Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-12-12

\ i'ird'S-cNC View of the National Capt.
misunderstanding aud Historic buildings.

Your readers doubtless know. or at least
Il majority of them do that the City of
Washington is built or being built, for
in fact it is only fairly begunJ upon plan
of magnilicrncc never attempted else
whore. Taking for hi, model the French
Capital, Versailles, the engineer, LEN
FAINT. put upon paper the grandest city
IN the universe. with streets and avenues
whose average width surpass that of any
other upon this continent. The site was
first subdividcd into rectangular blocks,
by streets running north and south, and
east and west. In the center of the city
as originally designed, stands the Capitol
Building on an emnenCe. From the east,
north and south sides of the Capitol
grounds, streets bearing the name CAPT
toll, with the point of the compass to-
wards which they extend preliXed, are
projected to the boundary. From the
west side of the grounds wide mall or
park cX ends to the Potomac River Par
allel with these streets and the mall 9th
er streets are run. Those running east
and west on each side of East Capitol
street and mall beginning at the Capitol
grounds are designated by letters of the
alphabet those running north and south
parallel with and on each side of North
and South Capitol streets are numbered
beginning with first at the Capitol
grounds Thus the city is divided into
four quarters. which are designated as
Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and
southwest. From the Capitol radatng
like spokcs from the hub of wheel, are
number of avenues, aud from the En-
ccutve Mansion or Whitehouse as it is
called other avenues radiate, and all bear
the names of States of the Union. These
avenues traverse the rectangular squares
of the city diagonally, and where they in
tersect or cross other streets little TRAN
gular spaces are left on each side in some
cases, and in Others where the avenues
intersect crossings of the lettered and num-
bered streets, spaces equal to one and some
times two of the blocks of the city are left
These spaces are all utilized as parks
Some of the larger ones are rectangular
in form and some circular and are gen
orally named for prominent people, who
have served the country. or for States
thus we have Liberty, Seward, Farragut,
and other squares, and Iowa, Scott Du-
pont, Washington and other circles.
Many of these triangleS, squares and cir
Giles are ornamented with statues Of great
]
for services rendered in military, naval
and civic capacities, while Others contain
| fountains that in the summer throw their
| spray aloft to moisten and cool the heated
atmosphere. In all, trees, shrubs, velvet
green grass, and beautiful flowers are cul-
! tivated, both to please the ocular and
olfactory senses and to absorb from the
atmosphere its noXiOuS gases. The
houses are numbered in four directions
from the Capitol and each block or square
contains one hundred, or rather represents
that many, numbers. The odd numbers
are in all cases on the right and the even
| on the left as one goes from the Capitol
! With knowledge OF these facts a strang
er may with little difficulty find his way
about Washington. Fourteen squares OF
blocks are counted as mile, though a.
the blocks are not all of equal size, thii
| number will be sometimes greater and
again under that distance. How easy tC
calculate the distance from one point tC
another, when the localities are known
If we are at First Street and desire tC
90 to POO \ street we know that we have
twenty-one squares to traverse, or about
ore and one half miles. When at \ street
we desire to 20 to POO First street, we
know that it is Just beyond ' street, that
letter being the 22d in the alphabet and j
being omitted from the lettered indica
tions or names, and the diStance-twenty
blocks is II little less than one and one
half miles.
The city can be seen to best advantage
from the dome of the Capitol, which
rises 24l feet above the top of the build
ing and little over 1896 feet above the
level of the grounds. BY ascending an
intricate spiral stairway, situated chiefly
inside of the outer sheathing OF the Dome
and consisting of 365 steps, we reach the
mitted to 90; just below the tholuS upor
which stands the great bronze statue o
Freedom, IS feet high, and SAID To Welgl
- tons We emerge from the dome OF
the south side and are looking over tn,
House of Representatives. Immediately
in front of us South Capitol stree
stretches away to the AnaCOstia river
commonly called here the Eastern Brancl
of the Potomac. just to the left OF TIM
street, fronting on New Jersey avenue
south is the splendid granite residenc,
erected II few years ago, by Hon, Benz
r. Butler, but now occupied by officer
of the United States Coast Survey. y
little to the left of New Jersey Avenue
down by the Eastern Branch, ase seen thu
buildings and chimneyS of the shops o
the Washington Navy Yard. Across tn,
branch, nesting at the foot of the hills
are the little towns Of Anacostia ant
I'niontown. On the bluff beyond is st
Elizabeth Hospital for the. Insane Mo-
quite half way to the Navy Yard and Z
little To the left of Il direct line, are the
red brick buildings Oh 1rONlucHcc IloSpl
tai moving slightly around the dome t
the left or eastward, We see Pennsylvania
Avenue East, reaching to the Anacosta
\ little to the left, near the river on
gentle slope is the Congressional Gene
terry. where lie tho remains of many not
ed men, and in which are erected from
time To time, memorial stones to the mem
DRY of departed statesmen who die IL
harness To the left of the Cemetery W,
see the Aims House and the Jail, or tn,
District OF Columbia Prison Movin!
farther to the left, East Capitol Street
broad and beautiful, lies before us, ant
away out ut its crossing of Eleventh street
East, we see Emancipation Monument
{ situated in lincoln Square moving slight
ly to the left we look down Maryland
) Avenue, East to Graceland Cemetery
where it intersects the boundary. A
the corner OF Maryland avenue, a an'
First streets, stands row of three OF
four houses, now occupied as residences
These are the famous old "Old Capitol
reconstructed, which it will be remember
! ed was erected by the citizens of Wash
ington for the use of Congress after tn
destruction Of. the Capitol by the, British
IN 1914 and isab Iurinp the war between