Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/501

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WASHINGTON (CITY) 481 has a capacity of 80,000,000 gallons a day. The distributing reservoir is capable of containing 300,000,000 gallons. From this point the water is conveyed to the cities in three great mains, having a capacity of 300,000,000 gallons a day. The present consumption is 23,000,000 gallons. Two miles above the distributing reservoir is a receiving reservoir, with a capacity of 163,- 000,000 gallons. Among the charitable insti- tutions, many of which receive aid from the government, are the naval hospital and the Washington asylum, serving as an almshouse and workhouse for the District. The soldiers' home, 3 m. N. of the capitol and beyond the city limits, was established in 1851 for aged or disabled soldiers of the regular army. It oc- cupies a beautiful site, and the grounds, com- prising 500 acres, are handsomely laid out and contain several fine buildings. The District reform school for boys, established in 1866, with a farm of 150 acres, is N. E. of the city. The government hospital for the insane, with accommodations for 550 patients, is on the S. E. bank of the Anacostia. It was opened in 1855, and is designed for the insane of the army and navy and the indigent insane of the District of Columbia. The land appurtenant comprises 41 9 acres, of which 185 are enclosed by a wall. The Columbia institution for the deaf and dumb is on the N. E. border of the city, in a plot of 100 acres. The institution was chartered by congress in 1857, and is de- signed for deaf-mute children of the District of Columbia and those whose parents are in the army or navy. A collegiate department, the National deaf-mute college, was organized in 1864. This is the only deaf-mute college in the world, and is open to students from all parts of the country. The public schools of Washington form part of the free school system of the District. Separate accommoda- tions are provided for colored children. There are several fine school buildings. The number of children of school age (6 to 17 years) in the city in 1870, according to the United States census, was 25,935 (17,403 white and 8,532 colored). The following are the school statis- tics of the city for 1873-'4 : CLASS OF SCHOOLS. Number of pupils enrolled. Average attendance. Public, white 9,845 7,350 " colored 4,870 8,422 " total 11,715 10,772 Private and denominational, white colored 4,106 547 8.645 452 4 097 All classes 19,868 14,869 The total expenditure for public school pur- poses amounted to $215,384 82 ; value of pub- lic school property, $910,687. The public schools for whites comprised one normal school and grammar, intermediate, secondary, and primary grades; those for colored chil- dren, a preparatory high school and grammar and primary grades. The private and denomi- national schools given in the table numbered 78, and included 13 night schools and 20 color- ed schools; besides these, which were for pri- mary instruction, there were 28 academies, &c., for secondary instruction, with 1,454 pupils. In 1874 the public schools of the entire District were placed under the control of a board of 19 trustees, subordinate to whom are two super- intendents, one having charge of the white schools of Washington and Georgetown and the white and colored schools outside of those cities, and the other of the colored schools of Washington and Georgetown. Howard uni- versity is near the N. border of the city, be- yond the limits. (See HOWAED UNIVERSITY.) Columbian university, just N. W. of the city, was incorporated as a college in 1821 and as a university in 1873. It is under the control of the Baptists. Its law and medical departments, the latter known as the National medical col- lege, are in the city. In the collegiate depart- ment the degrees of bachelor of letters, of science, and of arts, and of master of arts, are conferred. A preparatory school is connected with it. In 1875-' 6 there were 12 instructors and 103 preparatory and 48 collegiate students. Near the Columbian university is Wayland seminary, also under the control of the Bap- tists, established in 1865 for the education of colored preachers and teachers. It has aca- demic, normal, and theological departments. Gonzaga college, on I street N. of the capitol, is under the control of the Jesuits. It was formerly known as Washington seminary, and was incorporated under its present name in 1858. In the city are also the law and medi- cal departments of Georgetown college (see GEORGETOWN), the National college of phar- macy (established in 1872), and the law de- partment of the National university. The last is the only department organized of a proposed university incorporated in 1870. The con- gressional library .contains (1876) more than 300,000 volumes ; Washington library company and young men's Christian association, 15,000; oddfellows', 3.600; masonic, 2,328; Columbian university, 5,750; Gonzaga college, 10,000; Howard university, 8,000; National deaf-mute college, 1,700. The government departments and bureaus have libraries of from 1,500 to 40,000 volumes. Eight daily and eleven week- ly (one German) newspapers are published, besides a number of periodicals. There are 117 churches and chapels, viz.: 30 Baptist (19 colored), 1 Campbellite, 1 Congregational, 15 Episcopal (1 colored), 1 Friends', 1 German Keformed, 2 Jewish, 8 Lutheran (1 colored), 10 Methodist (colored), 16 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Methodist Episcopal, South, 3 Methodist Protestant, 13 Presbyterian (1 colored), 1 Re- formed Episcopal, 10 Roman Catholic (1 col- ored), 1 Swedenborgian, 1 Unitarian, 1 United Brethren in Christ, and 1 Universalist. The permanent seat of the federal government was fixed on the Potomac by an act of congress passed July 16, 1790; in 1791 the site was