Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-05-31

! erected this fountain In which diSport
thousands of tiny gold fish to the delight
of crowds of children and throngs OF
visitors.
ON THE EAST FRONT
the colossal statue of Washington by
Greenough, is an object of interest to
strangers. TWAS ordered by Congress
in 1882; was eight years in building in
Florence; weighs twelve tons, and cost
s44, 900, of which 3d. was expended
in moving the ponderous figure from
the navy yard to the capitol, distance
OF only mile. 1t bears upon its granite
pedestal, twelve feet in height, the
First in war, first in peace, and the
first in the hearts of his countrymen. !"
The porticos on the east are relieved
by imposing groups of statuary repre-
senting Columbus discovering America,
with globe in his extended hand, an
| awe-stricken Indian maiden crouching
at his feet. Another group of fine fig
ures represents the settlement of this
! continent. Colossal statues of Peace
and War are seen near the great bronze
door. Peace is a gentle maiden with
loose-ilowing robes representing the
goddess Ceres. War as Mars, stands
sternland sullen with tunic, toga, belt and
sandals. Over the great bronze door
Fame and Peace are placing wreath
of laurel on the brow of Washington.
The tympanum bears descriptive
group representing the progress of civ
ilization in America
THE GREAT BRONZE DOOR
must be seen and studied 1t cannot be
described. 1t was modelled in Rome
and cast in Munich at cost of S2S, 900
It's nineteen feet high, nine feet wide,
and weighs 10000 pounds. In the cas-
ing statuettes repl esent Asia, Africa,
Europe and America, and other heraldic
designs. Sixteen statuettes embellish
the outer borders of each leaf of the
door, while the panels illustrate princi-
pal events in the life of Columbus, in
Guiding his death bed and his last words.
"Into thy hands, o Lord, / commend
my spirit" Through this massive
bronze door the visitor enters the great
dome, $50 feet from pavement to canopy
with diameter of ninety-six feet.
Eight immense panels are cut in the
sides, which are filed with historical
paintings In the frieze, 800 feet in cir
conference and ten feet high, are fres-
coed representations designed by the
late Constantine Brumidi, whose arts
tic work is seen i'll all parts of the CAPT
toll These figures in the frieze were
just fairly under way when the old ar
fist was partially paralyzed. His ar
dent desire was to live to finish up this
great work. So day by day, being car
red to the capitol, he was
| DRAWN UP THE DIZZY HEIGHT
in chair and lifted to the platform,
and his palsied hand worked out figure
after figure with all the dizziness of the
earlier manhood. The writer meeting
the old crippled artist one day said,
I'VE all hope you may live to finish up
this the masterpiece of your life. Is
there any one to take up the work anG
finish it should death call for you before
it is completed?" ''Ah, saire,' said the
old artist, mo man is necessaire in this
world" Death did come, the artist:
brush fell from his nerveless arm, anC
other hands now are bringing into lif,
the conceptions he traced upon canvass
The canopy of the rotunda. $50 fee
above the floor. sixty-five feet in diane
ter. and POI feet in circumference, i
covered with frescoes from the brush o
Brumidi. The centre has an apotheosi
of Washington, with Freedom on hi
right and Victory on the left Thirteel
female figures Represent the thirteel
original states. These airy spectre
Senator McDougall dignified as '.Can
terbury Girls On the outer zone ar
six allegorical pictures of revolutionar
scenes. Illuminated by hundreds q
gas jets the effect is wonderfully bril-
liant. JUNIUs