The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-02-22
UNVEIL SHAFT TO
VICTIMS OF Maine
Fourteenth Anniversary of Blow
ing Up of Battleship Maine Is
Occasion for Big Parade At
tending Ceremony in
New York City.

NEW YORK. Special.-Payingtr
ute to the memory of the heroes and
martyrs of the Spanish-American
War and the sailors who persisted in
the destruction of the battleship
Maine, thousands of army and navy
veterans took part today in the cor
nerstone laying of the National Maine
Monument in Columbus Circle, at the
main gateway TO Central Park.
The exercises, both picturesque and
impressive. dedicated the monument
| Jointly to the 226 bluejackets who
lost their lives in the fateful explosion
of February Is. 1898, in Havana har-
Dor, and to the soldiers who died in
the ensuing war.
Detachments of sailors and marines
| from the Brooklyn navy yard, several
companies of regulars from the forts
OF New York harbor and compa MES
Of militia of every regiment in the
greater city participated in the cere
mony.
The actual laying of the corner
stone was by Rear Admiral Leutse,
commandant of the Brooklyn navy
yard, and the principal address of the
afternoon was delivered by Major
General Daniel +. Sickles, who is the
only surviving corps commander of
the Army of the Potomac OF '61.
Work on the monument viii be
continued steadily from now on. and
| il is expected that the work will pc
/ completed early in the fall.
The idea of erecting the Maine
Monument was originally suggested
by william Randolph Hearst, soon
after the disaster occurred. Through
the agencies of his many newspapers
| that are scattered across the CONT
nent il was not long before the pub
! Usher had the clarion cry Oi Re
member the Maine" ringing from
coast to coast, from Maine To Cali
! fOrnia and from Alaska to Florida.
A committee was formed to take
| charge of the Maine Monument
fund, consisting of General James
! Grant Wilson, chairman; George j.
/ George +. Shrady, John w. Keller
and William Randolph Hearst.
Public Contributions.
| The committed announced that
small and numerous contributions
would be much more appropriate
this kind. The movement met with
! instantaneous response in all parts of
| the country. Donations, large and
small, were received from churches,
schools and factories and private per-
sons in every Stale in the Union. and
before a year elapsed over one million
people had contributed a total of
$500 900 to the fund.
The greatest architects and sculp-
tors in the country were invited to
| take part in a competition to secure
the best design for the monument
The first prize was won by Attilio
Piccirilli, sculptor; II. Van Buren, Ma
gonigle, architect. The north end OF
Long Acre Square was selected as the
original site for the monuments but
after the sculptor and architect had
worked for several years in perfectine
their plans, no record of the grant
giving permission to erect the monu-
ment in Long Acre Square could be
found. A meeting of the monument
committee was held and resulted in
the site of the monument beint
changed TO Columbus Circle, the MAR
entrance to Central Park. Applica'
ton for this site was made in 1909
but was held up until permission
could be secured to remove a number
of big trees that were in the way.
The project experienced continued
delays and obstacles, but in 1910 the
committee, with the assistance o
Park CON- Missioner Slower, succeeded
in inducing the Art Commission to &C
cept the monument and the desired
location. The commission exhibited
unusual enthusiasm, and held a mum
Der of meetings with a view to con
sidering several slight changes in the
design that would make the mOnu
ment more complete and at the same
time cause no serious modification o
, the original plan.
March 16, 1911, and the work o
clearing away the site and digging
the foundations began. 1t is estimat
ed that the work will cost about $175,
900 before it is finished.
Description of Monument.
Mr.. Magonigle, the architect, de
scribes the work as follows:
''The principal motive of the new
composition is a pylon 17X6x15 anC
forty-four feet high from the ground
level, with panels on its four faces. 7
is f1anked by two colossi, represent
ing the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean:
suggestive Of the national scope of the
memorial; the Atlantic is typifed by
a young man in the fullness OF hi:
strength, the Pacific by an old mar
| half slumbering.
AT the foot of the shaft and fac
ing the circle is a group Of sculpture