The Washington critic., 1886-10-25
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.

" II ~ lCbACf1
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 1t 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 east, running
east, a street north, running north, and
street south, running south. The odd mum
bers are always on the righthand 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 line due north and south from the Cap.
itol and East Capitol street, and contnun.
tlon 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 edifice
In the country. Its centre marks the Me-
nl nEh mi "A An nt.lN Hon
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built II was partially destroyed by the
British IN 1914, but was completely restored
by ls97. 1t incloses the "crypt"-where the
placed, the Library, the Rotun6a, 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
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the oration
of the occasion from the balcony of the
Library. The south wing contains the
House Of heprescntatiyes; & and the north
tinguishedfo for its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors. with their alto
reliefs, and for Brumidi's irescoings. 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 We're
homely and formal in appearance, have
been transformed into u beautiful
park and are now most exqulsiteIy beaati;
fu The east base of the Capt3l M Is SoSS
The total height from east base to the top
of the temple covering the dome is as5 feet;
the statue of the Goddess Of Liberty, 1914
feet, making the total height to the crest Of
the statue 3011a feet. This crest Is 800 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 3O7 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or sts feet lower than the apex Of the Wash
west. The building is 75i feet long by 32i
wide, and covers Sh acres. 1t is the finest
and largest public building in the world,
handsomest. 1t 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
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 a journey of thousand miles
The White House.
| From the west balcony OF the Capitol looking
down Pennsylvania avenue, the White
House Is seen rearing It's snowy-hued walls
above the dense mass of foliage that EN-
bowers II, Ikea gigantic Gala lily springing
up amid its onfoldng green blades. We're
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 "Up-town," as
the Capitol is the center of Down town"
1t is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole southern
front ofthe city, as the view from the north
mn GiNt of tpaa hn has
part of the Northwest section TO the gaze.
The White House is a copy of the palace of
the Duke of Leinster at Dublin, with the
addition of large porch on the north front,
administration. The reservation in which
1t stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance Is on the north, reached by
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. IL Is two
stories high on the north, Is built OF white
frec.stone, 170 feet long BY SO wide. II 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-
tionroom and the drawing-room of the ladies
of his family. The East Room, originally
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, Ii Is ,.
feet high, 50 feet long and 40 wide. 1t is
open 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 In Wash
ington that was improved. 1t contains the
equestrian statue of Andrew jackson, by
Clark Mills Many of its trees are old forest
II onarchs, hundreds of years old 1t is II
part a specimen of the old formal landscape
gardening so fashionable In England tive
hundred years ago, Il style that was i'm
ported into this country. Lafayette Square
was, one hundred years ago. part Of grave
yard that enclosed the square north, on
which ST. Johns Church Is built, and the
square east, ON which are situated tho At
torney-General's office formerly the Freed
mans Bank), the Surgeon Generals Office
and Riggs Bank (hoth 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 the
| old Club House, near which Philip Barton
| Key was killed by Daniel Il. Sickles, Mem