The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-11
Interesting Facts
Rbout Washington


completed showed it to have a population Of
2s6,00O in 1000.
In the first decade of the city5 history, tile
government officials numbered fewer than 100.
Now there are nearly $1,000, including the clerks
IL the various departments.
Washington is now five miles long by three
miles wide. The District of Columbia contains
about sixty square miles. and all of this terri
tory is now being laid out with magnificent ave-
nues to comprise greater Washington.
Georgetown, now part of Washington. was
laid out in 176l. 1t is across Rock Greek from
Washington proper.
Georgetown university the first educational in-
stitution of the capital, was founded by Bishop
Carroll in 1909
Tie cornerstone of the White House was laid
on Oct. IL, 1902. Had congress appropriated the
money asked for last winter, the cornerstone Of
the new white house addition would have been
laid this week.
Work the capitol was begun on Sept. IS,
1898. Its centennial was celebrated seven years
ago.
The capitol is the hub of Washington, from
which most of the avenues radatc like spokcs
of 4 wheel.
After the destruction of the capitol in 1914, the
thirteenth congress held sessions in the Union
Pacific hotel, which was built in 1913 and burned
in 1886.
j. was expected that the best part Of wash.
irel ton would be built on Capitol Hill. Hence
the Goddess of Liberty on the Capitol dome faces
eastward But the most fashionable part Of the
city is in the opposite direction, in the north.
west.
The terraces OF the Capitol were completed only
in 1891, the total cost of the building footing
up to $l4.455,0O0
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Reading,
Germantown, Alexandria, Georgetown, Harris.
burg, Lancaster. Carlisle, Trenton and othr
towns wanted to be selected the capital. But
George Washington chose the present site on the
Potomac.
Washington had municipal government from
1902 to 1871, then n territorial government Until
1874, since which time it las been controlled by
congress through three district commissioners.
The government temporarily abandoned Wash
ington in 1914, when the British captured the
city, partially destroyed the Capitol and the
White House and blew up the arsenal at Green
leafs Point.
Pierre Charles LEnfant, French army officer
and engineer. laid out the plan of Washington.
1t is proposed to erect monument to him,
since he received no money for his work. His
grave is ar unmarked one, on the outskirts OF
Washington, where he died.
The dome alone OF the Capitol cost $1,250000.
The Crawford bronze door at the senate wing
weighs 1900 pounds and cost nearly $4,000.
The hall OF the house of representatives is the
largest legislative assembly room in the world.
The columns of the eastern portco of the Capt.
tol are solid blocks OF sandstone, each thirty
feet high.
The congress Of the United States has met
annually in Washington since November, 1900.
The Rogers bronze doors at the main entrance
TO the Capitol tell the story OF Columbus, and
cost $2s,OOO
The Capitol rotunda is 05 feet inches in
diameter, and from floor to canopy is 1s3 feet
inches.
Pennsylvania avenue, connecting the White
House with the Capitol. is said to be the broad.
est and finest thoroughfare in the world.
President jefferson laid out Pennsylvania ave.
nue, and had it lined with trees on both sides.
Then double of lindcns was planted down
the center, dividing it into two streets and
center driveway. These trees have now all been
cut down, though 4 few new ones have been
planted on the sides. The avenue is now a broad,
paved boulevard. 1t is 100 feet wide.
Will, population of $1,000 in 1860 Washing.
ton was still sprawlng, unkempt, unpaved ami
dirty city. A canal ran past the foot of the
Capitol building, but it has been covered
1t was not until 1871, under Governor Aexan.
der Il. Shepherd, that Washington began to be
a beautiful city. In ten years 25,O00.000 had
been spent to make Washington clean and beauti
full.
In the city proper, not counting suburban en- |
tensions, there are l01 streets, agGregating 270
miles in length. and twenty.onc avenues named
after different states. The suburban extensions,
now being rapidly populated, contain more than
800 miles of roadway.
North, East and South Capitol streets and the
Mall divide the city into four sections, known
as northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest.
House numbers are given accordingly. There are
four houses in Washington which may bear the |,
same street and number address, but the dstin. |
gushing IN w." or whatever section is indi. |
Gated, completes the address,
In Washington the numbered streets run north |
and south, the lettered streets east and west,
and the system of house numbering is the sim. |
plest and most complete of any in the country. |
1t costs about 100000 year to run the White |
House, exclusive OF the presidents salary.
Stage coaches continued to run westward from |
Washington as late as ISL.
The National lnteligenccr was the first news.
paper OF Importance to be established in Wash.
ngton.
The battle Of Bladensburg, Aug. II, 1914, was
The first fought in defence of Washington, and
The only one in vain.
When the Civil war began Washington was
without defences. Two years later it was sur.
rounded by a chain of seventy'two forts.
The close of the war was celebrated on the
night of April -, 1865 by grand illumination
II Washington, which exceeded any demonstra-
ion witnessed in the Capitol previously
On Friday night, April IA, 1865 President Lin.
'on was assassinated at Ford's theater, by John
Wilkes Booth, The building stands on Tenth
street, between L and T, and nearly opposite
5 the house in which Lincoln died
General Early came within few miles Of WASH
ngton in 1864, but was driven back by the Sixth
irny corps, which engagement was witnessed by
President Lincoln at Fort Stevens on the Sew.
nth street road, five miles north OF the capital
The northwest quarter OF Washington, though
lult upon what was one swamp pasture, is the
most popular part OF The city today,
1t is ll8 miles irom Washington to the mouth
II the Potomac, in Chesapeake bay, and lsi miles
~ water to the Atlantic ocean
The bureau OF engraving and printing was be-
,un in 1850 and completed al Il cost OF 1867 600
I costs about million year TO run it.
The state, war and navy departments are con.
olidated in one immense building, which was
'esun in ls7l 1t cost Sl0,OOOOOO.
The treasury building was completed in 1860
It q cost of S6,oOO,0O0. 1t is the largest depart.
nent building devoted 10 one branch OF the gov.
rnment.
The pension office, "where the Inauguration
'ails are held was completed in 1885, 1t is
htirely OF bries and terra Gotta and Is the only
department. building constructed.
The posioffice department building was erected
n 1879 and extended In 1855. It cost 1000 900
John Quincy Adams designed the allegorical
ronp, The Genius OF America" on the eastern
ortico OF the Capitol
The reclaimed Potomac fats will add about
900 acres to the public parks The area will
e made into national park along the river.
.ont.
Mexican cannon furnished the u4atcyial iar ,bs