The Washington critic., 1888-01-14
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects of Interest in and AbOnt 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 1t presents
more objects Of interest to the visitor
than any other on the continent, and a
brief directory of It's prominent points
will be of service to the vast number Of
persons who annually resort to the po-
iitical metropolis. For Il 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. Tho odd num-
bers are always on the right-hand side go
Ing from tho 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 q line due north aud south from the Cap
itol and East Capitol street, and a 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 edllce
In the country. It's centre marks the Me-
ridan OF Washington. The middle portion
Immediately under the dome, Is the part
first built II was partially destroyed by the
by 1877. IL incloses the "crypt"-where the
remains of Washington were intended to be
placed, the Library of Congress, for which
handsome new edifice is being built inst east
OF the Capitol, across First st. east, the Ro-
tunta,the Old Representatives Hall,now the
Gallery Of Statuaryan the oldSenateCham-
ber, now the SupremeCourt.roo room The old Su.
preine Courtroom, In the first story, is now
occupied by the Law Branch OF the Library.
The cornerstone of the Capitol extension
the north and southswings-was laid July 4
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
tinguished for its.historlc paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their has
reliefs, and for Brumdi's frescoings. In the
Hall OF Statuary the are natural pictures of
Potomac marble, representing faces of GER
tain KAmerlcan statesmen-a picturesque
freak Of nature. From the little rotunda,
Immediately north OF the great rotunda, the
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 were
homely and formalin appearance, have been
transformed into beautiful park and are
most exquistely beautiful. The east base of
tideinthe Potomac. The total height from
east base TO the top Of the temple covering
thedome is 289 feet; the statue Of the God
Sess q Liberty feet making the total ,os,
This crest is $50 feet higher than the west
gate Of the grounds, and ss ss7feet Zee above low
which is Immediately west. The. building
| Is Isl feet long by S24 Wide, md covers 3x
acres. It is the finest and largest public
the costliest and handsomest. It is more
| over the growth of less than a century-a
| fact which adds to Its beauty and interest.
The original Capitol, or centre building,
| is an imitation, though not slavlsh one
| of the Maison Carree at Nismes. The view
| from the west portico at night, when the
lamps are lit in the public grounds aud
the lights OF the city illuminate the dark
ness Is one OF the most beautiful and pic
turesque in the world and is well worth
journey OF tho usand miles to seq. The
new western facade and grand stair case
CONNIE nceu this year has added greatly To
the appearance of that front of the CAPITOL
and is enc Of the finest II 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 Fstreet cars all pass the Capitol.
The White House.
| From the west balcony OF 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 gigantic Gala lily springng up amid
enfolding green blades. We're IL not for the
| its 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" It
Is beautifully located, the view from the
south windows covering the whole south
ern front of the 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 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 1t stands embraces nearly
81 acres. The main entrance is on the
north, reached by the Pennsylvania avenue
ar IS Built q White sHs,ss IL s RGs ons
by 81 wide. u contains on the first floor
the famous Green, Red, Blue and East
rooms, the state Dining Room and the great
oonservatories. The Blue Room Is the Presi-
dents official reception room and the draw
ingroom 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 q drying
room for clothes by Mrs. President Adams
is the largest and most noted room In the
and 10 wide. 1t Is @ open TO to visitors @ every very
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 tn,
latter are open to visitors, by special permis
sion, atsuitable hours. t
The washington Monument.
Immediately south OF the White House stands
the Washington Monument, the lofties
structure erected by man, and the mos
built Of marble, 5b5 feet high above iti
base, which, AZ feeta above tide,water. It
cornerstone was laid July 4. 1913, and th,
eoston becembas is Taa are ,s
blocks of inserted stones on copper, gift
from various countries and societies. Th,
total cost will be oyer $i,Soo.000. 1t Is sit
uated In what will ultimately be q beau
| tifu park Inside the Monument Is a larg,
hydraulic elevator. used to raise the block
Of stone during Its erection. When an ap
propriation is made. which will probably b,
done by the Biftieth Congress, this elevate
will be fitied for passenger nee, and the In
terior Of the MonumehG lighted by electric
ity and opened 10 the public. In the ape
OF the Monument are eight windows, oloseI
II by marble shutters, affording an unsur
passed view 81 the city and surroupdin
country. AT present no one Is admitted h
the Monument. fa.-tf
Il Lafayette square.
| Immediately north OF the White House |
Lafayette Square, the first public reserva
! | tion In Washington that was improved /
contains the equestrian statue Of AndreN
Jackson, by Clark Mills. Many offts tree
are old forest nonarchs hundreds of year
old, IL Is in part specimen of the old fol
mallandscape gardening so fashionable Il
7 | England two hundred years ago styl
that was imported into this country. La