The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-01-21

Washington Is fast becoming the most at
tractivo city OF the country. AS the Capital Of
the Nation " presents more objects Of interest
to the visitor than any other on the continent,
ard brief directory Of its prominent points
will be Of service 10 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 behold 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 houses, and the decimal system. as
adopted In Philadelphia, is used-one hundred
numbers being allotted to each square or
block-commencing ut First street west, rum
ming west, First street east, running east, A
street north running north and A street south
running south. The odd numbers are always
ON the right-hond side going from the Capitol,
and the oven numbers on tho left hand side.
The city Is divided into four quarters or sec.
lions, northeast and northwest, southeast and
southwest, the streets being designated ac-
cordingly; those running north and south nu-
mertcally, 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 tho 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 tho largest edince
edae Of WasSnston coP The @ads p @s
Immediately under the dome, is the part first
built, IL was partially destroyed by the
British In 1914, but was completely restored
romans Of Washington were intended to he
placed, the Library, the Rotunda, the old
Representatives Hall, now the Gallery Of
statuary, and the old Senate Chamber, now
ri. oil Ca,
Courtroom In the first story, Is now occupied
by the Law Branch Of tho Library The
cornerstone Of the Capitol extension-the
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the S Grafton
OF the occasion from the balcony of the
Library. The south wing contains the House
Of Representatives and the north wing the
Senate. Chamber. Tho Rotunda Is distin.
guished for Its historic paintings, for the
famous bronze doors, with their alto reliefs,
and for Brumidis frescoings In the Hall OF
Statuary are the natural pictures In Potomac
marble, representing faces OF certain Amcri'
can statcsmen-a picturesque freak Of nature.
From the little rotunda, Immediately north Of
the great rotunda, the staircase to the top Of
the dome begins its winding way. Prom the
ascend, the viewof the surrounding country
Is magnificent. The Capitol grounds, which
formerly were home y and formal In appear
ance, have been transformed into a beautiful
park and arc now most eyquisitely beautiful.
The east base of the Capitol Is S9k 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, 1915 feet,
making the total height TO the crest of tho
statue 3071p feet. This crest Is $50 feet
higher than the west gate Of the grounds, and
997 feet above low tide In the Potomac. or 2iS
feet lower than the apex of the Washington
Monument which Is Immediately west. The
building is 751 feet long by 32f wide. and
covers az acres. II II the finest and largest
pubic building in the world. and In many re-.
81 cots the costliest ana handsomest. II Is
moreover the growth Of loss than century
fact which adds to Its beauty and interest.
The original Capitol or centre building, Is an
imitation. though not a slavish one, OF the
Eiaison Cnrre at Nismes. The view from the
west rortico at night. when the lamps are lit
In the public grounds and the lights Of the
city illuminate the darkness, IL ono of the
most beautiful and picturesque In the
world and is well worth a joucney OF thou.
sand miles to SEQ
The White House
From the west balcony Of the Capitol, look.
Ing down Pennsylvania avenue, tho White
House Is seun rearing Its snowy-hucd walls
above the dense mass OF foliage that en-.
bowers II, like gigantic Gala lily springng
not for the partly intervening Treasury y
building the view OF the White House from the
Capitol would be full and complete The
White House IL the center Of "UP-town," as
1t Is beautifully located. tho view from the
south windows covering the whole southern
front OF the city, as the view from the north
up sixteenth street west exhibits the best
part of the Northwest section 10 the gaze.
The White House II a copy Of the palace Of
the Duke of Leinster at Dublin. with tho
addition OF q large porch on the north front,
which was added during Andrew Jackson's
administration. The reservation in which 1t
stands embraces nearly FL acres. Tie main
entrance Is on tho north, reached by tho
Pennsylvania avenue cars. II Is two stories
high on the north, is built OF white free-stone
ITO feet long by 80 wide. IL contains on the
first floor the famous Green. Red, Blue and
East rooms, the State Dining Room and the
great conservatories. The Blue Room Is the
Presidents official reception room and the
drawing room OF the ladies OF his family. The
East Room, originally designed for a banquet
hall, and so used Ms late as 1887, and IN the
room for clothes BY Mrs. President Adams, is Is
the largest and most noted room In the
building. u Is % feet high, 80 feet long and
30 feet wide. It Is open to visitors ever
Cabinet room, the private Offices, the Presi-
dents Office tho library and family apart
ments. A II these rooms, except the latter,
are open to visitors, by special permission, at
suitable hours.
Lafayette Square
Due north from thewhite Houseis Lafayette
Square. the first public reservation in Wash
ington that was improved. IT contains the
ers s staS Many o a. ses ars %
forest monarchs, hundreds OF years old It Is
In part a specimen OF the old formal landscape
gardening SO fashionable IN England two
hundred years ago, o style that was Imported
into this country. Lafayette Square was, one
hundred years ago, part OF a graveyard that
enclosed the square north, on which st. Johns
Church ID built, and the square east on which
are situated the Attorney Generals ofi0e
formerly the Freedman's Bank). the Surgeon
Generals of1ice and Riggs Bank tboth In the
building formerly used as the United States
Fifteenth and a-half and II streets, and the old
Club House, near which Philip Barton Key
was killed by Daniel 4. Slckles, Member OF
Congress from New York The last bodies
1910.
81. Johns II. p. Church.
st. Johns p. e. Church, which has often
been called the State Church because more
Presidents have worshipped there than at
any other, stands ut the corner of II and
Sixteenth streets. II was built In 1916 and
enlarged In 1920. In 1t have worshipped
Presidents Madison, Monroe. John Quincy
Adams. Though the latter was Congrega'
tionalist Martin Van Buren, Though he be-
longed TO the Dutch Reformed church, Iar-
rison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fillmore Though
the latter was Unitarian, Pierce, Buchanan
and Arthur. Presidents Lincoln. johnson and
Grant have also attended Divine serevices,
although not steadily. Its interior reminds
one very forcibly Of the old, dim English
country Episcopal churches.
The Treasury Department.
The Treasury Department Is east OF the
White House and extends the whole length of
tfo front between Pennsylvania ana New
York avenues. II Ia h82 long by 300 feet wide.
Tho central east portion Is built of freestone,
rebuilt In 1854, while the other parts were
commenced In 1851 and built Of granite. Tho
Cash Room In this building is beau
tiful apartment In the north wing,
the entrance 10 which Is from tho north
porch. The vaults arc under the Cash Room
and can be seen on written permit given by
the Treasurer of the United States, whose
office Is in the northeast angle ON the first
door. 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 no on the site oo-
cupied by the northeast corner OF tho Treas
ury.
Var, Nary and State Department.
oil 4.