The Washington critic., 1886-09-21
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects of Interest in and About tho
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, Squares, Statues, Gardens and
Other Points of Attraction.
THE WAY TO REACH THEM.

IdB WAY ~ RBACd IItBM'
Washington Is fast becoming the
most attractive city of the country. AS
the Capital Of the Nation It 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 1t Is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay visit every year to this
city to behold the varied objects of in
terest which so thickly 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
dved nnmbers ~ hsIng aIndind to cacS Sonare ,
or block-commencing at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east, street NORTH running north, and A
street south, running south The odd mum
bers are always ON the llght.hand side go
ing from the Capitol. and the even numbers
on the left-hand side. The city.ls 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 Can
itol and East Capitol street and oontinua-
tion ON the same west of the Capitol, run
ming due east and west.
The Capitol.
This great building Is the central point of the
original District and Is the largest edifco
In the country. Its centre marks the Me-
ridian OF Washington, The middle portion,
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British In 1874, but was completely restored
by 1877. 1t incloses 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 A.
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the oration
of the occasion from the balcony of the
Library. The south wing contains the
House of Representatiyes and the north
wing the Senate Chamber. The rotunda Is dis
tinguished for its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
reliefs, and for Brumidi's frescoings In the
Hall of Statuary are the natural pictures in
Potomac marble, representing faces of Ger.
tain American statesmen-a picturesque
freak of nature. From the little rotunda,
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
been transformed into a beautiful
park and are now most eNquisitely bcauti.
full, The east base of the Capitol Is sOh
The total height from east base to the top
of the temple covering the dome Is 2S3 feet;
the statue of the Goddess of Liberty, 1875
the statue SO71G feet. This crest is 500 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 307 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or 2iS feet lower than the apex Of the Wash
west. The building is 75l feet long by 3ai
wide and covers 3k acres. IL Is the finest
and largest public building in the world,
and In many respects the costliest and
handsomest. 1t Is moreover the growth OF
less than a century-a fact which adds to
its beauty and interest. The original Capt.
iol, or centre building, is an imitation
though not slavish one, of the Malson
portico at night, when the lamps are lit In
the public grounds and the lights of the city
illuminate the darkness Is one of the mos
beautiful and picturesque In the world and
The white House.
From the west balcony OF the Capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania avenue, the Whit,
House is seen rearing its snowy-hued wall;
above the dense mass OF foliage that em
bowers It. like a gigantic Gala lily springinl
up amid its cnfolding green blades. Were
II not for the partly intervening Treasury
building tho view of the Whto House from
the Capitol would be full and complete. The
White House is the center OF Uptown" u
the Capitol is the center of Down town.
1t is beautifully located, the view from Tho
south windows covering the whole southern
front ofthe city, as the view from the norti
up sixteenth street west exhibits the bes
part of the Northwest section TO the gaze
The White House Is copy of the palace o
the Duke of Leinster at Dublin, with th'
addition Of large porch on the north front
which was added during Andrew JACKSON
administration. The reservation In whicl
1t stands embraces nearly 81 acres. IN
main entrance iS on the north, reached b.
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. II is tS'
stories high on the north, Is built of whit
free.stone, 40 feet long by So wide. IL con
tains on the first floor the famous Green
Red, Blue and East rooms, the state Dinlnl
Room and the great conseryatories. Tn
Blue Room Is the Presidents official rocef
tion room and the drawng-room of the ladie
of his family. The East Room, originall
late as 1887, and In the latter part OF tn
century used as drying-room for olothe
by Mrs. President Adams, Is the largest an
most noted room in the building. 1t Is
feet high, so feet long and 40 wide. IL
open to visitors every day except Sundays
Upstairs are the Cabinet room, the privat
offices. the Presidents Office, the llbrar
and the family apartments. All thes
rooms except the latter are open to visitors
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
| Due north from the WHITE House Is Lafayott
| Square, the first public reservation In Wasl
| ington that was improved 1t contains III
| equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson, b
| Clark Mills. Many of its trees are old fures
| n onarchs, hundreds of years old. IL Is
| part n specimen of the old formal landscap
| gardening so fashionable in England tw
| hundred years ago, style that was In
| ported info this country. Lafayette Squar
was; one hundred years ago, part II agray'