The Washington critic., 1886-10-13
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 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 DO.
litical metropolis. For 1t is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay q visit every year to this
city to behold the varied objects of in.
tcrest which so thickly stud the his
toric "Ten Miles Square"
The system Of Numbering Houscs.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances 10
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 cast, running
east, a street north, running north, and A
street south, running south. The odd mum
bers are always on the fglt.hand side 20.
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the lcft.hand side. The city is divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast aud
northwest southeast and southwest, the
streets being designated accordingly: thoso
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 n line due north and south from tho Cap
itol and East Capitol street, and a contlnun.
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 cdiice
In the country. Its contre marks the Me-
ridan OF Washington. The middle portion,
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British IN 1914, but was completely restored
by 1s27 1t ncloscs the "crypt"-whcro the
remains Of Washington were intended to be
placed, the Library, the Rotunda, the old
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,
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the Grafton
of the occasion from the balcony of tho
Library. The south wing contains the
House of Representatives. and the north
wing the Senate Chamber. The rotunda IL dis
tinguished for its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
reiefs, and for Brumidis trescoings. In the
Potomac marble, representing faces of Ger
tain American statcSmen-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 n beautiful
park and are now most exquisitely beauti
ful. The east base of tho Capitol Is S0IG
feet above ordinary low tide in tho Potomac.
The total height from cast 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 30il6 feet. This crest Is $50 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 307 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or PAS feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ington Monument which Is Immediately
west. The building is 75l feet long by 39i
wide, and covers 81 acres. II is the finest
and largest public building In the world,
and In many respects the oostliest and
handsomest II Is moreover tho growth of
less than century-a fact which adds to
its beauty and interest. The original Capt.
lol, or centre building, is an imitation,
though not slavish one, OF the Maison
portico at night, when the lamps arc lit in
the public grounds and tho lights of the city
illuminate the darkness Is one OF tine most
beautiful and picturesque In tho world and
Is wei WCrln u Journey Vi Ihousduu iulIc'
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 springlna
up amid its enfolding green blades, Were
II 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 Uptown" as
the Capitol Is 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 a large porch on the north front
which was added during Andrew JaChsOn''
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
frec.stone, li0 feet long by SO wide. 1t con
tans on the first floor the famous Green
Red, Blue and East rooms, the State Dining
Room and the great consorvatorics. The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official recop
tion room and the drawingroom of the ladies
OF his family. The East Room, originally
designed for banquet hall and so used a,
late as 1887, and In the latter part of the
century used as dryng-room for clothe'
by Mrs. President Adams Is the largest ant
most noted room in the building. 1t is 3
feet high, so feet long and 40 wide. II |!
open to visitors every day except Sundays
Upstairs are the Cabinet room, the prvat,
offices. the Presidents office, the library
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 Lafayette
Square, the first public reservation in Wash
ington that was improved. 1t contains tht
equestrian statue of Andrew jackson, b!
Clark Mills Many Of its trees are old fOres
nonarchs, hundreds of years old. II Is II
part "a specimen 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 ago, part sf grave
| yard that enclosed the square north, OF
which st. Johns Church Is built, and th
square east, ON which are situated the At
torney Generals office formerly the Freed
| mans Bank, the Surgeon Generals ollic,
| and Riggs Bank (both In the building for
| merly used as the United States Bank)
| Commodore Decatur's house, corner Fiji
teenth ard a.half and II streets, and tn,
| old Club House, near which Philip Bartol