The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-05-24
Monument to an llustrious Patriot
Unveiled Today at Washington
President Roosevelt and His Cabinet Par
ticipated in the Impressive
Ceremonies,
PRESIDENT GREETED WITH APPLAUSE

MasnlngtOn, ~ - t1oy
ute was paid today to the memory oil
Jean Baptiste Donation de Vimerue'
yicomte de Rochambeauwhen the Ha-
mar monument to the illustrious pa
triot and general was unveiled in the
presence of the president, his cabinet,
a distinguished delegation represent
ing the French government and many
other prominent guests. The statue
is placed in Lafayette Square, oppo-
site the Lafayette monument, where o
vast crowd of people congregated this
afternoon to witness the unwilling GER
emonies.
President Roosevelt spoke briefly
and extolled yicomte de Rochambeau.
Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Mas
sachusetts, sounded the clarion note
of the day. delivering the the chief
grafton. Both addresses were sincere
eulogies of the character, devoted
fealty to the cause of liberty and the
courageous qualities of the hero
whose statue served to inspire the
sentences.
The Countess Rochambeau had the
honor of pulling tine cords that loosed
the drapery of French and American
flags concealing the monument. The
countess was given the signal and she
seized hold of the ropes with a quick,
determined grasp. She gave one pull
and then another. The crowd stood
as one man, [expectant and intent.
She jerked harder, and within mo-
ment the folds about the monument
began to shake apart. Gradually they
dropped away, and all at once they
fell from the monument in heap and
the sun lighted the whole work. Pres
ident Roosevelt has risen from hi
chair in the special stand and mem
bers of his cabinet and the French Wis
itors were also on their feet. As tn
statue came into full view its magnif
cence was strikingly presented to the
people. A mighty cheer, such as wei
comes the great ship as she slides int
the water after the christening, wa
heard and the bands struck up in con
cert the French national air.
Mr.. Herbert d. Pierce, third as
sistant secretary of state, was maste
of ceremonies, and made shor
speech, in which he referred most Ell
oquently to the French hero Of tn
American Revolution and to the beau
ty Of the monument, which Ferdinan'
Hamar hal modelled to perpetuate the
Rochambeau name. CARDINAL Gibbon
pronounced the invocation, and thei
Mr.. Pierce presented Mr.. Hainar, VIII
was received with much applause.
was at this junoture that the Coun
tess Rochambeau was given her cue t
pull the ropes that released the drap
cries covering the monument.
President Roosevelt was greete'
with applause as he stepped for
ward to deliver his address. He spok
in his usual earnest and emphatic wa.
and was frequently applsuded. Fol
lowing the president there were brie
speeches by General Horace Porter
United States ambassador to Franc
and NJ. Jules Cambon. The oratioi
of the day was preceded by brief ad
dress by General Brugere represent
ing France.
The statue was erected with an ap
preparation of 81, 800 by cong ress
is handsome affair of bronze on
marble base and is said to be strik
ing Likeness of Vicomte de Rocham
beau. From base to top the monumen
stands over 80 feet high.