The Washington critic., 1886-09-27
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.

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.
liical 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 A
street south, running south. The odd mum
bers are always on the right.hand side 20.
Ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the lofthand 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
of the alphabet tho dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on q line due north aud south from the Cap.
itol and East Capitol street aud continue
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 cdifCo
In the country; It's centre marks the Me-
Immediately under the dome, is the part
first built. II was partially destroyed by the
British In 1874, but was completely restored
by ls?7. IL incloses the "crypt"-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
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 oration
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 is dis
tinguished for Its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
rellefs, and for Brumidi's frescoings. 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 tho top of the dome, or
as far as the visitor can ascend, the view
of Of the surrounding country i magnificent.
homely and formal in appearance, have
been transformed into beautiful
park and are now most exquisitely bcauti.
tul. The east base of the Capitol Is S9l6
feet aboye 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, l9Id
80 al -
the statue SO,lG feet. This crest is 500 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 397 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or sis feet lower than the apex Of the Wash.
west. The building is Isl feet long by 3si
wide, and covers 3H acres. 1t Is the finest
and largest public building in the world,
and in many respects the costiest and
handsomest. It is moreover the growth of
less than n century-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
Carfee 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 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 u, like gigantic Gala lily springlng
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," rs
the Capitol Is the center of Down town.
IL 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
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 Jackson's
administration. The reservation In which
II stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance is on the north, reached by
| the Pennsylvania avenue cars 10 Is two
stories high on the north, IL built OF white
free.stone, 100 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 conservatories. The
Blue Room Is the Presidents official recep-
tionroom and the drawing'room of the ladies
of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for banquet hall and so used as
| 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 areopen 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
I ington that was improved. IL contains the
equestrian statue Of Andrew jackson, by
| Clark Mills. Many of its trees are old forest
uonarchs, hundreds of years old. IL Is in
part specimen of the old formal landscape
gardening so fashionable in England two
| 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, 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 Surgeon-General's Office
and kiGgs Bank (hoth In the building for
| merly used as the United States Bank,
Commodore Decatur's house, corner Fif.
teenth ard ahalf and IL streets, and the
old club House, near which Philip Barton