The Washington critic., 1886-10-07
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects of Interest in and About the
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, sa'rares, 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 it 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-
iitical 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-one hun
dred numbers being allotted to each square
or block-commencing at First street west,
running west, First street cast, running
east A street north, running north, and
street south, running south. The odd NUM-
bers are always on the right.hand side 90.
ing from the Capitol, and the even 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 a line due north aud south from tho Cap
itol and East Capitol street and 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 edifce
In the country Its centre marks the Me-
ridian OF Washington, The middleportion,
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British IN 1914 but was completely restored
by 1877. II 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
Court room, 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,
ls5l, Daniel Webster delivering the grafton
OF the occasion from the balcony of tho
Library, The south wing contains the
House of Representatives. ami tho north
wing he Senate Chamber. The rotunda Is dis
tinguished for its historic paintings, for tho
famous bronze doors, with their alto
reliCfs, and for Brumldis lrcscolngs. In the
Hall of StatuGry are the natural pictures in
Potomac marble, representing faces of Ger
tain American statesmen-n picturesque
freak of nature. From the little rotuuda,
Immediately north of the great rotnnda, 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, haye iat,i
park and are now most exqulsitely beauti-
full The east base of the Capitol Is S316
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, 1919
feet making the total height to the crest of
the statue s0i1s feet This crest is 800 feet
higher than the west gate Of the grounds,
and 897 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or gas feet lower than thc apex OF the wash.
son Mo m0npmea TsGh 2 1 tsot Is nn lat
wide, and covers ~ acres. IL is the finest
and largest public building in the world,
and in many respects the costliest and
less than contury-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
Carree at Nlsmes The view from the west
portico at night, when the lamps are III in
the public grounds, and the light, Of the city
illuminate the darkness is one OF tho most
beautiful and picturesque in the world and
Is well worth journey OF a thousand miles
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 u, Ikea gigantic calla lily springlng
| up amid its onioldng green blades. Were
| itnot 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 H. the center of "Down town"
| II is beautifully located, the view from the
| south windows covering the whole southern
| front ofthe city, as the view from the north
up sixteenth street west exhibits the best
| nuu Af "A ~ fn hA fl "a
| The White House Is 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's
| administration. The reseryatiOnSn 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 hlllt OF white
frucstone liO feet long by So wide, lt con
tans 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 roCep-
ton room and the wingroom of the ladies
OF his family, Tho East Room, originally
late as 1887 and In the lattor part OF the
century used as drying-room for clotaes
| by Mrs. President Adams Is the largest and
most noted room In the building, II Is -
feet high, 50 feet long and 40 wide II Is
OICu 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, the first public reservation I'M Wash
in.tun that was improved. 10 contains the
equestrian statue of Andrew jackson, 10y
CLARK Mills Many Of It's trees are Old forest
= ouarChs, hundreds of years old, 1t Is II
rait euocimun Of the old formal landscape
| gardening so fashionable IN England two
| hundred years ago, u style that was i'm
| ported INTO this country Lafayette Square
was. one hundred years agp, part Il u grave
yuld that enclosed the square north, on
| Winch ~ Johns Church Is built, and IN,
square cast ON which are situated ths At
| Iuiucy Generals Oli Formerly the Freed
mans Bank, the surgeon GENERALS oilict
Gu0 legs Bank (hoth In the build NJ for
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