New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-21
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
T.. WILLIAM ". sToRY's DESIGN BOR RS CON-

SIR: Certain members of the Committee OF
the senate and House OF Representatives. on Public
Buildings and Grounds at Washington having
suggested to Mr w. W. Story, the scup tOr,
while he was lately VISIT to this country,
that he should make design for tho completion OF the
Washington Monument that gentleman has Obgingy
complied and has embodied hs ideas ia drawing which
has been published IL appeared hrst, believe, IN ihc
Washington, Post OF January -. and LATER III The
American architect and BuHdn0 Aers of February J.
The latter Journal In Its publication for January IS,
has made careful analysis II The design, and with
much moderation. but vita force and ceaness mas eG
pressed dlsapproya Of the project and Its hOpe that
tie committee Will not be hasty IN its action 90 well
Is the presented b. the journal an question: that II
much to De wished copy Of the number contain
ug s argument might he placed IN the hands OF every
eu.ber ~ the National Legs azure 10 would
be- 20 nave weight with every intelligent
person who VIII take the trouble 10 read II.
The objection to Mr. -,orys design =, fundamental Ihe
whole pretcntiou, sham. 1t presents no
point winch the miad can rest with any sau'iacton
In the lrt p.ce it = not, IN any seuse, monument II
possible 10 connect II IA any way with any person
auty event. Yet 10 = or the essentials O.
a monuueut thai it should make rs think either Of The
person event 10 ~ but 10 commemorate Of or tue
people that Quilt II. Now this design has 10 reference,
nor uk-,t a1y, to tie character the lie, or the pu,o
service, o. Washington. nor y, any more suggest
90 tue beuuld.g am relation To- thc character
OF history Of the nation that - TO erect II.
A. expressive % ideas connected "itA tn name
of Washington, IL surely Is not ianeHuI nor
Lyprrcatcu TO object 10 tbs Lizhy ornnmru-
tai structure vita it, elaborate subdivisions, a.
NOT lu keepu- WIZ; Il character Dor.c Ia I- simple
Ily q, that OF Washington. As expressive ~ the char
sctcr 0l oar ui5z .tOn which, witio1 Ooa'tn-, We
toay declare t. be largely our oHn. the re-
suit II aspirations, rpo5. beliefs needs
peculiar 10 ourselves how can we ohrr "a
TRIBUTE % the memory OF our greatest man
Itrr vol ia il de- A
urutitou iu all 10 essential parts, from the arcli-
t,c,lrc another country and % remote century
IT,, was lu..on Honument - Il stauds Al present IL,
rnDeye " about tAe height tie porc4,s tha5 PROJECT
90 Mr. ~tyrys dos ~ from each OF its four sides These
roroue- have probably Other reason for being here
1u ~ serve masks to the abortve III o. stone that
hats for so many years rcproached rs WIh our inability
toer,ct monument 10 the Father OF lis Country. We
all of Us AuoS that tAIs Inst attempt has failed Way
do We not frankly aad absolutely abandon tue failure.
and euher las tho ioundauon OF a new monu-
ment in a new place. or II the present DO the
best se Tor the purpose, pull down what has
been bult and begin again. To make the whole design
o.. the new monument start from the old fare aut c-
pend upon l, is certainly 10y practically wise Il' I-
sincerity OF tie lesicn or n term be- preferred lis
lleauiners-ue.s. here frat makes itself fit These
uorche, are nj no Use. They lead FIR can make
OUT TO Rot ling Two Of them are % serve apparently,
49, cauOpr, i,r inches % contain colossal statues OF
WusAlu. tou-two prospective jobs, where one would
I,re been cuoIz. ami the other two % b" real
poc s protecting bronze doors winch to lead 90 10
where in particular. In order tuat we may crlnk our
nl OF copyisn these doors are appointed t. be- hd
aa.re!les la tho fashion Of the GnlDer Rae+ Ins Wall
.ir, Us chance 70 repeat the failure OF the bronz'
doors 10 the Capitol sapless and savorl'-s LIMITATIONS Or
rnr same splendid hut mistaken precedent Surposn-
that these doors open into room the design shows no
provision TOR giving light to that apartment
The rover that rises upon this foundation Is nor m
architectural structure II IS only core, about which
u, lud diverse mask OF make-heliege az hitectIral
r.ltrc- These wiudowlAe openings are not openings
az ALL Out merely pretend 10 DE- such u pare poverty Of
invention. II modern architect should puf blind
window in noble facade for no other purpose than to
balance q real window in his design, he would do him
self no great credit with his guild what, then
shall be thought OF an artist who has no
other device for ornameDtiug great smart 800
tect Lisn bat II veneering OF marble. arranged Ia
panels. and three stories Of az VIC may believe the
published drawing. mIks-be'Ieye windows. These
story divisions. strongly marked on the exterior
DO not corrc-p pond ? any internal auan-"me1t They
are purely arbitrary aud 10 would b. more % the de-
ne credit II the want ~ rvJhm In their proportions
could be defended the ground u the need ot comply
Ing with some absolute necessity IN the uses Of The
structure
Bur IN, vor. feature of tie whole ease is that the
tr.,ure ua, 40 Use. Livery other great tower tu3
know % has or had some d.f.itc OK real use Tie
towers 81 I,Ily were al, VIZ OW exception, either
retreat Dcowcrs, beIouEu8' FOR the most par,, 90
fine churches The idea or 0uii1ng tower 300 feet
b.gh for nOthns whatever. never occurred Ia
any people, and We DO not believe II viii
b. entertained OY ourselves II we can DE
2 to mink about u. Mr. Ory's design has. ~ nd-
o,en shown use aud II certainly has no preteusous
=, beauty Ike the greater part OF It's authors work
and no man has his hand at more thugs than Mr.
-tory-ths design devoid OF origin 'tity. II IL made
up Of odds and ends borrowed from tho Forendne
architecture ~ the fourteenth and iseenth centuries
r.. general design recalls the CmPanile on the Piazza 4
- rc ar Yerlcr in it, potato root 5Dd the Log-a .,
IL, base while in 10. surface enumeration it, pa"es
and listed window shafts and Octagonai angle piers
n reminds Us Of tao Campauile Of G0ttO 30
Florence Giotto', original design i"ciuded
u-r.rill roof such we SEQ on the tower ~ Ven
ire BEAUTIFUL Goo's tower Il. aud successfully a.
Il has iried time and the elements. II certainly Is DO
model Tor u, to follow Charles ", when he said that II
ought 20 De put u1dcr gss, praised its delicate beauty
.t the expense " It's rra'OnaDien 81 10 was well
no n IL do .icl thing Oace but 70 would he 10th 70
VT sensa AND % confess nt4l poverty 10 repeat
TN. experiment. The resemblance 70 the Campauiie /
ought not To insisted upon. for, after al 10 Is not
very close although OF Mr. Storys njudicious adj
mlrers at Washington take m odd pride in de- |
c,artuy that 1t Is a literal copy. We tank, On |
the other hand. that It is only = bad translation
In spite N the monuments three hundred aud seventy
-.e II looks small IN the pub sei design, and, a.
have ead thsrs not single feature Ia 1t or one bit
ofaota that cannot be found elsewhere from the Ira
sar square Lions at 10 base 10 the lime Victory
Al ia -tu;ail
surely We an DO better than ths D. not LET IA. IN |
our hAsr AL au.tber TO the artistic fossils oi Wishing
ton Why do w. not open competition, and le- the /
artistic ieclug the good common senso Of our people be-
brought 10 sit IN Judgment on wat tine xii |
o. or architects shall produce when once Gry ar put
on tlei. mr;te Among them there are not te" first
rate head. knovn by al aud Il once there were an
opp,. tual:y glY,n would doubtless appear. Al
ell e,euts - ought not submit Ourselves bhDdIy 10