The Washington critic., 1886-06-08

city to behold the varied ODleCtS OF IN
.erest which so thiclIly stud the his.
toric "Ten Miles Square" or these
objects the most conspicuous are of
course the Government buildings.
Chief among those is, first
THE Capitol.
This great building is the central point OF the
original District, and Is the largest edilcc
in the country Its centre marks the Me-
ridlan Of Washington. The middle portion,
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built II was partially destroyed by tho
British In 1914. but was completely restored
by lS27. 1t incloses the "crypt'-where the
remains of Washington were Intended to bo
placed, the Library. the Rotunda, tho 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. L. now occu-
The cornerstone Of the Capitol extension
the north and south wingS-was laid July 4,
1851. Daniel Webster delivering the oration
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
tnguished for It's historic paintings, for the
relefs, and for Brumidi's frescoings. IN the
Hall Of Statuary are tho natural pictures I'm
Potomac marble, representing faces of Ger.
tain American
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 wero
homely and formal In appearance, have
been transformed into beautiful
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
the stane Spe po e Go9dess Of Ibery
feet, making the. total height to the crest Of
the statue S0116 feet. This crest IS 800 feet
higher than the west gate Of the grounds,
or 2is feet lower than the apex of the Wash
west. The building is 7tl feet long by 3ai
wide, and covers SH acres. 1t is the finest
and in many respects the costliest and
handsomest. It Is moreover the growth Of
less than ccntury-a fact which adds TO
its beauty aud interest. The original Capt.
though not a slayish one, of the Maison
Carree at Nismes. 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 o 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 opening that en-
bowers 1t. like gigantic Gala lily springng
up amid its enfolding green blades Were
building the view of the White House from
the Capitol would be efull and complete. Tho
White House ~ the center of uptown" as
the Capitol is the center OF "Down town"
tg iy a
south windows covering tho whole southern
front ofthe city, as the view from the north
up Sixteenth street west exhibits the best
part of the Northwest section to the gaze:
the Duke OF Leinster at Dublin, with tho
addition OF large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew jackson $
administration. The reservation in which
II stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance is on the north, reached by
the pennsylvania avenue cars. 1t is two
stories high on the north, Is built of white
free-stone 40 feet long by SO wide. 1t CON
tains on the 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 recep
tion room and the drawing.ro of the ladies
Of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for banquet hall and so used as
late as 1897, and In the latter part Of the
by Mrs. President Adams, Is the largest and
most noted room in the building. II Is .;
feet high. 80 feet long and 40 wide. IL Il
open 10 visitors every day except Sundays
offices. the Presidents office, the librar.
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 Lafayett,
Square, the first public reservation in Wash
ington that was improved. 1t contains th'
| nf hnIrnNy
Clark Mills. Many of Its trees are old fores
nonarchs, hundreds of years old. II is II
part a specimen Of the old formal laudscap
gardening so fashionable in England twt
hundred years ago, n style that was I'm
| ported into this country. Lafayette Square
| was. one hundred years ago part grave
| yard that enclosed the square north, OF
| which St. Johns Church Is built, aud th
| square east ON which are situated tho Al
torney-General's Office formerly the Freed
mans Bank, the Surgeon,Generals oilic
| and Riggs Bank (both Ia the build ng for
merly used as the United States BANK,
Commodore Docatur's house, corner FIJI
teenth ard a'half aud II streets, and Oh
old Club House, near which Philip Barto
Key was killed by Daniel E. Slckles, Men
ber OF Congress from New YORK. The las
bodies from this graveyard were not II
moved until 1910.
at. Johns T.. u. Church.
| st. Johns Z. Il. Church, which has been ofte
called the State Church because more Pres
dents have .wcrshpped there than at an
| other. stands at the corner Of II and Sis
teenth streets. II was built In 1916 and el
larged In 1870 In It have worshippei Pre-
idcnts Madison, Monroe, John QuinC
Adams Though the latter was Congress
tionnlistj Martin Van Buron, though he b
longed TO the Dutch Reformed Church. Ha
rison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore (thOng
the latter was q Unitarian, Pierce, Buel
anan and Arthur. Presidents Lincolr
Johnson and Grant have also attended D
vine services here although not steadily, Il
interior reminds one very forcibly OF III
old, dim English country Episcopal churchc