The Washington critic., 1886-08-04
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.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
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 a
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 II is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay a 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 systcm OF Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances to
oil houses. and the decimal system, as
adopted In Philadelphia, Is uscd-one hun
dred numbers being allotted to each square
or block-commcncing at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east, a street north, running north, and A
street south, running south. The. odd mum
bors are always on the Iight.hand side GO
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the ioft.hand side. The city Is divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast aud
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 the Cap.
ito and East Capitol street, and continua.
tion on the same west of the Capitol, run
ming due east and west.
The Capitol.
M. A. r
original District, and Is the largest edltco
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. II inCloses the "crypt"-whcre the
remains of Washington were 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 wings-was laid July 4,
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the Grafton
of the occasion from the balcony of the
Library. The south wing contains the
House of Representatives. and the north
wngt the Senate Chamber. The rotunda Is dis
tinguished for Its historic pdintings, for the
reliefs, and for Brumld'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 u beautiful
park and are now most exquistely beanti,
t..l Ila. nat Inz a tln fnfNtf fol
feet above ordinary low tide In the Potomac
The total height from east base to the tor
of the temple covering the dome Is 2SS feet
the statue of the Goddess of Liberty, 19lE
feet, making the total height to the crest OF
the statue 3O1lS feet. This crest Is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 397 feet above low tide in the Potomac
or 2sS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ington Monument, which IS Immediately
| west. The building Is 75l feet long by 81
wide, and covers ~ acres. IL IL the lines
and largest public building In the world
and In many respects the costliest ano
| handsomest. II is moreover the growth o
| less than ccntury-a fact which adds Z
its beauty and interest The original Capt.
| iol, or centre building, Is an imtat Ion
though not slavish one, of the Maisol
CarIee at Nismes. The view from the Yves
portico at night, when the lamps are lit II
the public grounds and the lights of the cit
illuminate the darkness Is one of the mos
beautiful and picturesque in the world ana
is well worth Il journey of a thousand mile
to see.
The White House.
From the west balcony OF the capitol, lookln
down Pennsylvania avenue, the Whit
House is seen rearing Its snowy-hucd wall
above the dense mass of opening that EN-
bowers It, Ikea gigantic Gala lily springn
up amid its enfolding green blades. Wer
II not for the partly Intervening Treasur
building the view of the White House fror
the Capitol would be full and complete. IN
White House Is the center Of "Up.tOwn," a
l'uIitll center n.
1t l. beautifully located the view from IN
south windows covering tho whole souther
front ofthe city, as the view from the mort
up sixteenth street west exhibits the be-
part of tho Northwest section to the gaz,
The White House Is a copy of the palace {
the Duke of Leinstcr ut Dublin. with th
addition of a large porch on the north from
which was added during Andrew jackson
| administration. The reservation IN WhiC
1t stands embraces nearly 81 acres Ih
main entrance Is ON the north, reached b
| the Pennsylvania avenue cars. IL Is tw
stories high on the north, Is built OF whit
frce.stone, 100 feet long by SO wide. 1t col
tans on the first floor the famous Greer
Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dinin
| Room and the great conServatOries. I'll
Blue Room Is the Presidents official recel
tionroom and thedrawing'room of the ladi!
OF his family. The East Room, original
designed FOR banquet hall and so used q
late as 1887, and in the latter part Of I'll
century used us dryng-rOOm for clothC
by Mrs President Adams, is the largest an
most noted room In the building. II is .
feet high, 80 feet long and 40 wide 1t
open to visitors every day except Sunday
| IFp-stairs are the cabinet room, the privat
offices, the Presidents office, the libral
and the family apartments. All the
rooms except the latter are open to visitor
by special permission, at suitable hours.
Lafayette Square.
Due north from the White House Is Lafayett
Square, the first public reservation In Wasl
iugton that was improved. 1t contains u
equestrian statue of Andrew jackson, |
onarchs, hundreds of years old 10 Is
part specimen of the old formal lanlscal
gardening SO fashionable In England tvs
hundred years ago, style that was M
ported into this country. Lafayette Squal
was, one hundred years ago, part # grav
which ST. Johns Church is built and Il
square east, on which are situated the A
turney Generals Office formerly the Free
mans Bank, the Surgeon. General's OIL,
and hlggs Bank (huth In the build ng fo
mtrly used as the United States Bank
teerth N ahalt and II streets, and Il
Ola cub House, near which Philip BurtI
Key was killed by Daniel E, sickles, Mel
Ter OF Congress irum New York The la
bodies from this graveyard were not 4
moved until 1919,
~. Johns a.. ". ChUrrh.
st, Johns =, r.. Cnurcn, which mas been Oft,
called he state Church because more Pee
o dents have wurShipIcd there than u al
other, stands at the corner of II and 81
tcenth streets. II was bullt in 1916 and q
larged In 1870. In II have wurshipped Pre-
; idtutS Madison, Monroe, John Quin
Adams lthOugh the latter was "a Cougreg
tiOnalisn Martin Van Buren, though he 1
lougcd To the Dutcn Reformed Church, la
rispn Tyler. Polk laVlOr. Fillmore fthDu