The Washington critic., 1886-09-09
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 a
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 IL is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay a 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 Eouscs.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances to
all houses, and the decimal system, as
adopted In Philadelphia, ia used-one hun
dred numbers being allotted 10 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 tighthand side 90.
ing from the Capitol, and the even numbers
on the loft'hand side. The city Is divided
into four quarters or sections, northeast aud
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 aud south from the Cap
itol and East Capitol street, and a 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 ediilco
I'm the country. Its centre marks the Me-
ridian of Washington. The middle portion,
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built 1t was partially destroyed by the
British in 1914 but was completely restored
by lS27. II incloscs the "crypth-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
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
the north and south wings-was laid July 4,
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the Grafton
of the occasion from the balcony OF the
Library. The south wing contains tine
House of Representativ and the north
wing the Senate Chamber The rotunda Is dis
tinguishedfor its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto
relefs. and for Brumidi's frescoings. In the
Hall of Statuary are the natural pictures in
Potomac marble, representing faces of ccr'
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 a beautiful
park and are now most eXqui,itey beauti-
iul. The east base of the Capitol is S0l6
feet above ordinary low tide In the Potomac
The total height from east base to the top
OF the temple. covering the dome is as8 feet;
feet, making the total height to IT, crest of
the statue 905l6 feet. This crest Is 800 fee
higher than the west gate of the grounds,
and 3g7 feet above low tide in the Potomac,
or 24S feet lower than the apex of the Wash
ington Monument, which is immediately
west. The building is 75i feet long by 3si
wide, and covers 3h ;,, acres; 4 g. Is the line, finest
and in many respects the costliest and
handsomest. 1t is moreover the growth Of
less than century-a fact which adds to
tol, or centre building, Is an imitation,
| though not a slavish 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 thousand miles
The White House.
| From the west balcony oil 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 1t. like gigantic Gala lily springing
up amid its enfoding green blades. Were
| IL 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 >
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
part of the Northwest section to the gaze
The White House Is copy of tine 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 reservation in which
| II stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The
main entrance is on the north, reached bS
the Pennsylvania avenue cars. IL Is two
stories high ON the north, is built of white
frce-stone, 40 feet long by Si wide IL con
tains 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 recep
| tion room and the edrawng-rOOm of the ladies
| of his family. The East Room, originally
designed for a banquet hall and so used as
| late as 1897, and in the latter part of the
| century used as drying-room for clothes
| by Mrs President Adams, Is the largest ant
| most noted room in the building. 1t Is .;
| feet high, 50 feet long and 40 wide. IL II
| open to visitors every day except Sundays
offices. the Presidents office, the lbrar!
and the family apartments. All thos,
| rooIHs 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