The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-29
THE BEAUTIFUL LRCH.
Multitudes Watch Its Growth-Movomontt to
Perpetuats Il in Marble.


Multitudes Watch Its Growth-Movementto
Perpetuats II in Marble.
To the multltudes who have come to this city
for the festivities. the triumphai arch at Madi-
son Square was the compelling m aRnet yester-
day. 1t was the auintessence OF New York's
welcome to the Admiral and as such It typined
Dewey to the sightseeing multitude as long
as Dewey himself was not to be seen. How
many thousand people swarmed around the
great white arch between dawn and midnight
II would be q rash m after to guess. All day and
all the evening there was crush. barely NOV
ing. with noses elevated at angles. varying In
versoy with the distance. taking In the sculp-
tursd beauty OF the monument from all sides.
1t was the one prominent centre OF interest
In the city.
As yet there is much to mar the beauty OF the
arch. Work a. they might-and the men were
busy almost all Wednesday night-the men who
are putting the finishing touches to the monu-
ment have made what seems like slow prog
ress. and tho rough hemlock scaffolding cross
bars the figures on the arch to the view. On
the very top the figure ef Victory above her
plunginR horses stands out clear OF all encum-
berinR lumber. bold and splendid against the
sky. But below her yesterday the scanolding
stretched. bucket ran up and down on ropes
and the busy workmen swarmed like huge
was perhaps not less interested In seeing the
work done than in the arch itself. The men
who were working on tho unfinished columns
at Twenty-thir street and Fifth avenue COM
paratively near the ground, were the centre OF
observation for q cluster OF hundreds OF per-
sons who stood and gaped at them to the
despair OF the police whose duty 1t was to keep
traffic moving.
Tho worst OF the crush was between the
north end OF the reviewing stand and the build
ipgs that face the Worth m onument on Twenty-
nth street Here there was n passage not
more than eight feet wide and all day long
there poured through this two conflicting
strsams: one striving to get from Fifth avenue
into Broadway. and the other directing its en-
erRies to reaching the avenue from Broadway.
The result was frequent blockades through
which policemen bucked their way trying to
break the Jam. At Twenty-sixth street there
was another crush and this was the most dan
gerous spot In the region as the turning of OF
| all vehicles caused a con gestion Of traffic The
bicycle polioem man and the one patrolman there
had the time OF their lives plotting nervous
women with large families through the jam.
and yanklng adventurous old ladies out from
under horses feet. In front OF the Fifth ave-
nue. hotel there was a great crowd too.
1t was said at the arch yesterday that work
would probably be kept up all to- night. and
that every last touch will have been put on
| we'll before the time OF the parade tomorrow.
| A movems nt has been set on foot to perpetuate
! the arch in marble. Levi p. Morton. Cornelius
N. Bliss. Arson r. Flower. David A. Body. j.
! Pierpont Morgan. Jefferson Soligman. John r.
| Browne Charles II. Nicoll and others have
| come together and after d discussing the matter
have decided to send out petitions to be circu-
| lated in the Chamber OF Commerce. the various
| exchanges and other centres. with view OF
receiving subscriptions. At the head OF tho
| petition 10 the following preamble:
| believing that the Dewey Arch erected in
Madison Square should be made permanent to
| adorn the city and perpetuate to future gen-
srations tho memory OF the deeds of the Amer
| lean Navy. we. the undersigned. hereby signify
| our approval OF the plan to create fund for
such q purpose. and will. il requested. act as
| mem beers OF q commit tee on plan and scope"
| Mr. Charles II. Ncoll Is acting as temporary
| secretary. meeting for permanent organ
! ization will DO held next week. 1t 10 expected
that the permanent arch will not be merely a
| replica OF the present one. In marble. but will
be ampliled to typiiy the achievements OF the
| Navy throughout our history. The northwest
corner OF Central Park has been ggestod as
the site.