The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-01-18

Erection Of Bronze Column on
Staten Island Proposed,
COST ESTIMATED At S65O,OOO

| Combined fei9ht OF smart WIKI 20
IossaI Figure of Primitive Red Man
on Top Of 1t VIII Be $50 Feet-Dedi-
Gated to the School Children of the
United States.
Plans are we'll under way for the
erection Of bronze&olumn on Staten
Island, New York, which will prob
ably be known as the peace memorial.
1t will be surmounted by the colossal
| figure Of an Indian, and the combined
height of column and figure will be
| $50 feet. Add to this the altitude of
the position on which it will rest, and
the top of the figure will be about $50
feet above sea level.
This will be the highest point on the
| Atlantic coast between Maine and Mex
| leo. In the base Of the figure there
will be a library for Indian records
and q museum for Indian relics. In
the words of those who have the mat
ter In hand, the column will be ''erect-
ed In memory of the North American
Indian and dedicated to the school chill
dren Of the United States of America"
Carl e. Tefft, who has volunteered
to undertake a campaign of publicity
to further the building of the memo
rial, said recently that, while the nee
essary commission had not been thor
oughly organized, Rear Admiral George
W. Melville, U. s. N, retired, would
probably be Its chairman.
| - sAsA
"The idea Of this memorial was men-
toned publicly some time ago by Rod
man Wanamaker Of Philadelphia,
said Mr.. Tefft. 1.-THE money for the
column will be raised by popular sub
scription, and Mr.. Wanamaker will
give the bronze figure of the Indian.
Those who participate in the work will
donate their services. Admiral Mel
vile will serve with Andrew Carnegie
and other men Of wealth in the inter
ests Of the memorial.
Director 81. c. Bumpus of the Nat
ural History museum and Director N
L. Britton Of the botanical gardens In
the Bronx have agreed to take charge
Of the museum. VIC. Hunt of Staten
Island will be the consulting engineer,
while Robert Z. Paine of Hoboken will
be the engineer In charge of the con-
struction OF the memorial. Borough
President Cromwell Of Richmond is
interested in the matter, and it is ex-
pected that the city Of New York will
give land for the site on Pavilion hill.
near St George. The unwilling cere-
monies will be celebrated simultane-
ously all over the United States. 1t
will take about three years to COM
plete the work"
Huge BuIIseyes to Serve as q Light.
Here is a partial description of the
proposed memorial as furnished by Mr.
Tefft:
It is practically one of the first individu-
al forms Of architecture; 1t is symboIical
OF dignity, rightly and firmness, possess
ing In every way the qualifications SO
marked in our bronzed aboriginal found.
er. When his eagle eyes swept the sea in
periods long ago he sought the highest
point OF land. Intuition would have taught
him to admire this single form of archi-
lecture, unbroken in its line Of beauty
for this meant height to him, embodying
In its simplicity the same essential quality
OF greatness that he observed in his own
character
Here we have him on high in all his
solemn and majestic grandeur, with arms
slightly lifted in recognition and welcome
to the inevitable certainty-the something
he perceives and sanctions far to the
east. The ponderous eagles at his feet,
with their huge bronze wings raised, seem
in the act of striking at invasion, but in
the overpowering personality above one
notes In the masterful features the same
firm touch Of beauty observed in river
as it sacrifices itself to the sea.
The face Of the two volutes Of the Ionic
capital surmounting the shafts will be set
with glass, and these immense bullseyes
will serve as light for New York harbor
and signal station for three great cities,
as they can easily be seen forty miles at
sea.
Higher Than Colossus Of Rhodes.
Between the volutes at the base of the
capital, running horizontally around the
column, is the balustrade or viewing point
of the monument, 435 feet above the
ground. This point can be reached by a
circular stairway or by the more modern
elevator system. The sightseer will also
be able to ascend inside the bronze figure
to the head, resting places having been
provided in midsections of the figure, one
at the waist and the other at the shout
ders,
The construction of this figure has been
carefully thought out by experts who un-
derstand the problems of weights and
displacement. men who have had expert
ence in the building and anchoring of
heroic statues and have successfully
solved the conditions where artistic poise
ceases TO lend itself to the possibility of
engineering.
THE figure. according to present cal
culations, Is four feet higher than the
statue of Liberty" says Mr.. Tefft.
The column win be the highest ever
erected in the history Of the world,
and the entire monument will surpass
In height any existing figure monu-
ment. The figure will be 100 feet high |
from the feet to the top of the head,
twenty-four feet higher than the Colos- |
sus of Rhodes. and will be constructed
Of steel armatures covered with copper
plates properly REINFORCED
The cost Of the work is expected to
approximate S85Oo00.
Big Order of Wire.
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