Evening star., 1912-07-14

been surmounted by the war chariot
trailed by enslaved captives. In fact rs
use for this purpose has, historically. set
1t aside largely as the symbol or the
martial hero returning victorious from
war.
The arch as a memorial was first used
by the Romans. It grew out OF the cus-
tom of celebrating the triumpAs OF re-
turning heroes The triumph was the
greatest OF Roman celebrations at me
beginning Of the Christian era. In those
days a triumph was accorded to no man
who ranked below a dictator, a consul OF
a praetor. To be awarded triumph he
must have concluded the war in which
he was engaged must have extended
the Roman territory. and must have
killed a minimum Of 5eoo of foreign
foe His right to celebrate triumph
depended upon q special dispensation
granted by the forum, for, upon enter
ing Rome a general automatically be-
came q private citizen. Ducullus, return
ing from his victories in Asia, waited
outside OF Rome for three years for this
triumph.
It was in these triumphs that the arch
first became significant. At first tenn
porary structures were built, beneath
which the conquering hero passed The
arch Of Titus. built A. D. 81, was the first
Of those structures that was par1nenant
and which boasted bas-relief sculpture
On It were represented the golden table
and the seven : branch candlesticks
brought home from Jerusalem.
1t was in the few centuries that fol-
lowed the opening of The Christian era
that the arch fourished. Three or four
such structures Of Importance still exist
in Italy, while there are host OF minor
ones. There Is the arch at Benevento.
southern Italy. celebrating the Dacian
victories. The Parthian victories of Sep
timius Severus are likewise made inn
mortal by an arch, as are the Dacian
victories of Constantine. There Is the
triple arch at Reims, France. that is an
important example of Its kind. The
through archways. The archway became
a not unusual entrance to sacred edt-
fees and was otherwise applied.
The largest and greatest arch that the
world today knows is the Arc de
L'Btoine, Champs Elysees. Paris. This
great structure was erected In commenn-
Grafton OF the victories Of Napoleon and
was completed in 1890 II is almost the
only triumphal arch Of modern times. the
arch as a monument having fallen into
disuse In the early centuries of this era
Napoleon in 1907 and completed by the
Austrians half a century later. The
marble arch that forms one OF the en-
frances to Hyde Park. London, formerly
stood at Buckingham Palace, and has
been transplanted. Hyde Park also
boasts Wellington arch. which is some
thing of q revival Of the idea of a
triumphal arch, but unimportant.
America practically knows not the arch
There is no arch OF Importance in this
country. The proposed structure will be-
practically the first arch that this nation
has known.
AS all the other important arches of
the world have been built in memory OF
the victories won by armed forces, so it
comes to pass that the Titanic memorial
will be the first such monument that has
no martial significance. While the others
have been largely monuments to the
killing OF the fellow-creatures of those
honored. the present arch will be monu-
ment to those who voluntarily went To
death that lives might be saved. While
other arches have been erected because
of an enthusiasm over the martial spirit.
this one Will be built by appreciative
women because men stood aside for her
in the time Of great need.
Copyright. 1912. by ". A. Du PuyJ