The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-09-05 00:00:00

done, but much remains to do, and some of the figures sea
take a vast amount of time and labour to perfect They are
all portrait statues, and some of those already executed are
wonderfully life-like and characteristic. All are carved in
Sicilian marble, the hardest kind . f marble known, and
certainly the one which best stands that most terrible of •U
ordeals for statuary—a Loudon winter. This elaborate
podium, however, we shall refer to on another °tension.
Above this is a massive cornice of polished pink granite; so
thatthe whole podium is nearly twelve feet high. At the
four corners of this, again, as on the base below, are to be
four great allegorical groupa of statuary,--one of Comrnercet
by Thorneycroft ; one of Manufactures, by Weekes ; one of
Agriculture, by Marshall; stud one of Engineering, by
Lawlor. These figures, like the others, will all be
of heroic size. The four corners of the canopy of
the Memorial are supported by nine polished granite
columns grouped in a cluster, about. Oft. gin. in
, diameter, and Oft. high. Your of the main columns
are of gray Irish granite, and four of the red Scotch, all
polished to the smoothness and brilliancy of glass. The ninth
column at each angle is made shorter than the rest, for it has
to carry a nmrble figure of life size. F.ach group of columns
Is fistened from I whind to a central column or core, also of
granite, and each group is surmounted by • aunt richly-
carved Gothic capital, cut front a single stone. These four
stories, each weighting when carved and finished eleven tons,
wore got from the Duly Dale quarries. in Derbyshire, belong-
ing to Mr. Whitworth. Anythieg more impressive-looking
or more beautiful than these groups of clustered columns it
would be difficult to conceive. Nothing like them in granite
architecture has yet been seen. in London at least From
these groups of supports the groined arch rises, and forms
the canopy under which will be placed the status of the late
Prince. This is to he on a raised pediment, and will be
nearly 15ft. high. It represents the Prince sitting on a chair
of state, anti attired in his regal-looking robes as a Knight
of the liarter. This great ark has been intrusted to Mr.
Foley. For the rest of the interior we need only state
that the masonry is so built in the groined arches as to
obviate as much as possible any lateral thrust on the
groups of columns. Besides tins, within the stonework above
the springing of the arches are two powerful wroughtdron
bands. about an inch thick by four inches wide, and these
ate much more than sufficient to bear double the strain
which can come upon them. Above the groined roof, too, is
placed a most massive cross box girder of wrought iron.
This is Mt. deep and 31t. tin. high, and is so placed as to rest
' exactly in the centre of the tour groups of colunnis. This
cries girder weighs no less than tweety-six tests; it is equal
to more than fifty tittles the weight that comes upon it, and
carries the tveight down straight on the columns, which are
equal to beating almost anything Above tins rises the
\ central spire, which at a short distance above the groimd
arches has another smaller canopy containing heir bronze
Mores illustrative if the attributes of Justice, and over these
also is a metal gabled roof, from which again springs the
terminal, a smaller spire, in which, in Mehra divided by four
polished granite columns, stand the figures of four angels,
surmounted by a lofty Latin Cross. Such, in brief, is the
. general outline of the plan .4 this great Memorial ; but to
...rdte its ornamental details would require almost •
volume. There arc carved and gilded pinnacles at the
centers; there are richly carved gargoyles, weird looking
Will mythical as the most medneval of Uothic dragons ;
there are bronze and marble figures, iron and Monza
-ctollwork, mosaics, gilding, said colour wherever the eye
tunic
by the middle of next slimmer all the outer work will be
, gilded and the scaffolding removed ; Is-fore CliriAmas next •
t urea mass of the outer scgfolding will be down, and there
seens 110 reason then why the outer hoarding should not also
be removed, and the general public allowed to come nearer
to the great Memorial to which they have subscribed, and
which, from remembrance if the illusttious Prime whose
vu tat a it connitene wales, as well BS WS OWU iutrusic beauty,
must always, while it remains, iIP one of the foremost ,na-
molts of the metropolis, and the like of which, as a purely
artistic record of worth, is not lobe found elsewhere.

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