Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-26
LINCOLN MEMORIAL
CONTRACT IS LET
Commission Makes Award for
Superstructure After
Long DeIiberation.
FIRM REDUCES BID
WITHIN 100000
Estimates for Foundation and Other
Work Will Be Read
vertised.

vertised.
The contract for the superstructure OF
the Lincoln memorial was awarded this
afternoon to the Fuller Construction
Company. The representatives of the
company made concessions from their
original figure so as to bring the bid
Vit;iln the amount of the appropria ton,
which is $2.000.000.
Bids for the foundation, 1t was an
nounced. will be readvertised, none of
the bids submitted being satisfactory.
Send for Advisers.
The commission met promptly this
morning at $50 o'clock, and after dis
GUESSING the bids for awhile sent for
Elliott Woods. superintendent of the
Capitol. and Oscar Wenderoth, super
vising architect of the Treasury, who
are known to have an expert knowl
edge of marble construction work
They were in charge of the construc-
ton of the House and Senate office
build, ngs, which are both in marble.
Senator Shafroth of Colorado asked
permission to appear and was heard
by the committee in advocacy of the
marble mines in Colorado. While he was
In the committee room one Of the COM
mission asked him:
Senator. do you think 1t would be pos
sible to have the Senate appropriate $780,
600 more for the memorial in case We
need itr'
Il will undertake to give the Senate no
peace until 1t does" Senator Shafroth
replied.
Asked to Explain Bids.
A number of the contractors who have
remained near the quarters Of the COM
mission were asked to appear and give
verbal explanation of certain details Of
their bids. Among these were Gill &
Co, Arthur Cowsill of Washington and
the George A. Fuller Company, which
now regards itself as Washington Arm.
Interest among marble constructors in
the proposed memorial is great, and they
declare that the structure will be one
of the biggest jobs ever done in the
south perhaps the largest, certainly the
largest ever constructed in Washington.
1t is proposed to use in the memorial
900 pieces Of marble which weigh fifteen
tons each.
The commission also listened to John
Lynn. an inspector in the employ Of Ell
lott Woods, superintendent of the Capt.
toll, who made trips to the various mar
BILE quarries Of the country. and who is
credited with having first-hand knQwl-
edge Of the material In the various quar-
rieS.
Marbles Are Considered.
The Colorado marble was said to be
among the first choices of the commits
sion, but 1t is thought that the freight on
it may make 1t prohibitive.
1t is said that the freight rates from
Colorado to Washington would perhaps
add as much as 100000 to the cost Of
that material. Cherokee marble from
georgia was very highly thought of by
the commission. The Metropolitan Ma
tional Bank building on 18th street is
constructed of this material, and Arthur
Cowsill, the Washington bidder who
specifies the Cherokee marble. Is Of the
opinion that the most handsome memorial
can be constructed of this material
Speaker Clark, a member Of the COM
mission, had to leave the session at /
o'clock to keep an engagement. and said
that it seemed almost impossible to SO
arrange the bids and proposals as to per-
init of the memorial being constructed
within the limits OF the $2.OOO.OOO set by
Congress.
May Ask New Bids.
Speaker Clark said 1t might be neces-
sary to ask for new bids.
mean that the plans OF the architect
would have to be altered and such modi-
flcations made in them as to permit the
contractors to construct the building for
less cost than their estimates provide.
There was talk of cutting down the size
of the superstructure of the memorial.
and Mr.. Louis Bacon of New York. the
architect, who is attending the sessions
Of the commission, was in conference
with the commissioners in regard to this
possibility.
No Conclusion Reached Yesterday.
The members of the commission were
not able to come to conclusion yester-
day afternoon. and former President Taft
agreed to alter his intention to leave
| Washington this morning at o'clock and
remain here for further elaboration to-
day. Yesterday afternoon the members of
the commission drove to the National Mu-
scum to inspect various samples of
marble believed suitable for the memo
rial. which have been placed on exhibition
there, as It is desired to agree upon a
| marble that will be not only the finest
obtainable. but which may be surely sup
piled in the necessary large quantities.
| No attention is being paid by either the
| commission or those familiar with It's
labors to the talk that the site selected in
Potomac park is on marshy. made ground,
for the reason that the army engineers
| made boring tests upon the site to ascer-
/ tain how far down the contractors will
| have to go to reach bed rock. and these
tests, according to the published report
/ Of the commission, are satisfactory. from
an engineering point Of view.
| Taft Jokes About Site.
Mr.. Taft last night jokingly commented
upon the subject of the solidity of the
| site.
| IT am confident" he said, that the site
| for the memorial will furnish as good a
| foundation as any in Washington. The
idea that has been put forward as to the
foundation being faulty sounds as IL orig
inally IT might have been started by Col
| Mulhall."
MT. Taft dined quietly at the New Will
| lard Hotel last night with a number of
| friends and spent the evening in his
rooms. receiving many friends who called
to pay their respects. Among these were
Henry Lane Wilson, who has just retired
! as ambassador to Mexico, after a quarrel
with the present administration; Repre-
| sentative Swager Sherley Of Kentucky,
e. c. Laylin former assistant secretary
of the interior; Senator Burton and Brig.
Gen William L. Marshall He also con-
| ferred during the day with Col Ullman
| of the republican national committee,
| Representative Kahn Of California, for
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