The western sentinel., 1890-06-26
FROM ABOVE THE DOME.
A BIRDS EYE VIEW OF HISTORIC
GROUND.
. A Graphic Pen Picture of Washington and
Its Surroundings looking Down Upon
Towers, Steeples, Mansions, Public
Buildings and Great Men.

Towers, SteepleS, Mansions, Public
Buildings and Great Men.
WASHINGTON, June 21.-Let us
stand above the dome of the capitol
and gaze upon the most beautiful city
on the continent. The sky is intensely
blue, aud parks, buildings and avenues
are bathed in sunshine After three
days of rain the atmosphere has be-
come unusually clear, and objects
miles away are distinctly visible.
Broad avenues radiate from the capt.
tol below US like spokes from a hub.
They run to the boundaries Of the city.
All are shaded with foliage. A cool
and refreshing breeze comes from the
west. The Potomac and its eastern
branch stretch along the south flank
of the river like bow of silver The
Long bridge, over which millions OF
armed men poured into Virginia more
than a quarter of a century ego, spans
the river in the distance to the left of
the Washington monument. Beyond
it Arlington, the homestead of Robert
E. Lee, glistens in the sunlight like
the Acropolis at Athens. Dying Al
exandlia, with grass grown streets,
covers a far-away peninsula to the
south.
Both houses of congress have just
adjourned. The members are stream
ing across the avenue near the Peace
monument. Although hundreds of
feet below us and more than a thou
sand feet away, their forms are clearly
defined At this distance they are
veritable pigmies. Speaker Reed can
be distinguished by his filbert-like
form and sailor like swing. A thin
gentleman strides at his side. He is
80 far away that he looks like an ami
mated shingle nail. An associate
above the dome says that it is Con-
gresham Stivers of New York, but it
has the action Of William G. Laidlaw.
For ten minutes the stream Of repre-
sentatives crosses the street and pours
under the foliage shading the walks of
the avenue.
The view is magnificent. The city
is partly engulfed in a sea of living
green. Its immensity is hidden.
Scores Of little parks can be seen, but
the statues adorning them are hidden
underneath the branches of naples
and Towering chestnuts. The grand
est thing in tte city is the magnificent
marble shaft recalling the grandest
figure in our national history. It loses
its height when seen from the dome of
the capitol, which stand on much
higher ground. 1t seems to spring
from the bosom ola park which runs
from the capitol to the left of Pennsyl-
vania avenue and beyond the white
house. Within it are the minarets Of
the Smithsonian Institute, the gables of
the agricultural department, and the
pressed brick Of the national and med
ical museums. Beyond these appears
the bureau of engraving and printing,
beneath snow-white cloud of steam.
The white house is entirely hidden,
but the war, state and navy building
stands out in the sunlight, like toy
temple.
The treasury, low, grim and squatty
is lost in the towering structures in
tervening. Looking to the right of the
avenue two low marble buildings are
seen. Viewed from the street they
appea, magnificent. At this height
snd distance, however, they look like
Publications of the olden time. You
can almost see the drawbridges and
portcullis. They are the patent office
and one of John Wanamaker's bazaars
There are hundreds of low, fat roofs
around them-so low that they are
overtopped by the trees. From where
we stand they look like ruins scorched
by fire.
The most striking of all the edifices
is the pension Office. 1t looms head
aud shoulders above everything else
massive pile of red brick, rising into
the heavens. A white band girts its
IONS. It is ribbon of stucco in which
are carved regiments of cavalry, in
fantry and artillery-all on the move.
A congressman once characterized it
as delineation of the Grand Army
of the Republic marching upon the
treasury. Away to the left of the PEN
sion Office stands the Baltimore Sun
building. 1t is the highest edi6ce in
the city. Its white walls reflect the
sunlight, and it rises above its fellows,
high and narrow, like the Field build
ing in New York.
OFF to the right of the pension Office,
lies the great grey shell known as the
government printing Office. It is an
old and a dangerous pile. A FIRE
would quickly ruin it and endanger
the lives of hundreds. The greatest
printing establishment in this country,
| it is the most poorly constructed. The
government ought to take lesson
from Harper Bros. and put upsa fire.
rroof structure. The destruction OF
| the present establishment would entail
4 loss Of millions Of dollars upon the
government. Beyond the printing
Office there is an immense structure
with an arched roof, something like
the Grand Central depot. It looks
like young pension Office. but it il
| really the X street mari ket.
The most prominent steeple seen
from the dome is that Of the Metro
politan church Il stands between the
pension Office aud Pennsylvania ave.
nue.. This Is the church where Rev,
! John RI Newman, now Methods
Episcopal bishop, preached. and Pres.
/ itient Grant and Rutherford B. Haye.
vouhipped To the right Of It you