The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1913-05-09
DEDICATION OF THE
JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

! JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
st. Louis, Mo-, April 28.-An event
of nationwide interest will be the ded-
ication Wednesday of the great Jeffer-
son Memorial which has been erect
ed in Forest Park in this city. The
dedication will be accompanied by a
military pageant and an elaborate
program of addresses. The partici-
pants will include many notable Wis
itors who will be in the city to take
part in the American Peace Congress,
which will begin its sessions Thurs
day. Among these visitors will be the
governors of several states, United
States senator's and representative
administration officials and foreign
diplomats from Washington and dele
gates representing numerous patriotic
and peace organizations.
The memorial Is a combined monu-
ment to Thomas Jefferson, third pres
ident of the United States, and a COM
memoration of the acquisition of the
Louisiana Territory. The day select
ed for the dedication will be the 110'h
anniuArsary of the Louisiana Purchas >,
which was the greatest peaceable &C
QUESTION of territory in the history of
the world. In many respects it
stands alone among world monuments.
The monument was erected with a
100000 fund which was left from the
receipts of the Louisiana Purchase
Exposition in this city in 1904 after
all the Indebtedness of the exposition
had been paid. The exposition was
held to commemorate the centennial
of the acquisition of the Louisiana ter.
ritory, and the monument, growing out
of the exposition, is in a way a per-
petuation of the idea which promoted
the exposition.
The memorial is in the form of a
huge hall, about 300 feet long and IS
feet wide. 1t will be used to house
relics, interesting from an historical
standpoint, of Thomas jefferson, of
the Louisiana purchase and of the
Louisiana Purchase exposition.
Under an immense arch, the full
height of the building, stands an
heroic statue of Jefferson. The arch
IS 20 feet deep, with a rotunda o,
Tome 60 feet in diameter. The dome
IS artistically decorated with emblenis
Of the Nation and State. To the east
md west of the open arch extend the
wings of the building. The facade OF
he wings is fronted by immense pill
airs of stone. The exterior of the
structure is of stone, while the inter-
or is of concrete and marble.
The most striking artistic features OF
he memorial, aside from the statuc,
ire four poised eagles which stand On
he four corners above the arch cover
ng the jefferson statue. The eagles
re five feet high and we're designed
" Karl Bitter.
The statue of jefferson, occupying
he center of the rotunda, is of master
ul lines and overpowering size. Tbs
york of the sculptor shows the states
nan seated in a massive chair, which =
lands on a pedestal ten feet in height
he seated figure is nine feet high,
living the monument a height OF 10
eet. The statue, like the eagles, is the
FORK Of Karl Bitter.
The main floor of the two wings Of s
he building is divided into four large :
xhibit halls, several offices, and the
efferson hall and ante-rooms. JEFF
erson hall, in which will be hung por-
rats of historic persons Of the Lou
siana purchase and paintings Of no. \
able places in the Louisiana territory,
couples the west wing. In the east
ring will be the largest Of the exhibit !
ooms, a museum of historical relics.
Another feature VIII be the histori-
al library, which will include not
nlv books but thousands of manu-
cripts and letters bearing upon the {
istory of the Louisiana territory. The
objection Of manuscript goes back to