The Washington critic., 1888-01-07

parts ntf0 COmDtuCtQilil 1000 bIlu
built OF granite. The Cash Room in this
building Is o beautiful apartment in the
north wing, the entrance TO which Is from
the north porch. The vaults are under the
Cash Room and can be seen on a written
permit, given by theTreasurer of the uni
ted States, whose Office is In the northeast
angle, on the first floor. This permit must
be shown the cashier. who will detail
guides TO take the visitor into the great
bullion chests of the country. The old State
Department used TO be on the site occupied
by the northeast corner OF the treasury
The Rogues' Gallery and Museum of the Sc
cret Service Bureau are on the second floor
and open to the public, and this and the
vaults, including, the new steel vaults FOR
the storage of silver dollars, arc the points
Of most interest. About $500 people are en-
ployed in this building.
Department OF Justice.
Immediately north Of the Treasury Building
and Just across the street Is the Department
of Justice, This building was originally
erected as the Freedman's Bank. The square
In which II Is erected is a historic one. On
the same street, at the east corner, stands
Riggs Bank, which was built for the accom-
m9dati9n Of the washington ton branch .n OF tne
OF II is now occupied by the clerks OF the
Surgeon. Generals ofice. Around the corner
to the VESTS the Commssary-G Generals
House, In front Of which Philip Barton
Key was shot by Sickles. The tree, under
which the dead mans body lay, Is still stand
Ing. NltnOugnltS DuTk Hhu DbtH tOIlDltbOlg
removed by relic hunters. At the northwest
corner OF the square, above the Commls-
sary-General's Office, is the house made IA
nous by the ownership Of Commodore De,
catur, and where Dolly Madison lived aud
regned so long o social queen after her
husbands term as President expired. sixty
people are employed In the Department OF
Justice.
War, Navy and state Departments.
This edhce. once named by Washington
t,tte ttot tha ttT'rinna RuiIdinO " OQpunips.
the west side of the Presidents reservatioi,,
Immediately west OF the White House. 70
State Department occupies the south part,
the Navy Is located north of the State,
while the war Department occupies the
entire northern half. Il Is new and very
handsome structure. The most beautiful
room IN the whole building IS conceded TO
be the library of the State Department, with
south front, from whose. windows the eye
can sweep unlnterruptedly down the Poto-
mac to Mt. Vernon and tar over the Wiz
ginia hills. The building Is in the italian
Renaissance. 1t is 567feet long and 3iS feet
wide. Its greatest height is 1913 feet, and the
flag floating over the central portion, faunts
In the breeze higher up than any other nag
in the city. not excepting those above the
Senate and House Of Representatives. The
cost OF the building was five millions OF dol.
lars, about three times as much , as the
white House. The old W.nder building,
across Seventeenth street from, the west
front Of this building, is occupied by part
of the War Department, and In II ls the
OrQnaDrC hluBbun, CONTAINING ItllCS vi but
lat war. especially interesting to soldiers.
One hundred people are employed here un-
der the Secretary of State, 500 under the
Secretary of War and 800 under the Secre-
tary of the Navy.
Corcornn Art Gallery.
The. Corcoran Art Gallery is at the corner Of
Pennsylvania avenue and Seventeenth st
opposite the War, Navy and State Depart
ment. II Is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and
dsysI a small admission fee Is charged. This
gallery, although not to be compared with
the great Old World galleries, is nevertheless
very oreditable institution for so new a
country as the United States; II contains
among other original objects Powers great
statue OF the "Greek Slave"
The weather Bureau.
The Signal Service, or Weather Bureau, Is
about one hundred yards west of the State,
War and Navy Departments, on g street. II
is one OF the most interesting places in Wash.
when at leisure, always take pleasure In
showing visitors how they manufacture
weather"
Davy Burns Cottage.
One OF the curiositles OF Washington Is old
Davy Burns Cottage, ON Seventeenth street
near the river. IL may be reached by the
drive south of the Presidents House or by
the Metropolitan or Avenue line of cars.
Next door to 1t is General Van Ness once
stately mansion, where he brought his bride
Marcia Burns, one Of the original heiresses
of Washington.
The Naval Observatory.
To the West OF the Washington Monument
on the highest elevation that borders the
north bank of the river, between st. Eliza
stands te heFas ans Tne
wlichlt stands Is famous for having been
the camping groundof Washington, Brad
march to the fatal field, where the English
General fell victim to his self-conceit and
vanity. Tradition also points out this hill a.
the decisive battle ground between the
District Indians and the mysterious Susque
hannas. This observatory contains thelargest
refracting telescope in the world, nextto the
new equatorial Just built for the. Lick
Observatory. BY its aid that most interest
ing, II not greatest, astronomical discovery
of the country was made, the moons OF
Mars The entrance to the observatory Is al
Il and Twenty third streets northwest. The
herdic cabs go to Twenty-second and G
street.
The Agricultural Department.
| This building is situated east of the Monu
| ment. 1t is inclosed by the most beautiful
and glowing flower garden in the country
and the grounds contain the most complete
arboretum probably In the United States
Attached to this Department are the Exper
mental Gardens, whose Offices are imme
diately west of the main building. The Bel
| Line cars go right western wing is the libra
ry and the second past the grounds. VI
the first floor OF the floor of the centre OF thu
building devoted 10 an extensive agricultu
raj museum.
| The great money mill OF the Government 1
| located at the corner of Fourteenth and
streets southwest, southeast from the Monu
ment and southwest from the .Agricultur
Bureau. II Is reached by theBelt Line Cars car
Here are engraved and printed the pape
money, bonds, postage and revenuestamps
etc, used by the Government.
| The Smithsonian.
| Across Twelfth street, Immediately east from
the Agricultural Department. are the Smith
sonian Institution and the Smithsonian
1 Grounds. The former Is a specimen OF tn
most graceful architecture In the city, AM
the latter form the most beautiful landscap
garden In the country. These grounds O
themselves are worth visit TO Washlngto
to see. They contain the memorial urn T.
the artist who designed the park, Andrew
j. Downing, and the bronze statue. of Pre-
fessor Henry. the first secretary of the In
stitution. The latter is at the northwes
corner Of the building; the Downing ,Ur
is in the centre OF the grounds, two hundret
yards north of the east wing. The smitt
sonian is filled with the most varied and II
teresting objects connected with science
The building was finished 30 years ago az
cost of nearly half million of dollars. Thi
sum was bequeathed by James SmithsoI
an English scientist, to form an establish
ment for the increase and diftusion OF knowl
edge among, men; The current expense
donation. The Museum Is open from TILL
and Is reached by the Seventh Street, tn
Ninth Street and the Belt Line OF stree
| cars.
The National Museum.
The National Museum Is In the smithsonla
grounds,a few yards east Of the Smithsonia
building. 1t contains thousands of the mo-
in teresting curlosties, samples OF the LII,
customs and history of all nations. IL
open daily to the public from a. m. TO
| p, IN.
Medical Museum.
The Army and Navy Medical Musenm Is G
the corner OF Seventh and B streets soutl
west, adjoining the NationalMuseum. III
building was finished this year, and Is
part occupied by clerks OF the Surgeon,Ge
erals office and the hospital records OF q