The Washington critic., 1886-09-13
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects Of Interest in and About the
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, Squares, Statues, Gardens ana
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 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 IL 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"
Tho System of Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances TO
all houses. and the decimal system. as
adopted IN Philadelphia, Is used--one hun
dred numbers being allotted to each square
or ELECTROMAGNETIC at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
enst, a street north, running north, and A
street south, running south. The odd NUM-
bcrs are always on the right.hand side GO
ing from the Capitol. and the oven numbers
ON the left hand 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 line due north aud south from tho Cap
itol and East Capitol street. and a contlnua.
ton 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 cdihcc
In the country. Its centre marks the Me-
ridian OF Washington. The middle portion,
Immediately under the dome, is the part
for rtf fni1 Inu tr.,un unI hoe ha
British In 1874, but was completely restored
by 1s27. 1t incloses the "crypt'-where the
remains of Washington We're intended to be
placed, the Library. the Rotunda, the old
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery of
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 wlngs-was laid July 4,
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the oratlon
of the occasion from the balcony of the
Library. The south wing contains the
House of Representatives. and tho north
wing the Senate Chamber. The rotunda is dis
tinguished for its historic paintings, for tho
famous bronze doors, with their alto
relefs and for Brumidis 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
as far as the visitor can ascend, the view
of the surrounding country is magnificent.
The Capitol grounds. which formerly were
beS BEEN tpansformed ram ned into tpPea'"bs beasntfnI nh
park and are now most eXquisitely beauti-
full. The east base of the Capitol Is S0M
feet above 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 tho Goddess of Liberty, 1875
feet making the total height TO the crest of
az t,ta faa Ia praaf 10 fnnt
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 19i feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or 24S feet lower than the apex of the Wash
inRton Monument, which is immediately
west. The building is 75l feet long by asi
wide, and covers ~ acres. 1t is the finest
and largest public building in the world,
and in many respects tho cOstliest and
handsomest. 1t is moreover the growth OF
less than 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 Maison
Carr at Nisines. The view from the west
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 most
| beautiful and picturesque in the world and
Is well worth journey OF thousand miles
to see.
The White House.
| From the west balcony oil the Capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania avenue, the White
House is seen rearing Its snowy'hued walls
above the dense mass of foliage that EN-
bowers II, Ikea gigantic Gala lily springng
| up amid its enfoldng green blades We're
II not for the partly Intervening Treasury
building the view of the White House from
the Capitol would be full and complete. Tue
White House Is the center OF uptown" az
the Capitol IL 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.
The White House is copy of the palace OF
the Duke of Leinster at Dublin. with the
addition OF large porch on the north 'front.'
which was added during Andrew JhcSson's
| administration. The reservation In which
1t stands embraces nearly VI acres. The
main entrance IN on the north, reached by
| the Pennsylvania avenue cars. IL Is two
| stories high on the north, Is built OF white
| free-stone, l70 feet long by SO wide. 10 con-
tains ON tho first floor The famous Green,
Red Blue and East rooms, the state Dining
| Room and the great conservatories. The
Blue Room is the Presidents Official rccep-
| tionroom and the drawing'room OF the ladies'
| of his family. The East Room, originally
| designed for banquet hall and so used as
| late as 1857, and in tho latter part of the
century used as a drying-roon for clothes
| most noted room, in the building: 1t Is q
feet high, 50 feet long and 40 wide. 1t IL
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
| rooms except the latter are open to visitors,
| by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette square.
| Due north from the White House Is Lafayette
| Square / lie first public reservation In Wash
ington that was improved, IL contains the
Clark Mills Many of its trees are old forest
ronarchs, hundreds of years. old, sis IN
part a specimen of the old formal landscapo
gardening 50 fashionable IN England two
hundred years ago, a style that was i'm
ported into this country 10 t&yfstte Square
| was one hundred years ago, parts grave
yard that enclosed the square north, on
which st. Johns Church il built, and tho
| square east, on which are situated tho At
| torney Generals Office formerly the Freed
and higgs Bank (hoth In the build ng for
| mtrly used AZ the United States Bank,
Commodore Decatur's house, corner Fiji
teenth ard a'half and II streets, and the
| Old club House, near which Philip Barton
Key was killed by Daniel H. Sckles, Nom,
her of COngeSs from New York, Tho last
bodies from this graveyard were n9., ro'
| moved until 1873.
~. Johns 4. Il. Church.
ST. Johns p. Il. Churcn when has been often
| dCnts have wOrshpped there than AZ any
other, stands ut the corner of II and SIX
teenth streets. II was built in 1915 and on
lqrGed in 1870. In Il have wOrshippod Pres
ideuts Madison, Monroe, John Quincy
Adams (thuugh the latter was u CongregI'
tonnllsb Martin Van Buren, though he be
lOngcd 10 the Dutch Reformed Church, Ilar
rison Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore (thougl
the latter was Il unt0rlapl, Pierce, Buch
aneA and Arthur, Presidents Lincoln
Johnson and Grant have also attended Di
vine services here although not steadily. It,
interior reminds ono very iorcibly OF the
old, dim English country Episcopal churches
The ETcasury Department.
The Treasury DEPARTMENTS east OF tho White
llouse and extends tie whole length Of thu
front between Pennsylvania and New York
avenues. 10 Il hS9 feet long by 500 feet wide
| Tho central Dnst portion Is built of freSs tone