The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-30
THE LINCOLN MONUMENT.
Badly Constructed Originally, the Sepulcher
is Crumbling Into Ruins.

The Lincoln monument, under which sleeps
the body of the great emancipation, is in vii
famous state of disrepair. There is reason
to believe that it is going to fall down right
away-although that fate is certainly in store
for it-but it Is certain that as monument de-
signed to bear upon imperishable stone the name
and deeds of a great man, and furnish, as well,
fitting sepulcher for his ashes it is as lamenta-
BILE a failure as could we'll be conceived. In the
wildly spread prospectus of the monument So
cety, issued in 1865, it was set forth that "lov-
ing hearts will rear and cherish shrine for pa
triotism through all the circing centuries of the
unseen future, and hither pilgrims will come
from every land to do honor to the memory of
one Of the worlds greatest benefactors. !"
The pilgrim, If he come at any time before
Macaulay's New Zealander reaches London
bridge, will find the expected shrine ruin, and
if he waits only one century may look In vain
for the mecca of his journey. Repairs may
maintain the place for MANI years. but when
say that important parts of the structure have
twice fallen away; that the Keystone OF one of its
important arches was wedged with bits of pine
wood, which, decaying, caused it to be rebuilt;
that the chambers under the terrace are filled
with wooden braces; that this important support
was never held except by few angle irons, and
they SO small and far apart that the seams broke
open, the supports tottered, and the immediate
safety of the entire structure was threatened,
the damage can be appreciated. Repairs were,
ordered, and the whole east end OF the terrace
was taken down and replaced. When the statua
ry came to be placed on the pillars designed for it
they were found to have insufficient bearings to
trust the bronzes upon, and they were required
to be rebuilt. Now the west chamber or wing OF
the terrace is going the same way, and thus the
body Of the late President stands in danger
almost disgraceful as it once did from thieves.
In monuments the element of permanency is Of
the last Importance, and whether we have not
got the right kind of material whether the best
kind will withstand the disintegrating influence
of a climate knowing extreme and many changes
Of heat and cold, or whether the contractors are
most to blame, it is well to know it.
This monument was constructed under the
auspices Of the National Lincoln Monument AS
ISOLATION, Governor Oglesby being president A
board of directors showed the names of Shelby
M. Cullom, o. NJ. Hatch, James FL. Beveridge
the soldiers and sailors of the United States to
the amount of $27, 0O0 Eight thousand dollars
soldiers Several thousand Sunday school
scholars gave. $4,000. The State in
York, $4,000; Missouri, $1,000; California
$500, and enough to, make UP 5000, 000 was Sc
cured by miscellaneous contribution. Its ex-
terror is wholly of Quincy granite. Its base is
seventy feet square, with circular extensions
on the north and south. From the center of the
terrace rises square shaft to the hight of one
hundred feet Larkin Mead's really good statue
of Lincoln, doEe in bronze, stands upon square
pedestal on the south side of the terrace. Be-
that is the catacomb. This is a senli-circular
vestibule of ten or twelve feet radius, having an
arched ceiling marble floor and five crypts At
the rear in the vestibule, which is reached
through grated iron door, is a sarcophagus
which contained at the time of the alleged at
tempted theft of the body, the remains of the
President The crypts are those of the children
of the Lincoln family who are dead, and there
remains q place for those who yet
live. But the body. of the Presi-
ell W.,
nor does that of his unfortunate wife occupy the
central crypt, which the custodian points ont as
hers. They lie far below, side by side, in grave
of earth, whittier they We're removed by the
executive committee, John T. Stuart John
Williams and Jacob Burns
Mr.. Stuart told me himself Of this, and said
that when Robert Lincoln came on with the body
of his mother he was taken down and shown his
fathers resting place. He said that Mrs. Lin
coin should also lie there, and there she was
placed. Mr.. Stuart speaking for the committee,
said that there was nothing, not even Quincy
granite, that could withstand the influence Of
this climate The extremes of winter and sum
mer were beyond their resistance, and even the
granite of the monument showed signs of dsin-
tegraton. 1T is true of all the country of this
latitude, from New York west. l have studied
it for years." he said.
'They have an old stone in New York" sug-
gested.
Eyes. and this obelisk won't stand fifty wears
there, nor could it last twenty years here We
built that monument in spirit of economy.
Our contractor, w. d. Richardson, was an mex
perienced man, and his work was done most in
efficiently but we do not believe it was done
dishonesty. There were some arches put in
that did not reach what they were supposed to
support, and the capstone of the shaft was in
three pieces instead of one We should have
put cement in between the roof Of the base and
its supports. This has already been done. and
further repairs are being made. The charge for
" & hat do an
income of about 81, 900 year. We have in hand
about 5000, and we propose to do our best to
keep the monument in good condition. We
would have proceeded against Richardson for
damages, but the statute Of limitation has
run in his favor He was an incompetent
man and we did not know it then. The time of
the Bum bank failure, a few years ago, con-
siderable sum, variously stated between 81, 200
and $13, 900, was in the hands of Jacob Bum.
This was paid back, or such part of it as repre-
sented 20 per cent which was the basis Of settle
ment made"
There is Lincoln guard of honor here, in
corporated for the purpose of raising fund to
purchase and keep in repair the former home of
Lincoln to hold memorial services, and to col
lect and preserve mementoes of his life and
death. So far their duties have been altogether
sentimental. They have not guarded anything
nor have they made any considerable collection
of relics
Appropos of Oakridge being the resting place
funeral was given by Dr. Wohlge-
muth Mrs Lincoln had been asked
by Secretary Stanton where she preferred that
the body should be buried. She declared in fla
vor of Oakridge, and DR.. Wohlgemeth was
wired to make the necessary preparation A
number of people claimed that the body belonged
to the State, and that it should rest in the State
house ground, where vault was hastily made
ready. General Hooker accompanied the re-
mains, and was in the procession which filed out
of the State house that sad May day in 1855. At
the point where the column had to take one
road or the other General Cook, leading, cried
out. LEFT wheel" which would have led to the
State-house. Right Wheel" yelled General
Hooker, and, the last order being obeyed the
column and its great burden passed on to the
monument; which now stands as if trembling in
doubt of its fitness TO contain its great charge.
The Presidents Manner in Public.
Correspondence Philadelphia Press.
His manner in uubiic is parfect. He either is