The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10
OF CITY
GENERAL OWN

ut is somewhat singular that the
Congressional committee inquiries,
hearings and deliberations concerning
the fundamental engineering features
of the city and particularly the mall,
do not take into account the office
which President Washington, himself
an expert engineer, established for the
preparation of plan and its develop
ment and where the original surveys
and notes made under his own eye
and with his approval are preserved"
said an expert engineer familiar with
the typographical history of the Dis
trict.
During the summer of 1871, while
spending a brief vacation from the
cares of office at Philadelphia, on his
estate at Mount Vernon, the President
met his engineer at Georgetown and
passed an entire day galloping over
the corn fields which then covered the
site of the future capital and examined
the locations which had been outlined
as what was then known as the public
reservations, seventeen in number, in
certain Of which were to be placed the
public buildings.
Their first objective was the eleva-
ton known as Jenkins (now CapitoD
Hill. AT this point the engineer called
his attention to the western border of
the plateau as the most suitable loca-
tion for the Federal house (CapitoD.
Then after directing attention to the
broad stretch of valley encircled on the
north by a range Of hills terminating
in Georgetown Heights and washed on
the south by the Potomac, the engi-
neer indicated in the distance the site
of the Presidents house and to the
south a knoll where he had mapped
the site of the equestrian monument
voted in his chiefs honor by the Con-
tinental Congress in 1888. Between the
Federal house and this knoll, toward
the west. and from the same point to
the east, a distance of one mile, where
it was proposed to erect an historic
column, it was the purpose of the en-
gineer to establish the axis of his plan.
From this base line all surveys were to
be measured. The President and his
engineer having determined on this in
itial step, galloped along the Tiber to
the knoll referred to, from which point
President, at once grasping the situa-
tion, not only gave his approval to this
line, but also the point selected for the
statue in his honor. From here they
continued their ride to the site of the
Presidents house, to the location Of
which the President also gave his con-
sent.
1.-The feasibility of the actual work.
III
engineer was apparent to the expert
Judgment Of Washington as surveyor,
and not only received his sanction, but
orders to proceed forthwith. The first
step was the establishment of the ini-
tial point on the spot which the Presi-
dent had indicated on Jenkins Hill.
For this purpose Major L'Enfant, as
sisted by Mr.. Ellicott, also an expert,
drew a true meridionale line by 'ce-
lestial' observation. passing through
the area intended for the Federalhouse.
This line extended north along the CEN
ter Of q proposed street, now North
Capitol, and south in the same way.
This was, in fact, the prime meridian of
the United States. This line was crossed
by another due east and west which
passed through the same area This
axis to the west lay In the center or
the mall to monument on the ground
placed there on December 2, 1904. by
order of President Jefferson, still shown
by the inscription as a true parallel
on the globe, at the point of intersec-
ton Of a north and south line, the
north limb of which passed through
the center Of the Presidents house.
The axial line extending east followed
what is now the exact center of East
Capitol street. The one mile terminates
in the center of now Lincoln Square.
ITO show the significance of this
point it was proposed that the his
toric column should be an itinerary
column as well, from which all dis
tances through the continent were to
| calculated. All the east and west
streets are parallel to this line. These
lines were actually measured and made
the bases upon which the whole plan
was executed. All lines as the sur
veys progressed were run by tran
sit instrument and the acute angles
were determined by actual measure
ment, leaving nothing to the uncer-
| tainty Of the compass. Around the
| initial point referred to In the course
| Of years rose the mighty Corinthian