Evening star., 1915-09-19
ONLY NEEDS APPROVAL
OF SECRETARY OF WAR
Program of Corner Stone Laying at
Arlington Amphitheater About
Completed.

The approval of Secretary Garrison
OF the War Department will complete
the plans for the exercises in connec-
tion with the laying of the corner stone
of the Arlington amphitheater, a me-
mortal to those who fought in defense
of the nation. the program being under
the direction of Col. W. W. Harts. En-
gineer Corps, u. S. A, in charge of pub
lie buildings and grounds.
The funds for the exercises of the
= laying of the stone are limited, accord
ing to Col Harts. and it will be neces-
sary to limit the seats on the grand
stand to those who are officially pres
ent at the ceremonies. including the
members of the commission which had
charge of the work of the selection of
design for the memorial. 1t will not
be possible. with the funds at hand, to
provide seats for the general public
So anxious are those having charge of
the erection of the memorial to keep
every possible bit of condensation
away from the records which will be
placed in the copper box in the stone
that they have adopted new way of
putting the box in the stone In all
corner stones heretofore laid in govern
ment buildings. the space for the box
has always been in the top of the stone,
and the box was sealed in with a mar
BILE slab.
Change Is Ordered.
In the corner stone in the Arlington
amphitheater the space for the box
has been cCt out of the bottom of the
stone When the box is placed the
corner stone will be dropped down SO
that the box will fit in the center. 1t
was explained by Col. Harts that this
was done SO that if there is any con-
densation whatever it will not settle in
the cavity of the stone.
The receptacle which will be used for
the valuable documents TO go in the
corner stone to be laid a Arlington Oc-
tober ] is about eighteen inches long
about fifteen inches deep and twelve
inches wide. In the larger box will be
another copper box, the dimensions OF
which are about a quarter of an inch
less than the larger one. IN between
the two boxes will be placed quarter
inch plate glass on every side as an in
sulator to prevent conde nsation from
Affecting the documents. The edges of
the top are grooved, and the lid frs
into these grooves, which will he sealed
with cement few minutes before the
stone Is ready to be dropped into place
List of Contents.
The list of documents and articles
selected to go into the large box is
complete III every way The complete
list follows: A Bible. copy of the
Declaration of Independence, a copy
of the Consultation of the United States
regulation American flag, copies of
the design, plans and photograph of the
memorial, autographs of the commits
sion, one each of the subsidiary coins
of the United States, one of each de-
nomination of the postage stamps now
In use. copy Of the l. Enfant design
or Washington, {. map of Washington
in 1914, official copy of the Con-
gressIonal Directory. copy of Boyds
city directory Of the District of Column
bia for 1915. AN autographed photo
graph of i>.s!dent Wilson, a copy of
the official program of the exercises in
connection with the corner stone laying
and copies of the daily papers contain
ing reports of the corner stone LAYING
ceremonies.