Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-05
POTOMAC PARK is CHOSEN

GALcuucu 4uVcSClS0ClOn.
STRUCTURE TO COST $2,ooo,ooo
Design by Henry Bacon of New
York Standardization Will Be
Passed on by Congress.
President Taft today sent a special mes
| sage to Congress accompanying the re-
| port of the Lincoln memorial commits
sion adopted at meeting held last night
at the White House. The message, merely
one OF transmitta. is as follows:
| ITO the Senate and House of Representa-
tives:
Il beg herewith to submit a report of
the Lincoln memorial commission, and its
recommended tons, upon the location, plan
and design for a memorial in the city of
Washington. District Of Columbia, to the
memory Of Abraham Lincoln, in accord
ance with an act providing a commission
to secure plans and designs for a mOnu-
ment to the memory of Abraham Lincoln,
approved February Q, 1911.
"WILLIAM IL TAFT
Potomac Park Chosen.
According to the decision of the COM
mission, the two-million dollar memorial
to Abraham Lincoln will be built in Po-
tomac Park
The site for the memorial will be at
the extreme terminus of the Mall. The
HoCiD r col a6 &c hot chi a6
Henry Bacon, architect, of New York.
The memorial will consist of rec
tangular marble structure 1876 feet long
and eighty-four feet wide, surrounded on
two sides with Doric columns of marble
forty four feet in height and seven feet
five inches in diameter. The structure
will inclose central hall, within which
will stand heroic figure of Abraham
Lincoln. and the hall will be surrounded
with Ionic columns fifty feet high.
Bronze Tablets Planned.
On one of the walls of the central hall
will be placed a bronze tablet inscribed
with Lincoln's first inaugural address,.
while on the opposite wall will be fixed
another tablet Of bronze bearing the
emancipator's Gettysburg address.
The statue. which will face the Wash
ingtOn Monument, will be on direct
line with the Capitol the Grant memorial
and the Washington Monument. The
cost of the memorial according to Mr..
Bacon's plans. will be about 81. 10000.
and the remainder of the $2,000.00O appro-
priated by Congress will be used for inn
provements to the memorial site and
for architects fees. Congress has au-
thorized the appropriation of the entire
amount, though only $4,000 has as yet
actually been appropriated, and of this
sum $4,000 has been expended, to date.
for preliminary work on the selection of
a site and design for the proposed me-
mortal.
No Provision for Bridge.
Although no provision is made in the
decision of the commission for a me-
mortal bridge, the location of the me-
mortal is such as to work in admirably
with the proposed memorial bridge to
span the Potomac between Washington
and Arlington.
The site selected, which was chosen
after fifteen fruitless meetings of the
commission is the one that was selected
by the fine arts commission appointed
by former President Roosevelt. Other
sites proposed were Meridian Hill. as the
high ground on 18th street north of
Florida avenue is known; Soldiers Home
Park. and the plaza between the Union
station and the Capitol. Other plans
proposed were for A memorial bridge to
connect the city with Arlington. and for
a memorial highway between Washing
ton and Gettysburg.
President Taft presided at last nights
meeting. with Col. Spencer Cosby. the
engineer officer in charge of public build
ings and grounds. as executive officer.
Others in attendance included Speaker
Clark, Representative Cannon, Senators
Wetmore. Cullom and Martin, the latter
taking the place made vacant by the
death of Senator Money.
The amount authorized to be appropri
ated by Congress for the erection of the
Lincoln memorial is the largest expendi-
ture ever authorized by Congress for such
a purpose Mr.. BacOn's plan and design
were submitted last winter under author
ization of the commission. John Russell
Pope working with the New York de-
signer on the tentative plans.
Mr.. Bacon's designs were for a me-
mortal in Potomac Park, and Mr. Pope S