The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-11-10
A GIGANTIC MONUMENT
Remarkable Design Of a Pro-
posed Structure.
TO EXCEED ALL oTHBRs.IE HEIGHT


Professor DesprndelIe OF MansacIu-
aetts Institute OF Technology Plans
Splendid shaft to the 4GIory Of che
Amerscan peopIev-Heisht 81 Nom
ument 1900 Teet-washingtoa sus-
gested as The Most Natural Site.
= The greatest monument the human
mind has conceived ana reduced to an
architectural possibility since the tow
er Of Babel exists In the carefully
worked cut plans Of Professor Desire
Despradelle, chief of the architectural
design department Of the Massachu-
Sets Institute Of Technology for
splendid visible symbol to be erected
to the glory of tile American people"
!, At present this remarkable design re-
mains the practical expression Of an
architects dream, epitomizing, to-
Eiote the designers own statement Of
its ultimate purpose. the vastness Of
American civilization" But despite its
enormous cost, which would reach well
into the millions. the idea Of putting it
into permanent steel and stone already
has many enthusiastic supporters
The height of the proposed monu-
ment is l,5O0 feet nearly three times
that Of the great pyramids of Egypt
and only a little less Than twice that Of
the famous Eilfel tower The main
shaft combines the heavy simplicity Of
the ancient obelisk with living light
ness and sprinslness OF effect typify-
ing hy the sSiilful arrangement Ut its
gradually ascending base and the
grouping about Il Of number Of up.
lifted pinnaeles an upward striving
toward an inaccessible ideal The
base. which measures % feet square
at the bottom Of the central shaft. is
girt round with our cherished national
symbols, while Cd every side tile SPLEEN
did structure bears names Of our great-
est men, figures IMPLYING our resources
and accomplishments, tire eagle and
various other insignia all combined til
remarkable appropriateness.
Planning such a monument is no
mere matter Of making m imaginative
picture and few details of the con
struction may perhaps help the mind
in considering this gigantic creation as
Il structural possibility The volume Of
the main central shaft. which Is over
a quarter of 4 mile ID height is nearly
28,000.o00 cubic feet, and. consider
ing the weight OF good building stone
to be $50 pounds TO the cubic foot
there would be a pressure of forty-six
tons to every square foot of earth be
meath the finished shaft 10 build i
solid would therefore make it at once
too heavy and too expensive; on the
other hand the wind pressure upon its
enormous length would aggregate dur
ing winter gales hundreds Of tons, SO
that to erect It Of steel framing with
mere sheathing Of stone. ike a modern
office building, would render il liable
to be broken of or blown over bodily
1t was necessary, therefore, to make
another adjustment Of differences, and
the final plan shows a construction
partly followed iii galleries. for the
sake of lightness, and comprising both
steel and concrete in massive com
bination. with heavy stonework on the
exterior The result Is a structure
which, according to all architectural
experience. would stand firmly. and
the galleries. Il has been further sng
gested. offer an opportunity for hogs
ing and displaying important national
relics.
The site Of the monument would nat
uFally be at Washington II has been
estimated that the cost would amount
to between Si2,000000 aud Sl5,00o0o0,
OF about the price of three On four lat.
tie ships, and its advocates have &c.
clared chat it would be well worth the
money, not only for its own beauty,
but as an impressive exhibition Of our
wealth and power in the eyes of other
and perhaps some time hostile nation.