Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-18
MONUMENT TO
HERO UNVEILED
AT WASHINGTON
Appropriate Memorial to
John Paul Jones Dedicat-
ed Today; President Taft,
and Others Take Part.

Washington, D.. c., April 1.-THE
grim visaged statue Of John Paul
Jones, the first great commander Of
the American navy, moulded by the
hand of sympathetic sculptor to show
him as he stood on the deck of the
Bon Homme Richard in her fight with
the Scraps off the coast of England
more than 120 years ago, was un-
yelled here today. .-j \,
President Taft and General Horace
Porter were the only speakers on the
program. George Won L. Meyer. sec
retary Of the navy, was given the
place as presiding officer and to Ad-
miral Dewey was assigned the task
Of pulling the cords that released the
flag about the heroic figure.
The unveiling Of the statue of John
Paul Jones in Potomac park here
brought to a close a movement begun
several years ago to provide some ap-
propriate testimonial to the memory
of the great naval hero. It started
when a wave of public interest was ex-
cited by the discovery in France and
removal to America of the remains Of
the early sea fighter. Much difficulty
was experienced in selecting design
for the memorial from the large num-
Der Of models submitted by famous
sculptors The choice finally fell upon
the design offered by Charles H.
Niehaus, of New York, for statue.
A setting for the statue included a
fountain, pylon and approaches, the
whole work costing $4,000. .r.. :.
8. The memorial Is, located on the
northwest shore Of the Tidal basin in
Potomac park, at the foot of Seven
teenth street, not far from the white
house, the Pan American Union build
ing, the home of the Daughters Of the
American Revolution, and other beau
tiful buildings. 1t Is the first statue
tn-be- erected within the, limits Of the
new Potomac park, and is also the
first purely naval monument to be
raised in this city since that unveiled
in memory Of Admiral Dupont in, 1884
The statue of John Paul Jones
stands at the base Of the monument
in front Of the pedestal. It is Of heroic
being about ten feet high.
The great naval commander is shown
in full uniform, with an expression
and pose suggestive of his indomitable
will and uncomfortable spirit. He has
been modelled as though watching a
naval engagement. His right hand Is
and his left hand clutches a
sword. AS the sculptor put it, Here
Is the representation Of man capable
of doing almost anything, and not
simply man who can do only one
thing" r $751;. s. -s
There are several appropriate in
scriptions on the memorial, suggested
by Representative Lemuel P. Padgett
of Tennessee, chairman OF the house
committee on naval affairs, and ap-
proved by the Jones memorial COM
consisting of the secretaries
Of war and navy and the chairmen Of
the congressional committees on
library. Under the statue Is inscribed:
. "1747-1792. First to compel foreign
to strike colors to the
stars and stripes .
There are two inscriptions on the
rear of the pylon. One Of these Is on
the stone forming the cap of the
shaft. It embodies the language popu-
larly attributed to Commodore Jones
when called upon by the commander
Of the British frigate Serapis to sur
render the battered American ship
Richard. The inscription is
arranged in two lines. and without
quotation marks, as follows:
Surrender?
I have not yet begun to fight
The other inscription is just below
the bas relief representing Commo-
dore Jones raising the United States
flag for the first time on an American
It reads:
In life he honored the flag,
In death the flag shall honor him.