Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-21
unit, II came to a standstill in 1856 on account
RECENT DISCUSSION OF THE DESIGN.

| that Congress would complete the work the de-
sign became again matter of discussion. Many
propositions We're made for utilizing so much Of
emit from that originally adopted. One was that
| 1t should be made pedestal for a colossal statue
of George Washington and another that the
| Barthodi statue of Liberty intended for New
York harbor, should be elevated upon this
stump OF a smart; another suggestion was that
| the lncompeted shaft be used in constructing
| a grand trlumphal arch. When Congress at
last made provision for resuming the work, in
1876, the attention of the engineers was first
directed to the foundation, and that was
| strengthened sufficiently to bear the weight
which ~ was expected would be put upon it.
The design first proposed by the commission
was to carry the monument TO q height OF o25
feet. 1t was decided to construct the shaft Of
masonry TO the height of 500 feet, and 10 crown
the shaft with pyramidal roof of iron % feet
| in height. This roof it was thought could be
covered with hammered glass over some por-
subsequently the proper proportions of the shaft
were the subject ofconsiderable correspondence
| the sculptor, 10 affiX to the four sides of the
shaft, near the base, immense bronze panels
| Washington's life. A study of the proportions
observed by the ancients in rearing obelisks
| suggested q change of the height to 800 feet
| feet.
| THE MODERN IDEA.
| The Washington Monument society in O me-
| mortal TO Congress, dated April 26th, 1850, dis
cussed the design of the monument in the fol.
lowing words:
THE undersigned are not unmindful that
| STRONG efforts have been made of late to throw
| Glscredlt on the design OF the monument, and
that various plans have been presented for
| changing the character of the structure. Nor
has the association, which the undersigned
nave the honor to represent, ever been unwill-
! ing that such notifications OF the design should
be made as should be found necessary for the
absolute security of the work. With this view,
| they gave formal expression a year ago to their
| acquiescence in the general plans of the accom-
plishcd American artist, Mr. story, who had
/ llT
| now that the strengthening of the foundation
| has been successfully and triumphantly accom-
| piiShcd by signal application OF skill and
science, they cannot foibcar from making re-
| spectlul but urgent appeal to Congress 10 give
| tneir nnal sanction to the prosecution and COM
pletlon OF the work without more delay, accord
| Ing 10 the plans recommended by the commits
| sioners appointed by Congress- with the Presi-
| deht oi the United States at their head, and by
| the engineer under their direction. Any other
| course, they are convinced would be likely to
| pos ponc the completion OF the monument for
| another generation, 10 involve the whole sub
lect III continued perpieNites, and to necessi-
| tate vastly largerappropriationsi in the end than
The main element of the original design of
| this monument was an obelsll. The pantheon
| proposed Tor encirciiIg its base was long ago
abandoned The simple obelisk is all that is
! contemplated.
II has been objected in some quarters that the
ancient obelisks We're all monoliths-massive
single stones, cut whole from the quarry: but
our country has been proud to give examples
| of both political and material structures which
| owe their strength TO union; and this monu-
ment to " Washington will not be the less signifi-
cant or stately from embodying the idea OF our
| national motto, 4 pIurtbus unum.
When the wellknown monument on Bunker
hill wa originally projected, more than half
century ago, an obeliSk of this composite char
| acter, constructed of separate blocks of hewn
granite: was agreed upon by the most distin-
| gui.hed artists and architects of that day. The
late eminent sculptor, Horatio Greenough fur
nished the design, and it was approved by
Gilbert stuart Washington Allston, and Loan
| mi Baldwin. Daniel Webster, Joseph Story,
| and Edward Everett united al the time n pro-
nouncing il the most effective design for {. mon
ument of that momentous battle. 1t was fin
I ished accordingly, and has stood, and still
| stands proudly on that consecrated spot; and
few persons. il any, are found at this day to
| wish that ii had assumed any other form. And
! this monument to Washington when completed
according to the present plans, of much more
than twice the height OF the Bunker hill Ole
| lisk. and OF pure white marble, will silence all
| criticism and cavil.
Doubtless, something more original and more
| ornate might have been conceived at the out
set, or might now be designed but there
abundant fields for the exhibition of advanced
art in other parts of the country, If not here.
This monument and its design win date back
| to the time of its inception and will make no
| pretensions to illustrate the arts of 1880 1t
| was not undertaken to illustrate the fine arts
Of ANY period, but to commemorate the fore
| most man of all the ages. Indeed, it will date
| antiquity. 1t is most interesting fact COM
| municated to US in The letters, hereto appended,
Of our accomplished American minister at
| Rome, the Hon. George p Marsh, as the result
! of his own researches, that the proportions of
| this monument as now designed are precisely
those of all the best known ancient obeliskS
| The height of those monuments is ascertained
| by him to have been uniformly and almost pre-
| cisely ten times the dimension of the base, and
| this proportion has now been decided on for our
own monument to Washington, the measuse-
| ment OF the base being hfty-tive feet, and the
projected elevation five hundred and fifty feet.
But without dwelling further on the subject of
| the design, it seems to the undersigned suf-
tcient respectfully to suggest that the question
before Congress at this moment is, not whether
!
| proved to advantage, but whether this long
delayed work shall be finished within any rea-
| SOnable period and at any eStimable cost or be
! lett still longer as subject for competition
among designers and contractors-an eye-sore
at the capital, a veXation to Congress and a re-
| proach to the country; BY the adoption OF the
| recommendations OF the commissioners and the
engineer the work may, be completed within
the next four years. The machinery for the
| elevation of the stones has been most inge-
niously contrived, and is now almost in readi-
ness for action; and by the appropriation at
| once of the sum now asked for the marble for
| the whole structure may be contracted for and
secured from single quarry, and the danger
| avoided OF having marble of different shades
and qualities, which might seriously impair the
effect ofthe obelisk. The monument would thus
| be completed with an assurance of that har-
| mony OF color which is essential to its beauty.
| The undersigned have deep feeling that the
time has arrived for nnsh!ng this great work
| according TO the general design OF those by whom
| it was undertaken, and they have the fullest
confidence that such a course will commend it,
self to the appreciation of the whole country.
| While the structure would make no appeal to-
close and critical inspection a mere work of
| art, it would give acrowing finish to the grand
public buildings of the capital, would add
| unique feature to the surrounding landscape,
and would attract the admiring gaze of the
most distant observers in the wide range over
| which it would be visible. 1t would be eminent
ly monument for the appreciation of the
many, if not OF the few, and would thus verify
| the designation, originally given to it, of The
Peoples Monument to their most illustrious
BenefactOr.'
A simple, sublime shaft, on a commanding
bank OF the Potomac and within view of Mount
| Vernon. resting on the very spot selected by
Washington himself for monument of the
American revolution, and rising nearer to the
be no unworthy, memorial, or inappropriate en-
| blem, of his own exalted character and pre-emi-
| nent services. 1t will certainly need no eabo-
| rate sculpture or ornamentation to i'm press upon
| all who shall behold it, from generation to gen.
| Grafton, a becoming sense of the grandeur of his
| career and of the undying veneration and graft
| tude of the people of the United States"
MINISTER MARSH ON THE SUBJECT OF ODE
Accompanying this memorial were two
letters from Hon. George 2. Marsh, our minister
| to Rome, to Senator Edmunds. In the first,
dated February 8, 1879, Mr.. Marsh said:
| "By letter from the sculptor Mead to Mrs.
| Marsh, 1 understand that the main feature Of
| the Washington monument is to be an obelisk
| OF great height, surmounted by q colossal
statue, and with baS-reliefs at suitable
| height from the base. / believe have not only
| seen but sketched every existing genuine-that
| Is, yptian-obelisk. for no other can fairly be
| said TO be genuine. The obelisk is not an arbi-
ono ia freq to