Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-05-09
TWO WAR PICTURES,
A Work Of Art Which Cost SIas..
600,
And Required Seven thousand Pound, #
Paint---A Graphic DeIineation Of the
Monitor and Merrimac in Dead
ly Conflict in Hampton
Roads.
sp.-iaI oOrr,,ponds.,s Of he Su.dov &c.,.

ond battle of Bull Run, more general.
known through the South as the battle y
Manassas. has been most artis,ically And
graphically illustrated on forty thou,snS
square feet OF canvas, with seven thou,,nI
pounds Of paint by Theodore Pciepot ~
Paris, who undertook the work with
corps of French artists, (sll OF whom hsv.
been admitted to the Paris Salon, q, III.
iustigstion of an enterprisipg bod, n
Washingtonisus, who realized in advance
that the one hundred and thirty FIVE tbou,
and dollars expended on the result OF nj,
superb cycloisna would reap the reward Of
virtue, due all private enterprise under
taken for the public good.
Entering q long passage way, one A.
cends flight OF steps aud emerges upon !,
platform overlapping scene that tsEe Il.
spectator back TO the memorable Ausur
day more than twenty years ago. whi,b
Witnessed one OF the bloodiest Conflicts on,
history has ever been called upon Ia
record.
So admirably and wonderfully is Ii.
perspective msraged that all though, O,
actual reality vsnishes, and one is no Longer
IN Washington and the present, tu, ca
Douglass, Heights, with the lair, IA,
stretching landscape at his feet. Hill and
dale, wooded, crest aud grassy valley ms.
and undulate in varied greens, until The,
fade away in the purple haze OF dis,,r,
mop ntsins.
Above, the clear blue arch Of sky !,
aecked with lazy floating clouds, like PINK
sailed boats in soft summer sea While
here and there quaint gsoled houses n,s
from out wilderne Of trees aud shrub,
which lend themselves an unwilling bach.
ground to the bloody conflict raging
Taken in separate detail. huudreis Of
groups, which as first seem part Of
writhing, inextricsble mass, stand on, q,
pictured incidents, each one reple,e rlth f..
sad ferocity, deadly hate, that marked
those dark days when brothers met
as enemies. A shallow brook fo.
down through tangled grasses and rest. IN
pools between the rocks; on elrher side i.
ranged IN officer Of the opposing sraie.
each with pistol leveled III deadly ain
the other, from one weapon the Quics
plash speeds that cruelty will still beat.
ing heart and bring sadness and GcsoIAiiou
to some far defiant happy home BETWEEN
this tragedy ard the spectator is ptc,
of war comedy, but even in the COMEDY q
war there is shsdew Of horror dSuc,
with bare feet upon the sharp poln, Of hSr
onets. Two negroee ale bearing iuu
The one in the rear has been shot dead i,
fash and sinks upon the bIupa soAksd
grass, his companion feeling the suddsu
and entire weight OF the litter dragging Up
on him, turns and gszss with vacant eur.
prise at his dead companion, and nth Cd
slouched hat tilted. scrs chss hls hat 10
puzzled, non.comprehendIng msuner sh!s
the bullets Of contesliug tklrmshtr
bid fair to relieve the other ed
OF the letter of It's support. Across ID,
fields as Tar as eyes can sweep, rests b.
Federal line OF battle, hidden here .pt
there given view by clumps OF forest tres
Sykes division, mastering al ''r;r fi,
comes sweeping up tn" rail 10y enh.I
ment in possession ot Srone"a'I Jschgti
brigade. Only TO bs driven back viii ter.
bic slaughter.
The dead lie thick ,ransGxrd III n. Sd /
OF relosding, or. summcrina Anoitr
charge.
Lopgs,reet's artillery with deadly -
Fakes their ranks, while Col Sm,h L-ro
rects a second fire over the fallen bOdlc, d
Confederate skirmishers A burglar, sol
grssping bis instrument, hes with we
staring sightless eyes fixed upon the 'ui
ing ky. Csnteens, saddles, bayons,, ii
lie in inexuicsble confusion in The krt
ground. which il made OF earth, usbh q
trees, pine bushes and grass groTn ron
An old worm fence is built ae'O-
one aide, and 20 perfect IL ~
illusion that one cauno: disting.a
where the real fence ends sGd he psIrst
one begins. Wax figures clad IN The III
eral uniform or Dond.script rh'b o. N
Confederate forces, lie wherever The ~
rests. Some OF these fgur, are par
real, partly painted But throughout b
optical illusion is perfect.
One feature ia particularly noicsAt'
that is The mastery groupirg Of Gsrr
K 4. Lee and srsf To- me riShr OF Sr'.
wall Jackson's d'.lrion, although be-"
not at the point depicird The srrI,rtc Ilc''
taken both in this instance and 'b'H
rsngement Of General Porter and sal y
entirely iorgiveablc on grounds Of sIo
lence and historical value.
~
One marked contrast is the famog' a.
tie OF the Monitor and Merrimsc 10 BtHl
ton Roads, painted By Mr.. William
Hslsall, Of Boston. Although ihT' .
necessarily total absence Of hgur" ~
work, the huge fame Of brestblpg me-
sters az they sweep down upon each or
convey On idea Of the horrible reah'! '
war never 10 be efaced
In the foreground, with the va'a es'
ing away from hGr fat, iron d,es y
Monitor is depicted at he tins in ,bs ~
with the Merrinac, having formerly iin
hour mspoeuvred for position 10 ran "a
at last seizes the opportunity AID reg
down like some huge monster upos y
enemy. Captain Warden. fJre'ssins /"
sster, puts bis head hard sPort sNH
capes with but q slight blow.
The hard lines Of the uBgrsceiaI ~
clads are ariisiicslly soitened By srest,.
cloudso of smoke and fame, while rs.
OF black smoke belch forth from the -
rimac, burning sof, coal. aud seem 70 =
out from the canvass. partly hiding 't.a
and coast line in the bsckgroorc' y
miDgling in the water with The rsD'e'm
exploding bombs, fro breathing s'"
sunny skies. ~
In bis management Of the ssp
Hslsall displays remarkable behIosS
study. Every varying shsdos, .rIgeJ
of chspgsial hgh, is mingled ar a,'
10 the floods beneath, from q'is !"
the far distance to ihs coDtw ed hss"'
opposing guns in the foreground
This work Of srt hiss been on p"
view here for some DAYS, and 10 'scrg
be inspected BY the Library Com 1ip.
Congress with Q vie~ TO purchaser
the Capitol. whs:s it properly 0e'0'i
ornament for eli time.
ARysrtO's
BiR-Eysd Girls.