The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-02-26

The Washington Monument was dedi-
Gated last Saturday. There WAS a great
assemnlage, much military and civic dis
play, and several addresses were delivered.
In the Masonic ceremonies Grand Master
Myron brought into service the gavel
used by George Washington in LAYING
the corner stone of the National Capitol
in 1898, and the bible on which the
s. Father Of his Country took his first
vows in Masonry, belonging to Freder-
icksburg Lodge No. 4, of Virginia
Hon. Robert Winthrop, of Massachu-
sets, who was Speaker of the House of
Representatives at the time that the
corner stone of the Monument was laid
IN le4s, and delivered the principal adj
dress, was prevented by feeble heal h
from being present at the dedication, but
prepared an eloquent address which was
read by Congressman John d. Long. 1t
closed with these words:
Our matchless Obelisk stands proudly before
US to-day, and we hail it with the civilizations of
a united and glorious Nation Ii NAV or NAV
not be proof against the cavil of critics. but
nothing Oi human construction is agains; the
casualties OF time. The storms OF winter musr
blow and beat upon II. The action of the ele-
ments must s0il and discOlor it, Tie liyhtninss
oil Heaven may scar and blacken it, An earth
quake may SNAKE its foundations Some mighty
tornado or reslstless cyclone NAV rend lis mas
sive blocks asunder and hurl huge fragments to
the ground. But the character which it com
memUrates aud illustrates is SECURE II will
remain unchanged and Interchangeable in all lis
consummate purity and splendor, and will more
and more command the homage of succeeding
ages in all regions Of the earth
The chief event of the occasion was the
brilliant Grafton of Hon. John W. Dan
lei, of Virginia. We have space for but
paragraph:
No sun could now be made of Washingtop' =
character that did not exhaust language of IFS
tributes, and repeat virtue by all her names No
sum could he made of his achievements that did
not unfnld the history ri hs country and its in.
stiuti0ns-ihe history of his age and iis prog ess
the history of man nnd lis DESTINY 10 he free
But, whether character or achievement he re-
garded the riches hefure us only expose the
poverty of praise. So clear was he in his great
Office thai NO ideal of the Leader or Ruler can be
Turned tilaI uOeS not SHRINK by the side of the
reality. And SD has he impressed himself upon
the minds OF men, that no man can Justly aspire to
be the chief OF great Tree people who does not
adopt his principles and emulate his exampie
Fascinated by the perfection of the man. we are
10th to break the mirror of admiration into the
fragments of analysis But, To- as we attempt
II. every fragment becomes the miniature of
such sublimiiy and beauty that the destructive
hand can only multiply the forms of immortality
The monument is the highest structure
in the world, its cApstone being $50 6set
above the ground. 1t is 55 feet square at
the base, where the walls are Is feet thick.
the thickness diminishing to seven inches
at the cap, where it 10 thirty -four feet
square. Its weight is $4,000 TONS An
iron stairway of 300 steps within the
shaft leads to its top, and there ia alsO an
elevator capable of lifting several tons
weight Il stands on a spot approved by
President Washington in 1891, and it can
be seen from ali points within twenty
miles of it, and from some nj a greater
distance.