WASHINGTON, D. C., the seat of the government of the U. S. of America, is in the district of Columbia, ou the left bank of the Potomac river, between Anacostia river and Rock creek, which separates it from Georgetown; lat. 38° 51' 20" n., long. 77° 0' 15" w. • 35 m. s.w. of Baltimore, 136 from Philadelphia, 205 from New York, 120'n.e. of Rieliinond, 1203 from New Orleans, 2,000 from San Francisco, 160 above the mouth of the Potomac, and 300 from the capes of the Chesapeake. The Potomac at Washing ton is one m. wide, and of sufficient depth for the largest vessels. The city was laid out under the direction of gen. Washington, on a handsome scale for the national capital, on a plateau 40 ft. above the river, with several elevations, with streets from 90 to 120 feet wide, and 20 avenues 130 to 160 feet. The principal edifices are the capitol ; the white house, residence of the president ; patent office ; general post-office ; treasury, war, and navy departments ; Smithsonian institute (q.v.), etc. The capitol, on the sum nit of a gentle elevation, in a pleasure-ground 'of 35 acres, was commenced in 1793 burned by British troops in 1814, completed in 1825, and extended by the addition of twf spacious wings in 1851; the center is 352 ft. by 101, with a lofty dome; the wings 142 by. 238 ft. ; the entire building being 751 ft. long, 324 deep, covering 3} aeres—the mute?, of white sandstone, the wings white marble. The rotunda, under the dome, contaim,
several national pictures by Weir, Vanderlyn, Powell, Chapman, etc. Thy senate chamber is a noble hall, 112 by 82 ft., with galleries for 1000 spectators; the hall of representatives is 139 by 93 ft.; with galleries for 1200. The old senate and represent ative chambers, used before the enlargement, are beautiful rooms. The congressional library, 91 by 34 ft., contained in 1876 upward of 300,000 volumes. The capitol, con taining also numerous committee rooms and offices, is highly ornamented with rich marbles, frescoes, and groups of statuary. The buildings of the treasury and state de partments, post-office, etc., are massive and spacious. The saloons of the patent office, filled with models, are 1300 ft. in length. A monument to Washington intended to be 600 ft. high remains unfinished. The city also contains numerous large hotels, 50 churches, a Roman Catholic and a Baptist college, three daily and several weekly news papers, academies, schools, etc. The public buildings alone, however, are spacious and costly, the city in general having a scattered and mean appearance. During the war of secession, from its exposed position, it was threatened with capture, and was surrounded by fortifications, and converted into an intrenched camp. Pop. in '78. 131.947.