Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-02-22
WASHINGTON MONUMENT.

Yesterday the Washington monument
was formerly dedicated with imposing cere-
monies. The Grafton made by Hon. Robert
c. Winthrop, who was speaker of the house
at the time the first foundation stone was
laid, July 4, lsiS, and made the first ora
ton. lie is an old man now and he opened
his speech by saving that his first Grafton was
made in the prime OF life without note,
now he found it difficult TO speak with
notes. The full text of the Grafton. which is
before US, closes with these words:
Our matches obelisk stands proudly be-
fore us TO-DAY, and We hail ii with the exul-
tations of united and glorious nation. II
may, or may not, be proof against the cayils
of critics, but nothing of human construc-
ton is against the casualties of time. The
storms of winter must blow and beat upon
il. The action of the elements
must soil and discolor it. The light
nings of heaven may scar and
blacken IL An earthquake may shake
Its foundations. Some mighty tornado, or
resistless cyclone, may rend It's massive
blocks asunder and hurl huge fragments TO
the ground. But the character which it
commentaries and illustrates is secure. IL
will remain unchanged and Interchangeable
in all lis consummate purity and splendcr.
and will more and more command the hon.
age of succeeding ages in all regions Of the
earth.
Gcj be praised, that character is ours for
ever,
Hon. John W. Daniel, of Virginia, de-
livered AN Grafton in the house of represent
atiyes. The first sentence of his Grafton
was:
SOLITARY and alone in its grandeur stands
forth the character of Washington in history;
solitary and alone like some peak that has
no fellow in the mountain range of great
ness"
The last graphic paragraph was in these
words:
Long live our country, Oh, long through
the undying ages may il stand, far removed
in fact as in space from the Old Worlds
feuds and follies-solitary and alone in its
grandeur and il glory. itself the immortal
monument of Him whom Providence COM
missicned to teach man the power of Truth. !
and 20 prove 10 the nations that their Re
deemer liveth.
Only the larger metropolitan papers can
possibly publish the full speeches as
sent out by the Associated Press.
The monument stands a trim. clean bright !
white shaft Of marble. The foundation is |
l26 feet, six inches square ct the base The |
obelisk Itself is iift:-fve feet square a; the .
base and tapers to the top. The walls are
fifteen feet thick at the bottom. but gradual I
" become thinner until at the top they are |
only one foot six inches thick. and the mon
ument is there thirty-four feet square 1t !,
was originally intended 10 carry the pile up
COO feet, but it WAS found ihs. the great I
weight might endsnger its safely. As COM /.
pleted the height is $50 feet. the highes; /.
structure ever raised by man. The outside I.
is Maryland marble and the inner wall is .
Maine granite.
Every state in the union sent a stone block
to be set IN the interior, and some foreign /
countries did likewise, as also some priyst.
citizens and local societies. Some of these
are very handsomely dressed and chiseled. .
bearing significant Inscriptions.