Evening Star Newspaper, June 10, 1935, Page 42

= = = . THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., JUNE 10. 1935. Mo Other. City ifi America Offers So Many Places of Interest for S Here Are a Few High LightsWhich AreKeved to the Map on the Fol- the Visitor to lowing Page for the Convience of Sightseers Who Wish to Plan Their Own Tours. Federal Triangle HE largest single enterprise of the I/ kind ever carried out by any na- tion in the world.” Thus is characterized what is called the Federal Triangle building program, a $200.000,000 project nearing completion within a 70-acre tract between the Washington Monument and the Capitol. Here are found the Commerce Building, housing in its capacious basement the United States Bureau of Fisheries Aquarium with 200 tanks of native fish; the Post Qm(~e Department Building, with the finest suite of offices in the country; the group composed of the Department of Labor Building and the Interstate Commerce Building, joined by what is known as the Connecting Wing; the Apex Building; what will eventually be a building for independent agencies of the ' overnment; the Archives Building, the latter a unique architectural structure which will soon house the historic documents of the Nation, and the Department of Justice Building, housing the crime-fighting laboratories and Fingerprint Bureau. Three other Government structures, although not properly located within the Federal Tri- angle, are nevertheless a part of this vast build- ing program. There are: Dept. of Agriculture HE new Department of Agriculture Building is within a stone’s throw, to the south; of the Commerce Building. It covers 35 fcres and is the largest scientific organization in the world, with 2,000 trained men who work on research alone. Visitors should note the in- terior patio, in the north, or main, building, and the variety of trees planted about the grounds. New Supreme Court The new Supreme Court Building, across the Street from the Folger Library, will be ready for occupancy by the justices for their next convening. It is still in the process of con- struction, but has already earned the title of “most beautiful Government building.” It is constructed throughout of native white marble, is flanked by fine art statuary and will be landscaped in keeping with its classical beavty. Botanic Gardens The new million-dollar United States Botanic Gardens, west of the Capitol, is said to have the most varied and widely collected specimens of plants and flowers in the world. Ninety-six fons of aluminum and 260 tons of structural steel make this conservatory, with its palm house, subtropical house, border houses, prom- €nades and 70-foot cascades, rank as one of the finest in the world. Arlington C emetery RLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, cov- ering 408 acres on the Virginia banks of the Potomac directly opposite Washington. con- tains the Field of the Dead, where the head- Btones of 25000 of those who fell in the War of the Union extend in unending rows across the landscaped hills and ravines The Memorial Aphitheater, built through the eflforts of the G. A. R, and dedicated in 1920, seats 5,000 people in tiers of white n ble benches. It is modeled after the Theater ©f Dionysus, at Athens, and the Roma hea= ter, at Orange, France. The circular colon- nade of white marble cont 5 a reception Yoom, chapel and museum; beneath are crypts for the bodies of specially distinguished military men. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier & just > I Capitol Hill. showing the two House Office Buildings at the right. Facing the Capitol is the Library of Congress. behind which in the cleared space will be erected an imposing annex. To the le Library. The large white marble temple at the top left is the b eautiful new Supreme across the way from the eastern stairway of the colonnade. It is a solid block of marble beneath which was placed, in November, 1921, by Gen. Pershing, the body of an unknown soldier brought from France as a symbol of all the American soldiers and sailors who gave their lives in the Great War. Washington Monument Washington National Monument is an im- posing shaft of white marble rising 555 feet 5!% inches from an elevation on the Mall be- low the White House. The corner stone of the Monument was laid in 1848. The total cost was $1,300,000. The interior is lighted by electricity, which affords opportunity of seeing the memorial stones which are set in the inner face of the Monument. The 179 stones were contributed from various sources as tributes to Washington, and many of them are notable for beauty, carving or origin, The Monument is the highest work of ma- sonry in the world, and terminates in a pyramid of pure aluminum. The walls of 15 feet in thickness at the entrance and taper to 18 inches at the top of the shaft. The facing is of pure white marble, the interior backing is of gneiss and granite The foundation, of rock and cement is 36 feet deep, 126 feet square. Red Cross Building The national headquarters of the American Red Cross is the first in the architecturally related group of three buildings forming the complete Red Cross unit, built of white marble in Grecian style, and dedicated in 1917. Ad- Joining headquarters is the memorial building dedicated to the heroic women of the World ‘War, whose corner stone was laid in 1928 by the late President Taft. The third building is a white marble office building. Pan-American Building Just south of the D. A. R. unit is located the Pan-American Building, one of the most Night view of the illuminated facade of the Pan-American Building. one of the handsomest structures in the National € apital. located at the corner of Consiia tution avenue and Scventeenth street, ft of this lot may be « en the Folger Shakespeare Court Building. Aerc Service Corp, beautiful in the ity Here, in an atmasphere Latin American throughout, are held all con- ferences which concern affairs with our 21 sister republics to the South. A Spanish patio contains tropical plants and birds, a marble fountain and an exhibit of horticultural in- terest. Products native to all the Latin Amer- icas are on continuous display in upper and lower lobbies. The U. S. Capitol IRECTLY south of the new $10,000,000 plaza facing the Union Station is the United States Capitol building, built on a hill and 1'2 miles from the White House. A stafl of regu- larly authorized guides will conduct visitors through for a nominal fee, although it is per= mitted to wander about without them. During a term of Congress the forenoon is the best time for inspecting the legislative halls and various committee rooms. Congress con- venes at noon. Visitors are allowed on the floor of the Senate and House until 11:45. there after in the galleries only The “corner stone of the building was laid September 18, 1793, by George Washington. It was built of Virginia sandstone. the north wing completed in 1800. the south 11 years later. It was destroyed by fire August 24, 1814, when the British invaded the city; rebuilding commenced in 1818, and it was completed again in 1827, The House and Senate wings were added in 1857 and 1859. The dome, built of cast iron, was completed in 1865, Lincoln Memorial e et oo i The Lincoln Memorial, directly i line with the Washington Monument @nd the Capitol, is on the same line a8 the Memaorial Bridge. span- ning the Potomac and connecting Washington and the Arlington Cemetery The memorial is simple in plan. The Union of the United States is expressed in the colone nade surrounding the hall. There are 36 cole umns, one for each State in existence at the time of Lincoln’s death, and on the wall above the colonnade are inscribed the pames of the 48 States In the central hall is the statue, carved from marble by Danicl Chester French. The figure faces the entrance. the eyes looking out through the columns to the Monument gnd the Cuapitol, On each side of the central hall & w of columns 50 fect highi scereens a sm In the south 1is inscribed the Getivebirg Address. In the north hall. lettered in the stone of the wall, is the Second I Address r i ) T'he White House The White House is (he troditional home of the President of the United Sales Visitors Mmay secure entrance to the mest aleresting pirts of the W 1 Originally planued oplv as the FPresident's