Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-30
THE GORDON MONUMENT.
A Masnifleent Tribute 10 a Noble
Citizen and an Ornament 90 the
CITY

Several DAYS since we briefly mentioned
the fact that the Central Railroad and Bank
ing Company had determined upon the
erection OF a monument In honor of the
distinguished first President Of the COM
pany, the late W. w. Gordon, and that the
city would be requested to grant the site for
that purpose In Wight square, opposite
the court house. A. the asst meeting OF
Council the petition was granted 1t is,
therefore. proper now and will be Of Int r
est to give an account Of the action Of the
railroad directors, and description Of the
proposed monument, which will BE- decid-
ed ornament 70 Bull street.
In the fall of 1880, at a meeting of the
Board of Directors OF the Central Railroad,
a resolution was passed appointing com
mittee OF three to select q suitable design
for a monument to the first President OF the
company. and Gen. J. T. Gilmer, Col E. G.
Anderson and Andrew Low, Esq, were sp-
pointed for that purpose.
The committee have been theoretically
engaged in the discharge Of this duty, have
inspected numerous designs, conferred with
various architects, and after mature consfd-
Grafton selected a design off red by Messrs.
Van Brunt q Howe, of Boston, and in
3 report to the directors ct a recent
meeting submitted the proposition OF
this firm with design Of the mo1u
mPut, and the estimsted cost of the same,
5 500, for foal action. The committee
recommended in their report the accept nee
Of this proposition and the design, and
their report was unanimously adopted The
contract has accordingly been awarded and
ham mQUNQn 1
anticipated that the monument will be COM
pleted and ready for erection early in the
coming year.
That our community may have some idea
o. this shaft to the memory OF a public
spirited and honored citizen, which will
grace the principal thoroughfare Of our
city, we give herewith
DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT.
The base of the monument will rest on q
terrace, supported at its margins by curb
Of dark Quincy granite, two feet six inches
high, the plinth or base stone will be of the
same granite. The main body OF the monu
ment will consist of the Ellettsville stone IA
gray limestons Of great durability and not
readily liable to staiIs). The 'die" with its
four panels and handsome cornice, will be
Of the same material, and will be surmount-
ed by four columns of polished red granite,
and above the columns an entablature OF
the gray limestone, the whole to be sur
mounted by four winged fieuers supporting
a globe of gray limestone-symbolical Of
the world wide Influence of the services
Of him in whose honor the monument Is
erected. handsome bronze vase six feet
high will be placed in the centre of the four
polished red granite columns, which will be
thirteen feet high, with fl imes issuing from
its mouth, and to be encircled with the in
scription: 'E'en In his ashes live bis wonted
fires"-referriug to the lasting influence of
the labors and example of the fret Presi-
dent. The fritze above the column
will bear an enrichment of winged car
wheel, and above all, as already state d,
will be the four figures supporting the
globe.
The terrace at the base will be of good
rich earth, on which will be planted orna-
mental shrubbery. flowers, plants, etc.
The capitals OF the columns will be orna
mented with representations of the agricul-
tural and horticultural products of the
nth, gracefully intertwined
The terrace will Oe twenty-five feet front
and the base fourteen feet square. The total
hight of the monument from the group d to
The CD Of the globe will be forty seven feet
one inch.
THE INSCRIPTIONS
on the four sides of the "die" will De as
follows: That on the north or main front
facing the Bay will bear In large raised
block letters the name
GORDON.
The south front facing the Park will have
this inscription:
Il memory Of
WILLIAM WASHINGTON GORDON,
The Pioneer in Work. Of Internal Improve
ment IN His n alive State
First President of the
Central Railroad and Banking Company of
Georgia,
To Which He Gave
His Time, His Talents and Finally His Life.
Born June IL. 1895.
Died Marc 20, 1872
The east front, opposite the court house,
will have the following:
Erected
by
The Central Railroad and Banking Com
parry OF Georgia,
In honor of a brave mana faithful and
devoted officer-and to preserve his
name in the grateful remem-
brance of his fellow
citizens.
The west panel, facing Armory Hall, will
be handsomely decorated with
A bas relief Ct railroad engine and a car
on a curved section OF track entering
upon the abuiment and first arch of a
bridge.
From the above description the reader
will readily perceive what a hsndsOms
monument will shortly grace our city, and
which will stand an enduring tr butte to
the memory OF citizen of whom it is truth
fully said, "E'en in his ashes his wonted
fires IiVe.D