Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-06-18
From the Baktim0re .amerjcnn
HE WASHINGTON MONUMr

| From the Baltimore american
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT
| We are glad to announce The recommencs
ment Of this great work under the special n,
,rohage Of the State, which is now pledged :,
finish it in he most durable manner, ACCORDING
to the design OF the architect, Mr. Mills. Thai
gentleman has returned to this city, for the pur.
pose OF experimenting the work There !,
now every prosper Of its being completed in
less than three years. The statue, tthe moGd
of which we described some days ago. will b.
finished in about eighteen months. The plai.
marble work will take about the same. time
The trophies and other ornaments. toeetber
with the railing. and the decoration of N.
| square, may require perhaps another year.
Alter lapse oil SIX years since the work WAS
brought to its present state, there is no appear.
ance Of selling in it, circumstance very cred.
table 10 the builders.
Notwithstanding its unfinished state, the CO.
lumn is an object ofgreat interest TO strangers.
and is an imposing feature in the distant pros.
pect oil the city IN all directions On a nearer
view, its proportions are not pleasing to the eve
in It's present stale, as the base seems too large
and the shaft to Start TOO abruptly from il, and
the pedestal at top looks unfinished and unmean.
ing. When the statue, however, shall surmoun,
The summit, the trophies be placed at the Cor
ners Of the base, and the flights of steps be car
ried up 70 the entrances, the whole will have
the pyramidal effect, the want Of which is very
conspicuous now The statue alone. a, ,hat
elevated point, will be an object of grea, int.
rest and beauty
This immense column, the largest in The
world, is constructed Of solid white marble and
rises with its base and statue, one hundred and
seventy-6ve feet ABOVE the surface of the square
surrounding it, and two hundred and seventy.
five feet above the tide. The grand basement,
or zoce, on which it stands, is fifty fee, square.
and twenty-five feet high The column is in di.
ameter about twenty feet, and in It's altitude
bears the proportion Of the Greek Doric.-
Above the capital which is twenty feet square,
rises the pedestal Of the statue, which is to be
fifteen feet high: Each front Of the grand base
o. zocle has door of entrance, to which there
will be an ascent by steps, lanked on each side
by massive bookings, surmoun,ed BY large
bronze tripods. A broad freze'runs round he
whole OF this base, above The door WAYS, crown
ed with It's cornice and blocking course, over
which, at the angles, military trophies are to be
placed. On large table, in the frieze over
each door of entrance. is to be inscribed the
ton." Whatever other inscriptions are intro
duced, will be placed on the face of the zocle,
or each side Of the.entrances.
As the hill on which the column is erected,
rises to an elevation Of one hundred feet above
tide, the spectator who stands on the platform
Of the capital, overlooks the waters Of the Che
saDeake, the city, and the surrounding country,
from height OF two hundred and fifty feet
The ascent 10 this point is BY flight Of mar.
BILE steps within, winding round solid pillar;
and as the darkness is truly Cimmerian, Ian
terms are generally used, though both the as
cent and descent may BE- accomplished in safe.
ty without them. The view from the summit
IS worth the fatigue Of reaching it, and COM
Prehends landscape of no mean beauty or
variety. The city indeed, from some local
causes. is seen to less advantage from this
spot than from most Of the other pinnacles
within II, or from the surrounding eminences.
1t looks small and rugged, and the prospect is,
III THIS particular, not comparable TO that from
Hampstead Hill. Still there are many striking
and handsome objects within its Iimits,-the
Unitarian Church and the Cathedral near at
hand, and farther off, the tower Of St Pauls,
the Baltimore Monument, the dome Of the Ex-
change, the City Hotel, the spires Of various
churches, &c. The view in the direction Of the
harbor and the bay, is boundless, and to the
VEST, north and east there is an amphitheatre
of hills, some Of them bare, but for The most
part, richly wooded, and interspersed with nu.
merous handsome villas As the hills in the
back ground rise as high as the monument it.
self, marble has been preferred to bronze for the
material Of the statue, as more dislingushabe
from its colour, when seen from distance. A
strong evidence of the beauty Of this scene. is
in the the numbers that may be seen daily on the
lofty capital Of the pillar, and neither the
fatigue OF the ascent, nor the darkness of the
way, Is sufficient TO deter even the ladies from
seeking this lofty station. A good telescope,
and plan OF the city and surrounding country,
would be an acquisition 10 stranger visiters.
We are requested TO say that the architect,
Mr. Mills, has resumed his residence in this
city.