The Washington critic., 1886-09-23
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects Of Interest in and About the
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, Squares, Statues, Gardens and
Other Points OF Attraction.
THE WAY TO REACH THEM.

Washington is fast becoming the
most attractive city Of the country. AS
the Capital of the Nation 1t presents
more objects of interest to the visitor
than any other on the continent, and
brief directory of its prominent points
will be of service to the vast number of
persons who annually resort to the po-
litical metropolis. For It is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay visit every year to this
city to behold the varied objects of in.
terest which 80 thiclxly stud the his
toric "Ten Miles Square"
The System OF Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances to
all houses, and the decimal SYSTEM as
adopted In Philadelphia, ~ used-one hun.
dred numbers being allotted TO each square
or block-commencing at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east, street north, running north aud A
street south, running south. The odd mum
bers arc always on the tight.hand side 90
Ing from the. Capitol and the even numbers
ON the lefthand side. The city Is divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast and
northwest, southeast and southwest, the
streets being designated accordingly; those
running north and south numerically, and
those running east and west by the letters
of the alphabet, the dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on n line due north aud south from the Cap
itol and East Capitol street. and Contnua-
tion ON the same west of the Capitol, run
ming due cast and west.
The Capitol.
This great building is the central point of the
original District and Is the largest ediGce
in he country, Its centre marks the Me-
ridian OF Washington The middle portion,
Immediately under the, dome, is the part
first built. IL was partially destroyed by the
British In 1914, but was completely restored
by 1897. II incloscs the "crypt"-where the
remains of Washington were intended to be
placed, the Library, the Rotunda, the old
Statuary, and the old Senate Chamber, now
the Supreme Courtroom. The old Supreme
Courtroom, In the first story, Is now occu-
pied by the Law Branch of the Library.
The cornerstone of the Capitol extension
the north and south wings-was laid July 4,
1861, Daniel Webster delivering the oratlon
Of the occasion from the balcony of the
Library. The south wing contains the
House of Representatives. and the north
wing the Senate Chamber. The rotunda Is dis
tinguished for its historic paintings, for the
reliefs, and for Brumidis frescongs. In tho
Hall of Statuary are the natural pictures in
Potomac marble, representing faces of GER
tain American statesmen-a picturesque
Immediately north of the great rotunda, the
staircase TO the top of the dome begins its
winding way. From the top Of the dome, or
as far as the visitor can ascend, the view
of the surrounding. country Is magnificent.
The Capitol grounds, which formerly were
homely and formal In appearance, have
SsrR and are SoW most aS Sean
full. The east base of the Capitol Is S9l6
feet aboye ordinary low tide In the Potomac,
The total height from east base to the top
of the temple covering the dome is 2SS feet;
the statue of the Goddess of Liberty, 1915
feet, making the total height to the crest of
the, statue 80. y feet This crest Is 800 feet
and 997 feet above low tide in the Poto nae,
or 2iS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ington Monument which is immediately
west. The building is 75l feet long by 3ai
and largest public building in the world,
and In many respects the eostliest and
handsomest. 1t is moreover the growth of
its beauty and interest. The original Capt.
iol or centre building, is an imitation.
though not slavish one of the ,Malson
Carlee at Nismes. The view from the west
the public grounds and the lights of the city
illuminate the darkness Is one of the most
beautiful and picturesque In the world and
Is well worth journey of thousand miles
The White House.
From the west balcony OF the capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania avenue, the White
House Is seen rearing its hued walls
above the dense mass of foliage that en-
bowers II, like n gigantic Gala lily springing
up amid its enfolding green blades. Were
u not for the partly Intervening Treasury
building the view of the White House from
the Capitol would be full and complete The
White House is the center of Uptown" as
the Capitol Is the center of Down town"
1t Is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole southern
front of the city, as the view from the north
up Sixteenth street west exhibits the best
part of the Northwest section TO the gaze.
fs n an AZ M npn nf
the Duke of Leinster at Dublin. with the
addition of large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew Jackson's
administration. The reservation In which
1t stands embraces nearly 81 acres, The
main entrance is on the north, reached by
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. IL Is two
stories high on the north, Is built of white
free.stone, 40 feet long by So wide 1t con-
tains on the first floor the famous Green,
Red, Blue and East rooms, the state Dining
Room and the great conseryatories. The
tion room and the drawng-room of the ladies
of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for banquet hall and so used as
late as 1887, and In the latter part of the
century used as a drying-room for clothes
by Mrs. President Adams, Is the largest and
most noted room in the building. 1t Is -
feet high. 50 feet long and 40 wide. It is
open TO visitors every day except Sundays.
Upstairs are the Cabinet room, the private
offices. the Presidents Office, the library
and the family apartments. All these
| TOOnS tnc ldttcF HTcDpc1 W NlsllOTS,
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette Square.
| Dle north from the White House Is Lafayette
Square, the first public reservation in Wash
ington that was improved. 1t contains the
equestrian statue of Andrew jackson, by
Clark Mills. Many OF Its trees are old forest
onarchs, hundreds OF years Old. II is IN
part specimen of the old formal landscape
gardening so fashionable In England two
hundred years ago, style that was i'm
ported into this country. Lafayette Square
was. one hundred years ago part If a grave.
yard that enclosed the square north, on
which st. Johns Church Is built, and the
square east on which are situated tho At
torney. Generals Office formerly the Freed
mans Bank), tho Surgeon Generals Office
and kiggs Bank (both in the building for
merly used as the United States Bank,
Commodore Decaturs house, corner Ff-
teenth ard a-half and IL streets, and the
old club House, near which Philip Barton
Key was killed by Daniel q, Sickles, Nom