The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-04-20
COLU MBUS MEMORIAL
Authorized by Congress-Wiii Be Un-
Yelled on June 3-United States
Government and Knights of Column
bus Will Participate.

At the gateway of the National Cap
ital, the Plaza of the Union Station,
the United States Government will,
on Saturday, June s, unveil an impos-
ing memorial to the memory of Chris
TOPPER Columbus, the discoverer of
America.
While it is sometimes said that gov
ernments are ungrateful, it is never
theless true that when they rise to
the needs or demands of situations
they invariably do the handsome
thing. And while Columbus has had
but scant recognition from the United
States, it is matter of universal sat
isfaction that the government is about
to pay splendid tribute to the
memory of one who was the blazer
of the trail in this hemisphere.
By an act of Congress, signed by
President Roosevelt, March 4, 1907,
100000 was appropriated for a me-
mortal to Columbus. The act provided
that the purpose of the bill be execut-
chairmen of the committees on the
Library of the House and Senate
Representative McCleary and Sena-
tor Wetmore), Secretary of State
Root, Secretary of War Taft and the
Supreme Knight of the Knights of
Columbus edward L. Hearn). The
commission organized by making Sec
rotary Taft chairman of the commits
sion, and appointing the superintend-
ent of public buildings and grounds
(Col. BromwelD the executive officer
of the commission.
The commission went to work with
enthusiasm, and after thorough in
spection of the available and desir-
able sites for a Columbus statue in
Washington selected the plaza direct
ly in front of the Union Station. This
railway terminal at the National Cap
ital, the largest in the world, is an
architectural treasure. The Column
bus statue is being set up directly in
the center-front of this picturesque
building, where the millions of trav-
elers to the Mecca of America cannot
fail to see and admire this splendid
example of the sculptor's skill.
The Memorial takes the form of an
immense shaft, at the back of foun-
tain, surmounted by huge globe in
dicative of the world, upon which is
delineated the western world in re-
lief, the corners of the globe being
guarded by eagles in stone. The fig
ure of Columbus is seen standing on
the PROV of caraval, which projects
into the fountain. On either side of
the shaft are replicas of two men, one
indicative Of the Old World ian aged
patriarch) while the other represents
the New World Gan INDIAN. The back
of the shaft carries a medallion of
Ferdinand and Isabella.
ID. Fl. Burnham & co. of Chicago
are the consulting architects, and this
firm drafted the general features of
the memorial. dorado Taft of Chica-
go was the sculptor of the heroic fig
ure of Columbus 1t has been done in
critics as creation in stone of mai
esty and power. Excepting the figure
of Columbus, the statue has been exc
cuted in white granite. The Memo
rial is all but completed, and will be
ready for unwilling at least month
in advance of the date set by Presi-
dent Taft, Saturday, June 8.
The United States government, as
represented by its distinguished Pres
ident, William Howard Taft, who has
played such large part in the con-
summation of this tribute to Colum-
bus, and the other officers of the ex-
ecutive, congressional and judicial
branches of the government, will be
on hand to add their need of praise
to the name and fame of the discov-
erer OF America The complete pro-
gram Of the army and navy partici-
patton in the unwilling ceremonials
will be announced later.