Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-06
HOW WASHINGTON LOOKED THEN.
The Federal City Described bv a Gazetteer
Nearly n Hundred Year. apo

ihere was not much 10 the city of Washing
ton in 1897. bat il had great prospects. The
city. or rather the plan Of the CITY. is Described
in an interesting way In a book published in that
year and now IN the possession Of a resident II
Washington. The book is The Universal
Gazetteer Of the Known World" bv John
Walker. published in Dublin in 1897. n snys,
Washington. a city of North America. now
building for the metropolis Of the United States
1t is seated at the junction Of the rivers Poto-
mac and the Eastern branch. extending about
four miles up each. including tract of terri
tory scarcely 90 be exceeded in point of conve-
nicnce. salnbrity and beauty by any in the
| world. This territory. which is crlled Comm
Dia. lies partly IN the state of Virginia and
| partly in that of Maryland. and was c.Ged by
/ those two states 20 the United States of Amer
I lea, and by them established to be the seat of
government after the year 1900 The plan not
only combines convenience. regularity. elegance
/ OF prospect and free circulation of air. but
/ everything grand and beautiful that can be in
troduced into a city. 1t is divided into squares
/ or grand divisions bv streets running due north
and south and east and west. which form the
ground work OF the plan. However. from the
Capitol. the President house and some OF the inn
/ portant in the city. run diagonal streets.
from one material object TO another. which not
only produce a variety of fine prospects but
remove the insipid sameness which renders
some other great cities unpleasing. They were
devised to connect the separate and most dis
tant objects with the principle and 20 preserve
through the whole n reciprocity of sight. These
great leading streets are all leo feet wide. in
/ ending pavement of ten feet and n gravel
walk of thirty feet planted with trees on each
side. which will leave eighty feet OF paved street
| for carriages. The rest of the streets are in
general, ITO feet vide. with n few only ninety
| feet. except North, South and East Capitol
| streets which feet The Itau,,.l
! streets are named after the respective states
composing the Union. while those running
north and south are. from the Capitol eastward.
named East LIST street. East I'd street. and 50
forth, and those west of il are in the same man.
ner called West LIST street, West "a street, Sc
Those running east and west are from the
Capitol northward named North street
North ID street. &c, and those south of IL are
called South A street. South u street, &c.
The squares or divisions of the CITY
squares generally contain from three TO
six acres and are divided into lots OF from forty
to eighty feet in front, and their depth. from
about ITO TO 800 feet. according to the size Of
the square. The irregular divisions produced
by the diagonal streets are some of them small
but generally in valuable situations. Their acute
points are all 20 be cut off at forty feet that
/ no house In the city will have acute corner
| All the houses must be of brick or stone. The
area of the Capitol Tor house for legisla i've
| bodiesl Is situated upon the most beautiful
eminence in the city about mile from the
Eastern branch and no: much more from the
Potomac, commanding a full view of the city.
as well ~ considerable extent of the country
around. The Presidents house will stand uDon
a rising ground. not far from the banks of the
Potomac. affording fine water prospect with
a view of the Capitol and some other material
4 parts OF the city. Due south from the Presi-
dents house and due west from the Capitol run
two great pleasure parks OF malls, which inter
| sect and terminate upon the banks of the 70
! tomac, and are to be ornamented at the sides
! by a variety of elegant buildings, houses for
! foreign ministers. &c. Interspersed through
/ the city. where the most material streets cross
each other, are a variety of open areas formed
IN various regular figures, which in great cities
are extremely useful and ornamental. Fifteen
| of the best OF these areas are to be appropri-
ated to the different states composing the
Union; not only to bear their respective Names
but proper places for them 20 erect statues,
obelisks or columns to the memory Of their
| favorite eminent men. for these infant repubii-
cans are not vet clear of the old aristocratic
bagatellerics. Upon a small eininence. where
line due west from the Capitol and due south
from the Presidents house would intersect H.
to be erected equestrian statue Of ten.
Washington. late President of the United
States. Places are marked out FOR other public
buildings. marine hospital. with its gar
dens: general exchange and it's public waiks
"a CAY HAL. CHURCH houses. cOueges. market
houses. theaters, &c. The President of the
United States, in locating the seat of the city.
prevailed upon the proprietors of the soil TO
cede a certain portion of the lots in every situ-
alton to be sold by his direction and the pro-
ceeds to be solely applied to the public build
ings and other works of public utility within
the city. This grant would produce about
10000 lots. and will be sufficient not only TO
erect the public buildings. but to dig a canal
conduct water through the city and to pave and
light the streets. which viii save heavy tax
that arises i'm other cities. and consequently
render the lot considerably more valuable The
Eastern branch of this Potomac il one of the
safest and most connections harbors in America
being sufficiently deep for the largest ships for
about four miles above its mouth. while the
channel lies close along the edge of the city
and Is abundantly capaci0us. This river con-
tains thirty and thirty-fve feet to near the up
per end of the city. where il is eighteen and
twenty feet deep. The city being situated upon
the great post road. exactly equidistant from
the northern and southern extremities of the
Union. and nearly from the Atlantic
ocean to the Ohio river. upon the best naviga-
ton and IN the midst of the richest commercial
territory in America, commanding the most
extensive internal resources is by far the most
eligible situation for the residence OF Congress,
and it Is now pressing forward by the public
spirited enterprise moi only of the Ueoplo of the
United States. but also of foreigners. The in
vanced that craft loaded with produce now
come down that river and its several branches
from upward of $50 miles TO the Great Falls
which are within fourteen miles of the city and
by the canals at the Great and Little Falls. with
their locks the navigation becomes entirely
opened between tidewater and the head branches
OF the Potomac, which will produce
Communication by water between the
city of Washington and the interior parts of
Virginia and Maryland by means of the Poto-
mac. the Shenandoah. the South Branch. Ope-
can, Cape Capon. Pattersons creek. Conoo-
chegue and Monocacy for upward of 200 miles.
through one of the most healthy pleasant and
fertile regions in America, producing, in vast
abundance, tobacco of superior quality. hemp,
Indian corn. wheat and otner small grain. with
fruit and vegetables peculiar TO America in vast
abundance. The lands upon the Potomac above
the city of Washington. all around il and for
sixty miles below, are high and dry. Astounding
with innumerable springs of excellent water.
and well covered with large timber of various
kinds. A few miles below the city. upon the
banks Of the Potomac. are inexhaustible noun
tains of excellent freestone. of the white and
red Portland kijes, of which the public ediices
in the city are now building. Above the city.
also upon the banks of the river, are immense
quantities of excellent coal. limestone and mar
Bile. with blue slate of the best quality. The
Tiber, which is the principal stream that passes
through the city, Is TO be collected I'm grand
reservoir beside the Capitol, whence 1t will be
carried in pipes to different parts Of the city,