The Washington critic., 1885-08-17

Says Crawford in the World : "Au
observing and thoughtful gentleman
calls attention 10 the fact that Elihu b.
Washburnc, one of Grants earliest and
fhmest of friends, was not az the
funeral in New York. Mr.. Wnshburne
procured General Grants commission
in the army at the outset Of the Rebel
lion and protected him with his poll
teal influence at Washington when
General Grant most needed II. He re.
ccivcd no personal invitation, beyond
that which was extended to the eS-
members Of Grants cabinet. Although
Mr.. Washburnc was Secretary of state
for only one day, that was enough to
have brought him under that classified
ton. The two gentlemen were very
warm friends up to the time of the
convention of 1880. Washburne's
candidacy for the Presidency resulted
in GOODNESS between the two. They
never were intimate afterward. Mr..
Washburne's absence from New York
is accounted for by some of his friends
here on the ground that he is not in
very good health. He was probably as
well able to come rs General Joe John
ston, who performed wonderful feat
of endurance for man of his age by
coming straight through from Port
land, Ore, without a stop.
w.
The Senate ut the last session voted
to spend million dollars in construct
ing terrace about the three fronts of
the Capitol. The object of this eXpcn-
diture, says the Pittsburg Penny Press,
is to add TO the apparent height of the
building, and to give some additional
room for storage and committee rooms.
Ii Is true that the height is already
nearly 3 feet, the length 751 feet, the
width 1924, and the number of rooms
very great, yet it is equally true that
the building has low appearance when
compared with its length, and that it
has not nearly the amount of room
needed for the business transacted in
ii. So the Senate voted to eXpend
$50, 900 which, with the sum already
put in these basement extensions would
make them cost 81 600, 900. The House
did not agree with the Senate on the
propricty of appropriating the money
all in a lump, so the sum TO be spent
this year was cut down to 5000, 600
The work of expanding this is steadily
going on. The terrace is to run along
each end and on the west front of the
Capitol, which ovcrlooks the main por-
ton of the city. Few people who have
not seen the Capitol, and not half those
who have, can get Il clear understand
ing OF its immense proportions. When
these additions are made to it you will
have TO walk half mile to go once
around it. The main building is 3j2
feet four inches long in front, and 1879
feet six inches deep, with portico 1850
feet wide, of "a columns on the east,
and projection of SO feet on the west,
| embracing recessed portico of ten
columns. The entire length of the
building IL 751 feet four inches, and the
greatest depth, including portico and
steps, is 324 feet The additions now
building will add 1870 feet to the length
and GO feet to the width. The area now
covered by the entire building is 1853,
112 square feet. The height of the
dome above the base line of the east
front is 237 feet 5 inches; the height
fromthc balustradc of the building is 81
feet II inches and the greatest diane
ter at the base is 1876 feet inches. The
Capitol as it now stands covers 81 acres
of ground. When these improvements
are finished it will cover about acres
and will have cost about fifteen million,
of dollars.
wv