The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-11
ABOUT WASHINGTON.
Facts Suggested by the Coming Centsm-
Bial Of the National Capital.


wiIl have passed since the United States
Government took formal possession Of
Washington rs the national capital.
Washington had population OF Soo'
In lsg0 s 2os, IN 1910; 10, 474 in 1890; the
census Just completed showed 1t 70 have
) population of PSI. 900 in 1900.
In the first decade OF the oity's history,
/ the Government Officials numbered feweI
man 100 Now there are nearly 10 COO
mel ding the clerks In the various de-
rartments.
Washington is now i've miles long by
three miles wide. Ihe District Of
( Columbia coutlIns about sixty square
miles, and ell Of this territory is now
being laid out with magnificent avenues
to comprise greater Washington. George
/ town, row part of Washington, was
/ aid out in 1861 II is across Rock Greek
from Washington proper. Georgetown
+ University, the first educational institu'
lion CT the capital was foundeds by
Bishop Carroll In 1893.
The cornerstone or the White House
vas laid ON Oct 10, l7ea Had Congress
appropriated the money asked for last
winter the cornerstone Of the new White
HOUSE addition would have been laid
this week.
Work on the Capitol was begun ON
81 pit. Is, 17s8 Its centennial was eeie-
brsted seven years ago,
The Capitol Is the hub Of Washington
from which most Of the avenues ra1iate
like spokes of a wheel.
After the destruction Of the Capitol in
1874, the Thirteenth Congress held
sessions In tho Union Pacific Hotel, which
was built in 1873 and burned in 1886.
IL was expected that the best part ot
Washington would be buils on Capitol
Hill, Hence the Goddess OF Liberty on
III Capitol dome faces westward But
the most fashiopabie part of the city is
in the opposite direction, In the north
west.
The terraces of the Capitol were COM
pleted only In 1891, the total cost of the
building footing up 20 $l4 ass. 600
Reading, Germantown, Alexandria.
Georgetown, harrisburg, Lancaster,
Carlisle, Trenton and other towns wanted
to be selected as the capital. But George
Washington chose the present site ON the
Potomac.
hAbHAuKNOH 1HA ~ 8ONtiA-
ment from 1902 TO 1871, tnen Territorial
government until 1874, sincs which time
10 has been controlled by Congress
through three District Commissioners.
The Government temporarily abandoned
Washington IN 1914, when the British
captured the city. partially destroyed the
Capitol and the White House, and blew up
the arsenal at Greenleaf Point.
Pierre Charles l. Elfant, a French
army otIieer and engineer, laid out the
plan OF Washington. Ii Is proposed to
erect monument to HIM. since he re-
ceived no money for his work. His
grave is an unmarked one, on the out
skirts Of Washington, where he died.
The dome alone of the Capitol cost
81, $50 600 The Crawford bronze door at
tae Senate wing weighs Il. 900 pounds
and cost nearly S51 600.
The hall of the House or Representa-
tives is the largest Legislative assembly
room in the world.
The columns Of the eastern portion of
each 30 feet high.
The Congress of the Unitsd States has
met annually In Washington since
November, 1870
The Rogers bronze doors at the main
entrance to the Capitol tell the story of
Columbus, and cost SIS. 600 The Capitol
rotunda Is So feet 6 inches in diameter
and from fioor to canopy Is 1888 feet 3
inches.
Washington started in business with q
capital OF nearly 5000, 900, derived from
the sale Of real estate exclusive of that
decided to the Government for Govern
meut purposes.
More than half the area of Washington
Ia now devoted to the public uss. The
Capitol grounds and the Mall constitute
magnificent and timely kept park.
The Long Bridge across the Potomac
to Virginia was built In 1886 IL is soon
TO be replaced by the masn tiosnt stone
new union between the North and the
South.
Alexandria, Va, where Washington
attended church was founded in 1f4S and
was once prosperous port.
Pennsylvania avenue connecting the
Whits Houfe with the Capitol is said to
be- the broadcast AMI finest thoroughfAre
in the world. 1t was first paved In
1904 but cheaply and poorly with wooden
blocks.
President jefferson laid out Pennsyl-
yania avenue and had 1t lined with
trees on both sides. Then a double row
of lindens was planted down the centre,
dividing 1t into two streets and a centre
driveway These trees have now all
been cut down, through few new ones
have been planted on the sides. The
avenue is now a broad, smoothly paved
boulevard. 1t Is 100 feet wide. With a
population of IS 700 in 1860, Washington
was still o sprawling, unkempt, un
paved and dirty city. A canal ran past
the foot of the Capitol building, but it
has been covered. 1t was not until 1871,
under Gov. Alexander r. Shepherd, that
Washington began to be a beautiful city
In ten years s25 coo 600 had besn spent
TO make Washington clean and beautiful
In the city proper, not counting subur-
ban extensions, there are 1U7 streets,
aggTe eating 279 miles in length. and
twenty one avenues named after diff srent
States. The suburban extensions, now
being rapidly populated, contain more
than 500 miles or roadway. North, East
and South Capitol streets and the Mall
divide the city into four sections, known
as northeast, asoutheast, northwest ana
southwest. House numbers ara given
accordingly. There are four houses In
Washington which may bear the same
street and number address, but the dis
tinEuishinR IN. w. or whatever
section Is indicated, completes the ad-
dress.
In Washington the numbered streets
run north and south, the lettared streets
east and west, and the system is the most
rnm0Ifta 0f any in the COuntrV