The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-02-07

to be erected in the Capitol City. A COM
mittee appointed by the President solicit
ed designs from Artists and Architects,
With view Of finishing the present abor-
tive shaft that mars one section OF the
capitol. Once upon time, SO remote
that the memory of man runeth not to
the contrary, committee OF citizens I'M
dertook the construction of monument to
the Father of his Country" and succeed
ed in erecting shaft, obelisk or some
such thing, that was originally designed
to reach somewhere 10 the neighborhood
of five or six hundred feet into ethereal
space, but which, like the tower of Babel,
of sacred history, came to sudden conclu-
sion before approaching the end OF the hrst
heat on its upward race. Again like the
tower of Babel, confusion of tongues
seems to have arisen out OF its sudden
stoppage, and committee, composed of
some people who know nothing and others
who think they know enough for six, was
appointed to examine theiprematurely born
shaft, and report as to the feasibility of the
government taking in hand the work SO
ungraciously dropped by private citizens
The committee report the foundation faulty
the superstructure out of plumb, and the
whole concern worth just about as much
as the majority of Americas public
monuments-nothing.
In order that such an exhibition of the
incompetency of the average American
monument builder should not 20 to waste,
but might be perpetuated as an example
Of the foolishness and ignorance of the
present day, congress made an appropria-
ton for finishing the monument, and the
| President appointed committee as is
mentioned above. Numerous designs have
been presented to the committee, and
without entering into the merits of any,
We desire merely to present to the people
of this city, the design OF former citizen
for perpetuating the memory Of the Great
! Patriot.
The design embraces the five orders Of
architecture The total height of the
monument being $50 feet aud the terrace
| 800 feet square. The FIVE orders in poly
style complete the first 275 feet, number
log 10 all $50 columns. The first colonade
| $50 OF the Doric order; second l28 OF the
/ Tuscan; third S4 Ionic, fourth As CORN
THAN; fifth and last, 20 composite, finished
with tour pediments, The shalt, from its
base to it's finish above the polystyle, is 50
feet square, and its height to that point
800 feet. The upper portion OF the shaft
is 45 feet square from the pOlystyle, re-
peating the five orders IN plIasters and en-
tabiatures; above that peristyie Of Is of
the composite order support the 1hOius,
in which stands d colossal figure OF Wash
iDgt0D. Statuary may BIO placed on the ped
estals Of the baGstrades, and on the four
angles al the base Of the monument are rep
resented, 10 entablature the four quarters
Of the globe. ~ the inside OF the shaft
stairway will be constructed. each fight
eoDtiuutd uutil the coonade under the
dome is reached. On the top of each en-
tabIature, above the cOonades, at dis
lance OF So feet, door is placed on the
south, window ca the north and Diche
on the east and west side for statues
The doors leading out of the
Interior of the monument afford al
opportunity to rest,aud 10 the remaining
portion of the shalt landings occur at
regular intervals, easing the progress OF
ascent as much as possible That part Of
the monument will be lighted by rows o.
? windows, between the pilasters, with light
&. in the centre one only, the other twt
. blanks. An engine house can be built un
5 der the terrace and the fue conducted IN
q der the ground it an elevator should be de
q sired.
e The out side of the monument is entirely
!, of granite from the original thirteen states
F., The first story 10 be from the mothe
J. state, and the reminding twelve states il
e their rotation. The whole of the states will
|, be represented on the inside of the shaft
t by the different marbles from each state useC
u in It's construction. The effect will b.
! very beautiful, enduring and secure irou
l. any exposure. The greatest objection t
IS the other designs for Wasbingtons Monu
y ment, but which appears to have beef
}, entirely overlooked in the pewspape
T. criticisms. lies not only in the designs, bu
Il in their plan TO build them out OF differen
If American marbles. They do not stand ex
d posure, and most of them notably some OF IN
best ,lonk very bad unless they are polished
aud would 10 any case present q patched
appearance. The design | submit thOugI
0! spoh immense proportions, 1913 fee
r higher thsn ST. Peter Cathedral 10 Rome
J. iaOre than as high again as the capitol al
- me hi2 hest monument 10 the wOTid is cles
and pie IN detail, siric ly pure ia archi
eotural design, repeating the five order
g twice Also the original thirteen state
D twice, and every effort has been made t
p perfect it in its adaptabihty to the subject
The difference of cost between granite an
ulsrb would be very trifiDg, The grant
: could be got in its rough state mucl
a cheaper than marble. while the cost of rub
re biug or tooling the marble would be fui
"a equal to the difference in the price OF cut
ting the granite.
lie The .. S. Signal Service.
re Gradually the wild and ungovernabl
70 forces of nature are, through science. mad
!. of use to man. Following in the wake O
~ the ingenious inventions for the use O
IL steam and electricity, comes the organize
s. ton of the u. S. Signal Service. l.
j. not wonderful that system could be origi
If mated and perfected whereby an operate
can accurately perdict the weather of
distant locality? And yet experience
proves our storm signals to be reliable
at Equally great are the advances made il
the science of medicine Step by step
uncertainties and doubts have yielded t
absolute certainty. The discoveries o
Harvey and Jumer have been succeede,
H. | by the Golden Medical Discovery of DR.