Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-30

nered spaces between the curve OF the
ArohltrRve, are filed with large rccum-
bent figures In relief. The attic is diver.
stfied with bold, simple architectural de-
tails, but only one rather narrow space
is left for the inscription, which will
read.
20 THE DEFENDERS OF THE UNION
l661-lS85
Some large group In bronze will crown
this triumphal arch in the orthodox
fashion, but whether the statusry here
and on the roofs of the false porticoe on
both sides below will prove successful
must depend on the sculptor chosen to
embellish the structure. For arches may
In one sense be considered merely very
beautiful stands for the display Of sculp-
ture, which latter will always remain a.
the chief test OF the artistic level of the
people for whom the monument is
erected.
The gentleman who won the prize OF
81 200 for this monument, under the
name Red Seal, Is MIR. John H. Duncan,
member of the Architectural league,
and the designer OF many handsome
dwellings in New York and elsewhere.
The competition was In the hands Of the
mayor Of Brooklyn; the experts
called In to Judge which of the thirty
six designs deserved first prize
of $500, were Professor William r.
Ware, OF Columbia college, and Mr..
Charles B. Atwood. They decided that
no other de ign departed sufficiently from
he commonplace, and offered enough
signs OF having been prepared by man
competent to carry out such q structure
in proper fashion. AS they gave to no
design the second prize, fair inference
IS that between Mr.. Duncan's arch and
the others there was SO wide gap that
none approached 1t. And in fact 1t is
difficult to induce architects of the first
rank to enter competitions at all. In the
first place, the specifications are never
exact enough to warrant busy men run
ming the risk Of losing all chance of sue
cess by ignorance of some vital necessity
OF the particular case in point. Then
committees of award have been so often
thoughtless or unfair that there is little
confidence in the profession that justice
will be done.
Mr.. Duncan is q native of New Or
leans, and still q young man. He has
designed the outlook tower at Newburg,
New York, which stands near the Wash
ington headquarters. 1t is probable
that the arch when finished will vary in
important particulars from the design
by which he has won the 81 900 prize.
In their report to Mayor Chaplin and The
rest OF the committee having the monu-
ment in charge, the experts make sug.
gestion which can hardly fail to improve
the proportions of the building, If ear
ried out AS the arch is to stand in tn.
plaza before the entrance, there is no
need of so wide span, for, like the biz
arch overlooking the Champs Ely
sees, which it will approach in
size and somewhat in general disposi-
tton, it will be used only for professions
and on festal occasions. By shortenine
the span the outline of the opening will
become much finer in proportions; mar
rover, 1t is true, but apparently higher;
certainly of a nobler look Along with
the diminished thrust from this mar
rover span goes lighter and handsomer
treatment OF the supports. They need
not come so tar forward, nor Is it neceS-
sary to make them so heavy; there will
be an astonishing economy of material.
and corresponding one of money, 10
that more of the fund can be applied to
the statuary, which, on any scale COM
mensurate with SO large an arch, will
cost great deal. Brooklyn is to be
congratulated, not so much on the pres
ent design-for that is obviously in many
important respects i'll adapted to the new
POSITION it is to occupy-as on the de-
sign trained architect like Mr.. Duncan
will p0rfect, after he has fixed all tn"
new requirements in his mind, and had
time to study thoroughly every detail OF
the arch.
Such buildings are, to be sure, simple
affairs structulally, but their very sim
pllcity makes them extremely difficult TO
accomplish. A large working model has
to be made and studied from ali direc-
tions. The relative broken and un-
broken spaces have to 90 weighe