The Evening critic., 1885-02-21

liko OF such nation ono 80 remark
Rble-does not exist IN ancient or mod
ern times. Among the people OF the Great
West, can any man, In ancient or modern
times, fail To pronounce washington peerleeaY
large percentage Of the memorial blocks
have already been inserted In places In the
Monument, but there are about fifty still
remaining in the temporary structures near
Its base awaiting assignment to placer.
Snch of these as are suitable and IN good
condition will DO sawed TO proper thick.
ness and bolted into tho Monument walls.
work stiII 90 be Done.
The work remaining to be done Is all
provided for in tho amount which tho
present Congress has been asked to appro-
pirate, but which Is likely to be reduced.
The time required for the completion Of all
that is proposed cannot be definitely esti-
mated. For the interior of the shaft more
than fifty memorial blocks remain to be
sawed to tho proper thickness, dressed and
bolttd in tho walls at tho places assigned to
them. The uneven masonry of the old pOr-
tion of the Monument Is very unsightly,
and compares unfavorably with the regular
and beautiful stone work Of the new por-
tion. In addition TO this tho ledges and
inequalities permit q collection OF water
and n leakage which Is unpleasant in ap-
pearaDce, aud would In time prove detri-
mental to the structure.
To obviate these difficulties, 1t is pro-
posed to line the entire Monument up to
tho point where the now work begins with
u thick coating Of cement etc, producing
aperiectly plain and oven surface, the color
Of granite barmoniziug with the granite
blocks of the higher levels, marked Off into
blocks to correspond TO them, and alfording
a more attractive setting for the memorial
stones. This work will require consider
able time and involve some difficulty, all
1.ttl Nft
Tho illumination of the shaft has been pro-
vided for, as an electricl lighting plant and
motor have been placed in position and
seventy. five incandescent lamps will afford
an ample and effective lighting. For three
hundred feet there will be two lights at
each platform; through the next three hun
dred feet one at each platform, and from
that point to the apex two at each. The
illumination will bo exceedingly beautiful
and will produce weird aud striking effects
during the ascent or descent Of tho monu-
ment.
The elevator, now in rough and unorna-
mental condition, will be improved by the
construction of suitable car for passen-
gers, handsomely painted and upholstered.
There still remain some trifling changes to
be made and work to be done in addition to
that mentioned in the interior ofthe MOnu-
ment.
On the exterior, work no moro important
but perhaps more conspicuous remains to
be performed. The temporary shed and
structures of various kinds, tho tramways
and trestles and the accumulated stone and
lumber must all be taken way.
In addition to tho work of clearing up
the site the more extensive operations will
be the gradual filling up of the ground i'm
mediately surrounding The shaft. The arts
fetal mound upon which it stands is not
proposed to be made more symmetrical than
it now is. The purpose Is to so extend this
promoEiory that its outlines will be lost, and
so to'grade it as to give the appearance of u
natural mound, gracefully sloping of and
blending with the surrounding grounds.
An immense amount of material will be
required, and Colonel Casey proposes that a
small price should be offered to drivers as
an inducement to dump dirt and sand from
excavations in the city around the monu-
ment base. The mound will be prettily
| terraced and sodded and planted with ever
green trees and shrubs. Immediately around
| the base of the Monument tagging pave
ment will be laid, properly graded and
drained to carry of the rain.
work MOI TO be Done.
Almost equal in interest to the work still
| remaining to be done is that which has
| been prominently proposed and discussed,
| and which has now been abandoned as i'm
| practicable or undesirable. 1t is agreed that
| the Monument will never be materially
| altered in appearance. The Numerous
| schemes for elaborate ornamentation of its
base and shaft have all been abandoned.
| The long-cherished idea of embellishing
| its four walls with colossal bas-relief me-
tallic representations of scenes in the life oi
| Washington, of surrounding it with colossal
I groups Of statuary or with pillared tenn
| pie, have all been finally given up and are
| not likely to be revived. The metallic bas.
reliefs designed for this purpose were fine
works of art, but their assignment to posi-.
tions inside or outside of the Monument
was deemed inpracticable.
The inuumerable designs for ornamental
tons and additions to tho Monument and
| its surroundings have all been rejected
and, with the clearing away Of the sheds
and filling up Of the grounds the coutem
| plated changes will be about finished.
From an Artistic Standpoint.
The manner in which the proportions oi
the Monument were agreed upon-the siaC
and shape of its pyramidion, the chaste aud
classic simplicity, and mathematical and
aesthetic accuraey--is subject Of muct
interest.
For the general design, the angles of de
clination of the shaft, etc, living men car
claim none of the credit. The architee
who erected the first one hundred fee
settled the general design and outline
and apparently contemplated structure
very similar to that now completed, excep
that its proposed height is not positively
known and its pyramidion would not hav,
confOrmed to the one constructed.
Those original plans also allowed oppor-
tunity for an ornamentation of the bas
with bas-reliefs and possibly contemplated
that a colossal statue should surmount th
Monument.
The credit for tho questions remaining
to be determined and for some of the mos
admirable features of the Monument |
due, nevertheless, to Mr.. George p. Marsh
American Minister to Rome whom Senate
Edmunds has described as one Of tn
"most learned and accomplished OF thos
in any country who have given the subjec
of architecture and monumental art atten
tion."
Writing from Rome In February, 1875
Mr. Marsh disposed of the fantastic aud in
appropriate schemes for completing tn
Monument aud championcd absolute elias
sic simplicity and accuracy In an interest
ing letter from which the following ex
tract is taken:
understand that the main feature OF tn
Washington Monument Ia tl be an obellek 0
great height, surmounted by cOlOssa
| statue, ana with bas-reliefsat suitable heigh
nom the base. believe 1 have not only see
but sketched every existing genune-that II
| EgYptian-obelisk, for no other eau fairly b
said 10 be genuine. The obelisk is not an al
bitrary structure which every one IS FREQ
erect with such form and proportions as sui
his taste and convenience, but It's objects
form, and proportions wore lxed by IN
usage OF thousands OF years; they sausf
every cultivated oye, and hold It an ~5lheu
al HR linn f.aT - nWNN g.