died. One of the
dcCunct old trees is still on hand, and can be
purchased cheap for Capital sticks.
4
covered with vines, have been erected in the
east park. II is intended to adorn the west
park in the same manner.
| BEAUTIFUL FOLIAGE PLANTS
| have been used in connection with the shrub
berry and bronze fountain in the east park, and
the effect is brilliant. 1t Is hoped Congress
| will appropriate sufficient money to complete
the whole plan which embraces a fountain OF
spray illuminated at night by gas Jets. 4
steam boiler will he required to operate the
machinery necessary to carry the whole plan
into operation.
The whole appearance of the old west park
has been completely changed. The
OLD sorT-woOp TREES
have been removed and the central walk lead
ing to tie Botanical Garden has been done
away with, us also most Of the other old walks,
and new ones have been made in their stead.
| The entire park is row sown to grass, and
much of 1t has sod on It already. The two
walks of tn" old park, leading from Maryland
avenue to the Capitol, will be retained and
widcncd out from fifteen to forty feet, with
| rows Of trees on each side of them. Seats will
be placed Mt the base of each of the trees,
| This work Is progressing and will be COM
pletcd this fall. An appropriation will be
needed to do 50, however.
THE DRIVES
There has been laid in the east park, during
the past summer, about eighteen thousand
I L..
completes all but three drives Of the entire
park. 1t is expected that half Of the drives
and part of the walks will be completed
during the coming year; also that the coping
| will I've carried around the entire grounds, and
the circle at Maryland avenue finished similar
to Pennsylvania avenue.
There will be two carriage stands, where car
riagcs can e parked, | mmediat,ly in front o.
the Capitol on the east side. This space will
be paved with stone. The basin Of the
FouSTAiS AROUND THE NAVAL MONUMENT
: is nearly completed. Eight streams of water
will hc thrown from the dolphin heads thai
will he located at the base of the monument
A walk will extend all around just on tn,
outside of the basin, and will be bordercd b,
, a low, ornamental coping, which will form
casing to four plantings, one on each side o
r the monument Entrances Of suitable dcsigi
3 will he made opposite the four corners Of thu
monument. The design Is to surround tn
monument with grasses and shrubbcry to re
licvc the effect of the white pavement an,
, white marble. 1t is expected that four build
: Jugs at the northwest corner Of Pennsylvania
( avenue and First street will be removed, n
also portion of the Botanical garden to com
plete the circle at this point.
. ATuSNEL
, for ventilatng the hall of the House Of Repre-
n sentatives has been constructed over to con
!, meet with the ventilation hues west from tn
| eli of ha hnilhinu hannath aash n
the two terraces. The work has been stOppe,
: here for the present, and a temporary opcnn
p madu at tho place of discOntinuancc. 1t
a intended to extend this tunnel down into tn
. grounds to an ornamental ar-shaft which will
also serve as a summer trellis, and to extent
I the tunnel on the north side to a correspond
y ing position.
: GRAND MARBLE TERRACE.
The system of sewerage, gas and waite
n pines has been completed, and the grading o
q the grounds, with the exception Of the tw
( terraces, which, it is hoped, will be commence
$ during the coming year. The design Is to d
= away with both terraces as they are at present
: aud to put marble terrace In the place Of tn
= upper one. This plan has already bee
adopted but no appropriation has as yet bcc
Il made to carry II into effect. II Is In cOntcm
I pla,ion to have promenade about forty fee
:, wide aud four feet below the present platform
l. surrounding the building, bordered by loy
paAprt wall, adorned ny vases hnu fountains
: The effect will he to add the appearance Of an
other story to the building. The design
very elaborate IN place of the present un
calmly steps at the west entrance II is proposes
: to have two flights of steps with court 70
= fountains and flowers between them. Tn
: approach would be very gradual Startin
l., over three hundred feet from the building
! : would ascend by low flights of steps to broa
: platforms The marble work for the balns
=. trtdcS and borders is designed On the mos
magnificent scale and intended to furnish tn
a FINEST APPROACH TO ANY BUILDING IN TIL
4 WORLD.
Immense bronze lamps Of the most supurh dc
N Sigu are contemplated to be placed at conv,
-, uicnt intervals, and arches formed of lamps
~ short intervals from the walks leading I
"a Pennsylvania aud Maryland avenues, thus
+. food the grounds with light and present
n gorgeous spectacle Bordering the lower pll1
m of this entrance it is proposed to have II 10
,r wall of suitable design overlooking the law
"A in the centre Of the grounds But few shrul
n will be planted Immediately west of the Cap
n. tOl. the design heing TO preserve an unbrokc
rs and perfect lawn. ltiscarncstly hoped Congrc
- will see the necessity for commencing the col
,t structon of the marble terrace, labor aud M