The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-09
How Picturesque Washington Ap-
pears in Birds Eye View
to Mr.. Cummings.
A Charming Panorama Of Historic
Scenes, Green Parks and
Stately Buildings.
Broad Avenues Which Radiate from the
Capitol to the Boundaries of
the City.

above the dome of the capitol and gaze
upon the most beautiful city on the conti-
nent. The sky is intensely blue, and parks,
buildings and avenues are bathed in sun
shine. After three days of rain the atmos-
phere has become unusually clear, and OBJ
jects miles away are distinctly visible.
Broad avenues radiate from the cap
itol below us like spokes from a
hub. They run to the boundaries of
the city. All the avenues are shaded
with foliage. cool and refreshing
breeze comes from the west. The Potomac
and its eastern branch stretch along the
south flank of the city like bow of silver.
The long bridge, over which millions OF
armed men poured into Virginia more than
quarter of century ago, spans the river
in the distance to the left of the Washing
ton monument. Beyond it Arlington. the
homestead of Robert E. Lee, glistens in
the sunlight like the Acropolis at Athens.
Dying Alexandria with grass grown streets
covers a far-away peninsula to the south.
The Mount Vernon boat is coming up the
river, and three or four sailing vessels lie
at anchor miles away. You see the old sig
nal station to the right of Arlington. It
was Fort Whipple when it was built. Gen
eral Greedy has command of it now. The
aqueduct bridge is hidden by the heights of
Georgetown.
From Georgetown around to Benning's
bridge the horizon is fringed with foliage.
Glimpses of the Catholic university, the
soldiers home, Howard university, the
deaf aud dumb asylum. on Kendall Green,
tutions are to be had. Pennsyl-
vania avenue lies directly in front.
It seems much shorter than the other spokes
in the hub. The treasury building cuts it
from sight above Fifteenth street. The
trees that adorn it on either side are in full
leaf. The car tracks in the center of the
street seem to rob it of it's width. Landaus,
hansoms, phaetons, buck-boards, and car
riages of all descriptions are rolling over its
smooth asphalt pavement. From the dome
of the capitol they look like small moving
automatons. Bicycles dart hither and
thither, but they are SO far away that only
an occasional CLINT of a machine strikes the
eye.
Both houses of congress have just ad-
journed. The members are streaming
across the avenue near ths Peac monu-
ment. Although hundreds of feet below
us, and more than Thousand feet away,
their forms are clearly defined. At this
distance they are veritable pgmies. Speaker
Reed can be distinguished by his tilbert-
like form and saiior-like swing. A thin
gentleman strides at his side. He is so far
away that he looks like an animated shingle
nail. An associate above the dome says
that it is Congressman Stivers, of New
York, but it has the action of William G.
Laidlaw. For ten minutes the stream of
representatives CROSSES the street and pours
under the foliage shading the walks of the
avenue.
The view is magnificent. The city is
partly engulfed in q 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
marble shaft recalling the grandest figure
in our national history. 1t loses its height
when seen from the dome of the capitol,
which stands on much higher ground.
1t seems to spring from the bosom of u
park which runs from the capitol to the
the white house. Within it are the nina
rets of the Smithsonian institute, the
gables of the Agricultural department., and
the pressed brick of educational and Medical
museums. Beyond these appears the bu-
reau of engraving and printing, beneath a
snow-white cloud of steam. The white
house is entirely hidden, but the war,
state and navy building stands out in the
sunlight like a toy temple.
The treasury. low, grim and squatty, is
lost in the towering structures intervening.
Looking to the right of the avenue two low
marble buildings are seen. Viewed from
the street they are magnificent. At this
height and distance, however, they look
like Notifications of the olden time. You
can almost see the drawbridge and port
cullis. They are the patent Office and one
of John Wanamaker's bazars. There are
hundreds of low, fiat roofs around them
SO low that they are overtopped by the
trees. From where we stand they look like
ruins scorched by fire.
A~s0r "a ill :
the pension Office. It looms head and
shoulders above everything e'se-a massive
pile of red brick rising into the heavens.
A white band girts it's loins. It is a ribbon
of stucco in which are carved regiments of
cavalry, infantry and artillery-all on the
move. A congressman once characterized
it as delineation of the Grand Army of
Away to the left of the pension Office stands
the Sun building. 1t is the highest edifce
in the city, It's white walls reflect the sun
light. and it rises above its fellows, high
and narrow, like the Field building in New
York
OFF to the right Of the pension Office lies
the great gray shell known as the govern
ment printing office. It is an old and .
dangerous pile. A fire would quickly ruin
it and endanger the lives of hundreds. The
greatest printing Office in this country, it is
the most poorly constructed. The govern
ment ought to take lesson from Harper
Bros. and put up fre-proof structure.
The destruction of the present establish
ment would entail a loss of millions of dol
lars upon the government. Beyond the
printing Office there is an immense struct-
ure with an arched roor, something like
the Grand Central depot. It looks like a
young pension Office, but it is really the
X street market.
The most prominent steeple seen from
the dome is that of the Metropolitan
church. It stands between the Pension
office and Pennsylvania avenue. This is the
church where John p. Newman, now a
Methodist Episcopal bishop, preached, and
where President Grant and Rutherford b.
Hayes worshipped. To the right of it, you
see the spire of the little church where Rev.
DIR. Sunderland officiates and where Presi-
dent Cleveland attended. President Harri-
son goes to a church little more fashion
able. It partakes of the new order of ar
chitecture, and stands upon Connecticut
avenue, or Vanity Fair Lane, as John Bun
yam would call it,. Its steeple is barely dis
two miles away, to the right of the
army and navy building.
There are historical reminders in sight,
Look to the east. At our feet you see what
appears to be a ship-yard. 1t is the founda-
tion for the great government library. The
big cranes used in moving huge blocks of
stone resemble the masts of veasels, and
the ropes which held them in place are the
rigging. Beyond it, on the left, at Mary
land avenue and First street, is a cream
coloYed building, looking like q drv-