The Washington critic., 1888-06-23
THE VISITORS GUIDE
Objects Of Interest In ard About the
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS,
Parks, Squares, statues, Gardens
and other Points Of Attraction.

Washington has already become the
most attractive city of the country. AS
the Capital of the Nation It 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 II Is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay visit every year to this
city to behold the varied objects Of in
teTest which so thickly stud the his
toric "Ten Miles Square"
The system OF Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances TO
all houses. md the decimal system, as
adopted in Philadelphia, Is used-one hun
dred numbers being allotted to each square
or block-commenclng at First street west,
running west, First street east, running
east street north, running north, and A
street south, running south. Tho odd NUM-
berg are always on The rleht.hand 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 a line due nerth aud south from the Cap
itol and East Capitol street, and continue
ton on the same west of the Capitol, run
ming due east and west.
The Caption
Tghis great building is the central point of the
original District, and Is the largest edlfice
in, the country, Its centre marks the Me-
L%idian % q . washington; W., - The middle portion,
first built. ft was partially destroyed by The
british in 1874 but was completely restored
remains Of WassnetonY ON WE'RE nenGeS q s
placed, the Library of Congress, for which
handsome new edifce Is being built Just east
OF the Capitol, across First Vt. east the Ro-
tunda,the old Representatives Hall,now the
Gallery of Statuary, and the oldSenateCham-
ber, now the SupreIpeC Court room. old Su-
preme Courtroom, in the first story, IS now
occupied by the Law Branch Of the Library.
The cornerstone of the Capitol extension
the north and southlwings-was laid July
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
tinguishedfor Observation-Disclosures; for the
famous bronze doors. with their bas
reliefs, and Tor Brumidi's trescQings, In the
ball Of Statuary the are natural pictures Of
Potomac marble, representing faces of GER
tain Hmerican 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
hofnely and tormalin appearance, have been
transformed into a beautiful park and are
most exquisitely beautiful. The east base OF
the Cap.toliis 500 feet above ordinary low
tide in the Potomac. The total height from
east base. TO thetopo of the temple covering
dess Of Liberty, 1915 feet, making the total
height TO the crest of the statue 307M feet.
This crest is SEQ feet 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 Washington Monument,
which. is Immediately west. The building
acres. IL is the finest and largest public
building in Che world, and In many respects
the oostliest and handsomest. IL is more
over. the growth Of less than a century-a
fact which adds tc its beauty and interest.
The original CapitGl, or centre building,
80 an imitation, though not slavish one,
OF tlG Naison Ciffed 81 Nlsmes. Ine view
rom the west gST5hGo t,Ig q plight, when .S the
the lights Of the city illuminate the dark
ness is one of the most beautiful and pic.
tuIesque in the world and is well worth
Journey of tho usand miles to, see. The
new western facade and grand stair case
CONNIE neco this year has added greatly to
the appearance Of that front of the Capitol,
and ~ enc of the finest III not the hnest
work OF the Kind in this country. The cars
and herdios running on. Pennsylvania ave-
nue., the brown cars Of the Belt system,
and the FstTeet cars alipass the Capitol.
The white House.
From the west 9alcony ol the Capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania ave, the White House
IS seen rearing its snowy-hued walls above
the dense mass OF foliage that embowers II,
like q glgaRtic Gala lily .sspringing up amid
eniolding green blades We're II not FOR the
its notwithstanding Treasury building the
view of the White House from the Capitol
would be full and complete; The 3 White
Capitol Is the center Of .Down town. II
is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole south
north % np sixteenth St Street ' west west exhibEs
the best part OF the Northwest section to
the gaze. The White House is a copy OF
the palace OF the Duke of Leinster at Dub
lin, with the addition OF large porch on the
north front, which was added during An
drew Jacksons administration The reser-
walton IN which II stands embraces nearly.
north, reached by the Pennsylvania avenue
cars. IT is two stories high on the north.
is built of white free.stone, 110 feet long
by SO wide. 1t contains on the first floor
the famous Green, Red, Blue and East
rooms, the State Dining Room and the. great
consefyatories. The Blue Room Is the Presi-
dents offcial reception room and thedraw
ipg-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 drying
room for clothes by Mrs. President Adams,
Is the largest and most noted room In the
building II Is, 2a feet high, SO feet long
day. except sundays. Upstairs are the
cabinet room, the private Offices, the Presi.
dents Office, the library and the family
apartments All these rooms except the
latter are open TO visitors by special permis-
sion, at suitable hours.
The washington Monument.
Immediately south OF the White House stands
she Washington Monument, the loitiestt
structure erected by man, and the most
built Of marble. 555 feet high above its
base, which is ~ feet above tlde.water, Its
cornerstone was laid July 4, 1913, and the
Cap-stone, forming the apex, was placed In
position December o, 1884. In II axe lSl
from various countries and societies. The
total cost will be oyer. Si,95000O. II Is sit
uated in what will ultimately be beau
tful park. Inside the Monument isa large
hydraulic elevator, used TO raise the blocks
Of stone during Its erection. When an APP
preparation ~ made, which will probably be
done by the Fiftieth Congress, this elevator
will be ntted for passenger use, and the IN
terior of the Monument lighted by electric
ity and opened TO the public. In the apex
Ot the Monument are eight windows, closed
by marble shutters, afiOrding an unsur-
passed view OF the city aud surrounding
country. AT present no one Is admitted 10
tie Monument
Lafayette square,
Immediately north OF the White House Is
Lafayette Square, the nrst public reserva-
tiOn IN Washington that was Improved 1t
contains the equestrian statue of Andrew
jackson, by CLARK Mills. Many OF lts trees
are Old forest monnrchs, hundreds of years
old, IL Is IN part specimen of the old for
NAL landscape gardening so fashionable in
England two hundred years ago, style