Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-09-13
WASHINGTON ARCHITECTURE.
Description of the Highest Struc.
ture In the World.
From the St. Louis Republican.

Capt. j. II. McNamara, the archi-
tcct, has just returned from his first
visit to Washington City and the
suburbs. Washington he says is a city
| OF parks and monuments. The streets
are clean and there is not a cart-load of
| dirt in the whole city. The captain
went all through the capital and public
building. The new army and navy
building is an elegant edifice and looks
as if desi igned after the TuilIcries, so far
as the massing and grouping of the
parts are concerned. The Washington
monument is fast approaching compile
ton and probably will be dedicated
this fall.
The original height was to have been
4S5 feet; as now designed it will be
500 feet TO the top OF the square por
ton, and will have an additional
height OF 90 feet to the top Of the pyra-
mil. 1t will be the highest editice
raised by human hands in the world.
The pyramid of Chcops is 4SO feet to
the apex, while the Strasburg cathedral
has height of 46S feet. The Washing
ton monument is 36 feet square ut the
top and SIS feet at the base The walls
are ~ feet thick Mt the base and at the
top IS inches. There is an underpin-
ming of ~ feet square and IL feet high,
composed of IL solid mass OF concrete
under the old foundations. Every
stone now being laid is cut after a
model, mitred and dove-tailed into each
other rs they grow up. The flag was
hoisted on the top of the derrick the
day the captain was there. There are
eighty-threc blocks of stone lying un-
der cover, which were contributed by
different states, nations and societies.
These blocks arc TO he placed in the
interior as you go up. Perhaps the
most interesting of the blocks was that
sent by his holiness, Pope Plus w.,
which was taken out of the Temple OF
Liberty at Rome, but by an act of van
dalism was broken into pieces by the
know nothings and cast into the POtO-
mac.
Mr.. Mcnamara also made visit ia
Mount Vernon, where, in the quiet
shade of his beloved retirement, WASH
ington spent his declining years reap
ing the reward of his illustriOus deeds
and where his remains are entOmbed.
The day was lovely and about 15t
people went down on the boat. They
passed Fort FOotc, Alexandria and
Fort Washington, military worL
which was designed by Washington
himself to protect the city of Alexan-
dria.
Every boat while passing by Noun
Vernon tolls its bell. The tomb is il
charge of all old officer, who cheerfulls
answers questions and chaperones tn.
visitors through the mansion ant
grounds.
The finest piece Of art the captain
saw was the east door and architravt
to the capitol, designed by Randolph
Rogers. The whole life and tunes o
Columbus is there told beautifully in
bronze. The most execrabe is statue
of Washington in marble, by Green
ough. Washington seated like a Ro
man senator with toga wrapp-
ed around him, his shoulders an,
breast naked, and right arm in stiff
umartistic position pointed upwards
1t is revolving to Il sense Of prophet,
to have even the shoulders and brcas
of George Washington exposed to th'
public view. Mark Twain ought to &c
there and write up that statue.