The Evening critic., 1885-02-21


pyramidlon or npox, the forms and proper.
lions OF which arc constant, The base OF tho
pyrRmidion is OF exactly the same Dimensions
ae the Bummit OF the shaft, and unltes with
it directly without any break (oxcopt OF
course, ono angle), and with no ledge, mold
ing or other Disagreement. Tho height Of
the pyramidion is equal TO the length OF u side
OF the base OF tho shaft, and therefore greater
than tho side OF its own base,
There arc cases whero the hieroglyphics
run up ono or more faces OF the pyramidlon,
but In general these faces are perfectly plain.
The Egyptians often covered tho whole pyra.
mdlon with n closely lifted gilt bronze cap,
the eirect Of which must have been magnin'
II has been said that It was sometimes sur.
mounted by a gilt star, but doubt thls, for
the casing Of the pyramldion would OF Itself
have much the same effect.
The notion OF splitting statue on tho sharp
point OF tho pyrHmidlon is supremcly ab.
surd. No less 80 10 the substitution OF n
low.hipped roof for an acute pyramldlon, or
the making OF n window In tho face OF tho
pyramidion or OF this shaff, both which atroci-
lies were committed in the Bunker Hill Monu-
ment. There will no doubt be people who
will bo foolish enough TO insist on n peep
hole somewhere and II they must be graft.
and size OF one OF tho stones, and provided
with a coBe.nttlng shutter colored exactly
like the stone, so that when shut II would be
nearly or quite imperceptible from below.
The following extracts from letter from
Mr.. Robert G.. Winthrop to Senator Morrill,
in August, 1878, are almost equally inter
esting at this time:
I had no part or lot In the original deslgn OF
tho Monument. John Quincy Adams had
been relied upon TO deliver the Grafton at the
laying OF the corner.stone. on his death, In
1913, l was called on, as speaker OF the
House, to take his place, and ! have occasion
S einee s,rda taeS oeon Sa'rqmSnt In
Of the structure. As an original Ques.
tlop,. might have desired different designs
aud had no small part In inducing the build.
ing committee, many years ago, 70 omit the
pantheon at the base, and TO conilne tho de-
sign to simple ooelisk. After that was ar.
ranged, and when the Monument had reached
so considerable q height, was very nverse to
changing the plan. whole generation OF
men, women and children had contributed, In
apgr on sa1er ana sates Cities nns n
tions had sent stones for its completion.
To tear II all down, with q Wow 70 improve
the design, was abhorrent to me. As 1t is, /
understand the whole question TO be settled,
and that the commissioners arc now going on
10 strengthen tho foundations and carry up
this is go, and tnston the 150ih anniversary
Of the birthday OF Washington, in 1882, loss
than four hears hence, we may SEQ and cele-
brate the accomplishment of this long-de-
ferred work. II live to that day, will come
on and hear you deliver the oratiOn.
am aware that what Is called "AdyAnco1
art" looks with ecorn on anything so simple
and bald as an obelisB, mora especially wnen
II Is made up of a thousand pieces instead OF
being monollth ehsft. Yet the Bunker HUI
Monument, OF which the design was furnished
by one of our earliest and best artists, Horatio
Greenough, 10 one of these composite obellsks,
and Webster was proud to apoetrophzs IL as
sine true orator OF the day." when ho was pro-
nouncinR his own Incompatible oratlOn.
! recall other obelisks, at home and abroad,
which tell their story most tmpresstvely, aud
when look around TO see what advanced
art" has done for us and done for itself I'm the
myriad soldiers monuments whioh havo been
recently erected, fall back on tho simple
SHIFT as at least not Inferior TO any one OF
thrm in erect, and as free from anything lln-
sci or tawdry.
grand arch, which believe You onco pro
posed, would be noble monument OF our
Union, and might we'll be the subject OF lndo.
pendent consideration in season for the csu-
tennial OF the organization OF the GOvernmont
in 1880. l have repeatedly urged such an
arch as commemorative OF our Constitutional
Union, in Boston. But II would have still
greater propriety In Washington. l cannot
help hoping, however, that It Will no erected
with new stones, and without any disturbunce
OF the Washington obelisk.
The doorway Of the Monument was the
work Of the original architect, aud the ar
tistic ideas prompting it or rules govern.
ing IL are not now known. Its proportions
and general appearance are, however, not
such as to seriously mar the simplicity aud
architectural perfection of the Monument.
The Egyptian device over tho doorway Is
emblematic of eternity, the winged globe
and the asp being tho emblems, and IS
perhaps, the least Inappropriate of any OF
the designs which could have been selected
for ornamental purposes.
Tho Worlds Highest Structures.
The statements prepared of the cDmpar-
alive heights of the worlds most famous
structures show but two exceeding 500
feet in height, of which the Washington
Monument leads with height of 55j
feet 81 inches from the floor of the shaft to
the tip of the pyramidion, which is 507
feet and inches above the low tide mark
| of the Potomac and 59G feet 0 inches above
| the sea level.
The other structure exceeding 500 feet
| is the Cologne Cathedral, whose spire is 52l
| feet ii inches. The old st. Paul spire in
London was sos feet in height, prior to its
| destruction by lightning, and the proposed
| dome of the municipal buildings in Phil
adclphia is to be 537 feet and inches high
Indifference ON the Part OF Goa.
gress.
A prominent old citizen who, with the
| late DR.. Blake and others, spent much time
in trying to get an appropriation through
| Congress for the completion of the Monu-
ment, stood at Fifteenth street and the
| Avenue this morning gazing at the great
| structure down in the bottom"
CRITIC reporter Joined him. Said tht
| citizen
| "There is little bit of history connected
| with the passage of the resolution calling
for the completion of the Monument which
is worth relating"
| "You will remember that In 1915 Cjngrcs,
was asked by the Centennial Commission
| to hold asession in old Liberty Hall, Phila
delphia, on the 4th of July Of that year
The House on the Sd of July passed n reso
luton with hurrah, complying with the
request of the commission. The resolution
was sent over to the Senate and was killed
by that body. The members of the Houst
then accused the Senate of a lack of pa
triotism. The Senate couldn't stand this
and on the 9th Of July resolved In the mos
solemn manner that George Washington
was the greatest patriot of the age, &C., ant
that the Monument should be completed
Mind-this resolution did not call for al
an appropriation, and was passed by thu
House.
This was very cold comfort indeed fol
u.s. who had been working so hard for Ma
tional aid to complete the Monument. Th
next move TO be made by the Senate was t
pass a resolution. recommending that S
much of the 81 100000 appropriated for tn
Centennial as was returned should be givei
toward tho Monument. The friends of tht
Monument felt some fear that not dolla
of the money loaned the Centennial woul'
ever find its way back into the Treasury
BY and bye, the House passed bill appro
priating 100000 to begin the work.
"When the bill reached the Senate IL wa
finally passed. on August 2, 1876, but every
one knows that had ii not been that
Presidential election was pending tho bill
would have been defeated. AS 10 was
| nou.op IToo, onI ntbora l. rig1fad u n rack q