The critic., 1891-01-24

tractive city OF the country. AS tho capital of
The Nation It presents more objects ofinterest
and brief directory of Its prominent points
will be OF service TO the vast number OF per:
sons WHO annually resort TO the political
metropolis. For II Is estimated that over three
hundred thousand strangers pay visit every
year to this city to benod the varied objects
OF interest which so thickly stud the historic
Ten Miles Square "
The System of Numbering Houses.
Numbers are displayed over the entrances
to all honscs, and the decimal system. as
adopted In Philadelphia, Is usod--one hundred
numbers being allotted to each square or
ming west First street east, running east, A
street north running north. aud Astreet south
running south. The odd numbers are always
on the right-hand side going from the Capitol,
and the even numbers on tho left-haud side.
The city Is divided into four quarters or sec
tions, northeast and northwest, southeast and
southwest, the streets being designated ac-
cordingly; those running north and south nu-
merlcally. and those running cast and west by
the letters of the alphabet, the dividing lines
being North and SouthCapitol streets, running
on line due north and south from the Capitol
and East Capitol street, and the continuation
on the same west OF the Capitol, running due
east and west.
The Capitol.
This great building is the central point OF
the original District and Is the largest edifce
In the country. Its centre marks the Mo-
redian of Washington. The middle portion,
built. II was partially destroyed by the
British In 1914, but was completely restored
by 1927. IL lncloses the "crypt"--where tho
remains Of Washington were intended to be
placed, the Library. the Rotunda, the old
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery OF
Statuary, and the old Senate Chamber, now
the Supreme Courtroom. The old Supreme
| Courtroom In the first story, Is now occupied
by the Law Branch of the Library. The
cornerstone of the Capitol extension--the
north and south wings-was laid July. a,
| 1861, Daniel Webster delivering the Grafton
| Of. the occasion from the balcony Of the
| Library. The south wing contains tho House
| Of Representatives and tho north wing the
Senate, Chamber, The Rotunda Is dlstin-
famous bronze doors, with their alto reliess,
| and for Brumidi's frescoiugs In the Hall OF
Statuary are the natural pictures In POTOMAC
marble. representing faces Of certain Amerii
| 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 OF the come, or as far as the visitor can
ascend, the viewof the surrounding country
| Is magnificent. The Capitol grounds, which
formerly were homely y and formal In appear.
| ance have been transformed into q beautiful
park and are now most exQuisitoly beautiful.
| The east base of the Capitol Is S9H feet
above ordinary low tide In the Potomac. The
total height from east base to the top OF the
statute Of the Goddess OF Liberty, 19I6 feet
making the total height to the crest Of the
statue 3O7le feet. This crest is $50 feet
higher than the west gate of the grounds, and
BOT ieet above low tide in the Potomac, or 2is
| feet lower than the apex uf the Washington
Monument which is Immediately west. The
building II 75l feet long BY 34 wide. and
pubic building In the world, and In many re
| spects the costliest and haHdsomest. II II
moreover the growth OF less than century
o fact which adds to Its beauty and inte -est
The original Capitol, or centre building, Is an
imitation. though not IA slavlsh one, OF tht
hiaison Carre at Nismes. The view from the
west portico at night, when the lamps are III
city illuminate the darkness, is one of thu
most beautiful and picturesque In tht
world and Is well worth Journey of thou
sand miles to SEQ
The White House
From the west balcony Of the Capitol look
Ing down Pennsylvania avenue, the Whit,
House is seen rearing its snowy.hued wall
bowers II. like gigantic Gala lily springini
up amid its enfolding green blades. We're Il
not for the partly. intervening Treasur,
GaHiSe xsw no ond from shS
White House Is the center of "Up-towD," a.
the Capitol Is the center OF "Down-town.'
1t is beautifully located. tho view from tht
south windows covering the whole southern
front of tho city, as the view from the NORTH
up sixteenth street west exhibits the bes
part of the Northwest section TO the gaze
The White House IL copy Of the palace o
the Duke of Leinster at Dublin, with tn,
addition OF large porch on tho north front
which was added during Andrew jackson
ADMINISTRATION. The reservation In which 4
stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The mali
entrance Is on the north, reached by th'
Pennsylvania avenue cars. II L. two storie
high on the north, Is built OF white free.ston,
40 feet long by SO wide. II contains on tn,
first floor the famous Green, Red, Blue an,
East rooms, the State Dining Room and tn,
great conservatorles. The Blue Room IL tn,
drawing room OF the ladies OF his family. Th
East Room, originally designed for banquc
hall, and so used as late as 1887, and in ID
latter part Of the century used rs a dryin
the largest and most noted room In til
building. II is 90 feet high, 80 feet long AM
40 feet wide. It Is open TO visitors ever
Cabinet S room, S the private offices. the % Pres @
dents Office, the library and family apart
ments. All these rooms. except the latter
are open to visitors, By special permission. u
suitable hours.
Lafayette Square
Due north from thewhite Houseis Lafayett
Square. the first pubic reservation In Wasl
ington that was improved. 1t contains tn
Clark Mills. Many of It's trees are oil
forest monarohs, hundreds of years old. 1t
In part u specimen OF the old formal landscaf
gardening 80 fashionable IN England tw
hundred years ago, a style that was importc
into this country. Lafayette Square was, on
hundred years ago, part OF graveyard thu
enclosed the square north, on which st. John
Church Is built, and the square east on whC
are situated the Attorney Generals onc
(fornerly the Freedman's Bankl. the Surgeon
Generals ONCE and Riggs Bank (both In IL
building formerly used as he United STATE
Bank). Commodore Decatur's house, corn,
Fifteenth and a-half and II streets, and the oil
Club House, near which Philip Barton Ke
was killed by Daniel e. Sickles, Member
Congress from New York. The last bodl,
from this graveyard were not removed unit
1910.
81. Johns r. E Church.
st. Johns p. Z. Church, which has ofte
been called the State Church because MOI
Presidents have worshipped there than
any other, stands at the corner OF II al
sixteenth streets, IT was built in 1916, an
Presidents Madison, Monroe. John Quin'
Adams. Though the latter was Congreg
: tionalisp Martin Van Buren, though he
rison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore thoul
the latter was a Unitarian. Pierce, Buohanl
and Arthur. Presidents Lincoln. johnson al
Grant have also attended Divine serevice
although not steadily. Its interior remin,t
one very forcibly Of tho old, dim Engli,
country Episcopal churches.
The Treasury Department.
The Treasury Department is east Of tl
White House and extends the whole length
tto front between Pennsylvania ana Ne
York avenues. II IL bS2 long by 900 feet wild
The central east portion y built of freeston
rebuilt In 1864, while the other parts we
commenced in 1868 and built of granite. III
Cash Room In this building Is a bea,
tiful apartment In the north win
the entrance to which Is from the nor
porch. The vaults are under the Cash Roo
and can be seen ON a written permit given
the Treasurer OF the United States, who
Office "a In the northeast angle on the fir
door. This permit must be shown the cashie
: who will detail guides 10 take the visitor In
the great bullion chests of the country. II
old State Department used TO be on the site @
cupied by the northeast corner of the Tres
ury.
War, Nary and State Department.
This edifce, once named by Washingt,
I Journalist tho "Triune Building" occupi
\ the west side of the Presidents reservatiO