The Washington critic., 1888-06-22
THE VISITORS GUIDE
Objects Of Interest In aDd About the
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS,
Parks, Squares, Statues, Gardens
and Other Points of Attraction.

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 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 II 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
dred numbers being allotted to each square
OF block commencing at First street west,
rSnnng west First street street east Gr,, running
street south, running south. Tho odd mum.
bers are always on the right-hand side. GO
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 cast and west by the letters
Of the alphabet, the dividing lines being
North and South Capitol streets, running
on a line due north aud south from the Cap
itol and & Fast Capitol street, re =. and contnua-
ming due east and west.
The Capitol.
This great building is the central point of the
original District, and Is the largest editce
IN The country. It's centre ne marks 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 1897. II incloses the 'crypt"--where tire
remains OF Washington were intended to be
placed, the Library of Congress, for which a
1f the Ca1itoI across First st. east, the 1So Ro
tunda, tho old Representatives Hall now the
Gallery Of Statuary, and the oldSenateCham-
Der, now the SupremeCo Courtroom The old Su.
preme Courtroom in the first story, Is now
occupied by the Law Branch OF the Library.
The cornerstone Of the Capitol extension
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the oratlon
Of, the occasion from the balcony OF the
House, Of Representatiyes e wae and tSe north S
wing the Senate Chamber. The rotunda Is dis
tinguished for its.historic paintings for the
famous bronze doors. with their bas
reliefs. and for Brumidi's fresooings. In the
Hall of Statuary the are natural pictures Of
Potomac marble, representing faces OF GER
tain BAmerican Statements 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 ol.the dome, or
as far as the visitor can ascend, the view
of the surrounding country Is magnificent.
Lne SSpI0 gronnHS %n,Sn i0cerly nayys %ere Mere
transformed into beautiful park and are
most exquisitely beautiful. The east base of
tidein the Potomac The total height from
east base to the top OF the temple covering
thedome is sss feet the statue Of the God God
height to the crest Of the statue 3071f feet.
This crest is 800 feet higher than the west
@ S the the eRd ss s%sr sSSTe ts 0%
which Is Immediately west. The building
acres. res ''i It W is the finest % and lar largest public
building in the world, and In many respects
the costliest and handsomest. 1t is more
fact which adds &c It's beauty and interest,
The original Capitol, or centre building,
is an Imitation, though not slayish one,
from the west portico at night, when the
lamps are III IN the public grounds and
turesque in the world and Is weil worth
journey OF tho usand miles to. see. The
CONNIE Seea this % year has has added greatly @ Sto 20
the appearance Of that front of the Capitol,
and is ene Of the finest If not the finest
work of the kind In this country. The cars
and herdics running on Pennsylvania ave-
nue., the brown cars of the Belt system,
and the F'street cars all pass the Capitol.
The White House.
From the west balcony oi the Capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania ave, the White House
the dense mass of foliage that embowers it,
IKE aganc aa lily PrnMng T. gP amid ma
s pa Sass treasury building MD
view Of the White House from the Capitol
would be full and complete; The White
uspito e L Is S the center center o Of Down town. Ut Il
is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole south
moth up Sixteenth street west exhibits
the gaze. The White House is 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 Jackson's administration, The reser-
walton in which II stands embraces nearly
u acres. The main entrance is on the
north, reached by the. Pennsylvania avenue
Is built Of white free:stonSe, i7o feet long
the famous Grees, Red, Blue and East
Conservatives. The Blue Room Is the Presi
dents official reception room and the draw
ing-room of the ladies Of his family. The East
Room, originally designed for a banquet
hall and so used as late as 1887, and In the
latter part 9th Of the e, century My = used as drying
building. 1T is 90 feet high, so feet long
and 40 wide. II Is open to visitors every
day. except Sundays. Upstairs are the
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
the Washington Monument, the loftiest
structure erected by man, and the most
imposing obelisk ever constructed II is
built Of marble, 555 feet high above its
base, which @ Is AZ feet Ssa, above tides,Tater It's
cap-stone, forming the apex, was placed In
position December o, 1884. In II are 1871
blocks of inserted stones or copper, gifts
from various countries and societies. The
mated in what will ultimately be a beau.
tiful park. Inside the Monument Is large
hydraulic elevator, used to raise the blocks
OF stone during its erection. When an APP
preparation is made, which will probably be
will be fitted for passenger use, and the in
Ierior OF the Monument lighted by electric
ity and opened to the public. In the apex
OF the Monument are eight windows, closed
by marble shutters, aifording an unsur-
passed view OF the city and surrounding
country. At present no one is admitted to
the Monument.
Lafayette square.
Immediately north OF the White House is
Lafayette Square, the first public reserya-
tion In Washington that was improved. 1t
contains the equestrian statue of Andrew
Jackson, by Clark Mills, Many of Its trees
are old forest monarchs, hundreds Of years
old, IL is In part specimen Of the old for
nal landscape gardening 50 fashionable In
that was imported into this country. LaJ.
ayette Square was, one hundred years ago,