The Washington critic., 1886-08-17
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 UAv tn pnAf,tI rtrtrA,
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
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 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
adopted IN Philadelphia, Is used-ono hun
drCd numbers being allotted to each square
or block-commencing at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east, A street north, running north, and
street south, running south. The odd NUM-
bers are always on the right-hand side go.
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the iefthand side. The city Is divided
INTO four quarters or sections, northeast and
streets being designated accordingly; those
running north and south numerically and
those running cast and west by the letters
of the alphabet, the dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on u line due north and south from the Cap.
itol and East Capitol street, and u continua
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 edihce
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 1897. II incloses the "cryptn-where 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 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
tingushed for its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
rcllcfs, and for Brumidi's frcscoings. 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,
staircase 10 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 exqulsitely beauti-
ful. The east base of the Capitol is 500
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 the Goddess of Liberty, 1915
feet, making the total height to the crest Of
the statue 3G7l6 feet This crest is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 30. feet above, low tide in the Potomac,
or 2iS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ington Monument, which Is immediately
west The building is i5l feet long by 32i
wide, and covers By acres. II Is the finest
and largest public building In the world,
and in many respects the costliest and
handsomest. It 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,
Carree at Nismes. The view from the west
nortico 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 Il journey OF a thousand miles
to see.
The White House.
From the west balcony OF 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 it, like a gigantic Gala lily springing
up amid its entolding green blades. We're
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 "Up-town,h as
the Capitol is the center of Down town.
II Is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole southern
front the city, as tine view from the north
up Sixteenth street west exhibits the best
part of the Northwest section TO the gaze.
The White House Is q copy of the palace of
the Duke of Lenster at Dublin, with the
addition of large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew jackson 5
administration. The reservation IN which
II stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance is on the north, reached by
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. II Is two
stories high on the north, is built of white
frCe.StOnc l1O feet long by 81 wide Ii con.
tains on the first floor the famous Green,
Red Blue and East rooms, the state Dining
Room and the great conseryatories The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official rcccp-
tion room and the drawingroom of the ladies
of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for a banquet hall and so used rs
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, 80 feet long and 40 wide, II is
open 10 visitors every day except Sundays.
upstairs Uft lnt tdblllCJ room, Ine 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, the first public reservation in Wash
ington that was improved. IL contains the
equestrian statue of Andrew jackson, by
Clark Mills. Many of its trees are old forest
onarchs, hundreds of years old. 1t is IN
part specimen of the old formal landscape
gardening so fashionable in England two
hundred years ago, Il 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 the At
tOrney Generals office formerly the Freed
mans Bank, the SurgeonGeneralls office
and Riggs Bank (both in the building for
mery used as the United States Bank,
Commodore Decatur's house, corner Fiji
teeuth aud a'hall and IL streets, and the
old club House, near which Philip Barton
Key was killed by Daniel +. sickles, Mem,