Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-21
the base of the shaft. and therefore greater

| of the base Of the shaft. and therefore greater
| than the side OF its own base
There are cases where the hieroglyphics run
| up one or more faces of the pyramidion. but in
general these faces are perfectly plain.
The Egyptians often covered the whole pyra-
mfdion with closely fitted gilt bronze cap, the
| effect OF which must have been magnificent II
| has been said that il was sometimes surmount-
ed by gilt star, but doubt this, for the casing
OF the pyramidion would OF itself have much
the same effect
The notion of splitting statue on the sharp
point OF pyramidionis supremacy absurd. Not
less so is the substitution of a low hipped ROOT
D in an acute psramiaian, or lne n u, o Ia J,
shaft both OF which atrocities were'committed
In the Bunker Hill Monument. There will no
doubt be people who will be foolish enough 10
insist on g peephole somewhere: and If they
must be gratHied the window should be of the
exact form dnd size of one OF the stones. and
provided with a cioSe-htting shutter colored eN-
aetT IL Ike the stone, so that when shut IL would
be nearly or quite imperceptible from below.
The second letter, dated April %. SO, said:
81 am much obliged to you for yours OF April .
with Gen. Casey's letter and the two Congress
sional documents. l am agreeably surprised 10
learn from Gen. Caseys interesting letter that
the normal proportions have been so nearly OBJ
served hitherto in the construction of the ODE
nsk In TACT, II being difficult TO obtain such
vast masses of granite rock, even In the quar-
rtes OF Syene, entirely free from flaws, the
Egyptians were very often obliged TO depart
more or less from the proportions most satisIac-
tory to the eye, and the Washington obelsk
conforms so nearly TO those proportions, except
In two points, that ii is hardly subject to cTitf
cism. These points are, the batter, which Is
more rapid than in any obelisk known 10 me,
and the pyramidion. Perhaps the designer
adopted the proportions from considerations oi
stability, as a summit considerably less than
the base would give greater security, and when
the dimensions are all so great differences OF
proportion are less apprecable.
As TO the form and proportion of the pyra-
midion, the existing obeliSks are more uniform
than in the measurement of the shaft, and
think that not merely on the ground OF pre-
cedent but on that of taste, ii would be by all
means advisable to give to the pyramidion OF
! the Washington obelisk height OF not less
than fifty feet In any case. if the height of the
pyramidion is not greater than the side Of its
base, the summit will have a truncated shape
quite out of harmony with the soaring charac-
ter Of the structure
infer from Gen. Casey's drawings accompa-
nylng Mr. Corcoran's letter, that the plan OF a
sort OF temple-llke eNcreSenCc from the baSe-a
highly Objectionable feature-is abandoned. 1t
Is curious that we do not know precisely what
the Egyptian form of the base was. Some au-
thorities state it was die of larger dimensions
than the shaft, and with sides battering at the
same rate as the shaft, but do not find salts
factory evidence that this was by any means
universal, though it would certainly be an APP
propriate and harmonious form. OF course any
desirable base can be constructed around the
shaft. There are obeliskS the surface OF which
indicates that they were succeed, and this Sug-
gests that II the shaft OF the Washington obe-
lisk shall, from time difference of material,
oe found pafti-coiored, surface uniformity OF
tone may be obtained by the same process.
We have no knowledge of any Egyptian ODE
llsk nuch exceeding one hundred feet III le light,
though some ancient writers speak OF Sucil
monuments OF considerably greater dimensions.
The extreme difficulty OF obtaining monoliths
exceeding one hundred feet renders il probable
that the measurements of the authorities refer
RED 10 were mere vague estimates rather than
aScertalned dimensions
MR.. WINTHRoP'S VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT.
The following interesting letter from Robert
c. Winthrop to Senator Morrill,. dated August |,
1878, was also sent TO Congress: "lour favor OF
the both ultimo reached me yesterday. / thank
you for sending the copy of Mr. Story's letter,
which L have read with great interest. | am
only a second vice president of the Monumeu ut
association, and am not included i'm the com
mission for completing the work. had no part
or lot IN the original design of the monument.
John Quincy Adams had been relied upon To
deliver the Grafton at the laying Of the corner
stone. On his death, in 1915, was called on.
as Speaker of the House, to take his place and
/ have occasionally, since then, been instru-
mental IN raising funds for the prosecution OF
the structure. As an original question. might
have desired a different design: and | had no
small part in inducing the building committee
many years ago, to omit the pantheon al the
base, and to conf1ne the design To a simple
obelisk. After that was arranged, and when the
monument had reached SO considerable a
height, was very averse to changing the plan.
A whole generation of men, women and chill
dren had contributed, in larger or smaller
sums TO this particular monument; and states.
cities and foreign nations had sent stones for
its completion.
To tear it all down, with view to improve
the design, was abhorrent TO me. Story called
to see me when he was in Boston, and | told
him that, so far as | was concerned nv first
WISH WAS 10 ll1llSn the monument n simple
obelisk; but that, If a change was unavoidable
owing to any insecurity OF the foundations. his
idea OF turning il into an ornamental Lombard
tower was the best plan had seen suggested.
His letter increases my appreciation of his de-
sign, though l am afraid that il would in
volve an amount of money and time which
would postpone the completion for another
generation. AS it is, understand the whole
question to be settled, and that the commits
sioners are now going to strengthen the
foundations and carry up the obelisk to 4S5
feet. heartily hope that this is So and that on
the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the
birthday of Washington, in 1852, less than four
years hence, we may see and celebrate the ac-
complishment of this long-deferred work. If
live TO that day, Will come on and hear you
deliver the Grafton.
am aware that what is called advanced
art, looks with scorn on anything so simple
and bald as obelisk, more especially when ii
is made up of a thousand pieces instead OF
being monoith shaft. Yet the Bunker Hill
monument, of which the design was furnished
by one OF our earliest and best artists, HoTatio
Greenough, Is one of these composite obelisks.
and Webster was proud to apostrophiZe it as
the true orator Of the day. when he was pro-
nouncing his own Incompatible Grafton.
recall other obelisks at home and abroad,
which tell their story most impressvely and
when l look around to see what advanced art
has done for us and done for itself in the
myriad soldiers monuments which have been
recently erected, L fall back the simple shaft
at least not inferior to any one OF them I'm
effect, and as free from anything tinsel or
tawdry.
A grand arch, which believe you once pro-
posed would be a noble monument of our
Union, and might well be the subject of indie
pendent consideration in season for the centen-
MIA of the organization of the government in
1889. have repeatedly urged such an arch as
commemorative OF our Constitutional Union, in
Boston. But it would have still greater pro-
priety in Washington. / cannot help hoping,
however, that it will be erected with new stones
and without any disturbance Of the Washing
ton obelisk."