The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-03-12
MEMORIAL FOR
LUSITANIA HERO
Shaft to Linden W! Bates
to Tower Above
Berkshires.
GREAT LIGHT TO BEAM
Father Chooses Spot Favored by
Brilliant Young Man Who
Surrendered Life.


son, Lindon Bates, jr., who was lost IN
the Lusitania disaster, LIndon Wallace
Bates, OF this city, Is arranging to erect
on Mount Lebanon, the highest point IN
the Berkshires, remarkable monument
which will serve to remind future gen.
erations of the brilliant career Of this
young man and Of the bravery with
which he died.
TypicalIy American in origin and de-
hgn, as Is beatting a memorial to one
so truly American in ideals as was Lin
don Bates, r., this monument Will rise
more than us feet above the summit OF
the mountain, standing out in grandeur
by day and beaming forth as beacon
by night to all within radius OF nfty
miles.
quite the most striking feature Of a
memorial characterized by originality
and at the same time by dignifed sim
plicity Is that the top OF the shaft will
be provided with electric searchlight re-
Electors which will throw a great beam
Of light in a vertical direction and beam
OF equal power to the east and west,
thereby forming a cruciform effect at
night. The location Of the monument IS
such that this cross, shining in the dark
ness, will be seen in five states-New
York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Yer
Back to the Maya Period
For a design which Mr.. Bates thought
would please his son-for this has been
the main thing that has guided him IN
the consideration Of every detail concern
ing the memorial-Mr. Bates went back
800 years into the history Of the New
World and has selected something which
is believed by archaelogOtsts to have
been created in the Maya period, the
earliest period OF known civilization IN
North America The Maya period is pre-
Aztec and pre-Toltec and the people OF
this remote time are supposed to have
reached the highest stage Of their civtli-
zation in the state Of OaxaCa, IN SOUTH
ern Mexico.
The monument itself will be a struc-
ture Of marble or white granite, with
the base Lightweight feet square. The
shaft, to be mounted on two truncated
pyramids, will rise 1872 feet above the
base. The double pyramid will inclose
a douned crypt about thirty feet in
diameter and forty feet high. The dome
will contain a gallery, which will over
look the sarcophagus lighted from the
top with a violet light. The shaft will
be hollow, with a stairway leading to
the top. access to which is to be reached
from the top OF the second pyramid
story.
Spring to Give Power.
The site of the memorial is on the
summit ridge of the Berkshires, about
600 feet east OF. the State line between
New York and Massachusetts.
An approach from the base Of Mount
Lebanon to its summit will be cut
through a forest of virgin white birch,
and it will be called Vista avenue. This
avenue will be 300 feet long and sixty
feet wide, at the beginning of which
there will be a large fountain. The en-
trance into Vista avenue from the State
road will be semi-circular, containing a
fountain, on the east side Of which will be
the entrance to the electric power sta
ton, and on the west side the guardian s
lodge, both in white marble or white
granite in the same style as the base
Of the monument. The water for the
two fountains will be supplied by the
spring which will furnish the power for
the lights in the top Of the monument
Amphitheater in Woods.
In Vista avenue, 200 or 300 feet from
the base of the monument and ap-
preached by a flight of monumental
steps, will be an elliptical amphitheater
bordered by evergreens and white
birches. When one reaches the base of
the monument he will have gone the en-
tire distaBCe up Vista avenue in q
straight line. The monument will be
placed so that when the sun is behind
It there will be a reflection of the me-
mortal in the fountain at the junction
of the State road and Vista avenue.
The plans for the monument provide
for places on the corners of the trun-
Gated pyramidal bases and at the stair
cases for several groups OF appropriate
statuary. The top of the monument ulti-
mately will be provided with a large
memorial group.
Inscriptions for the monument already
have been selected. The north side will
show a copy from tablet in Berzelius
Hall, New Haven, as follows:
In Memory
LYNDON WALLACE BATES, Jr.,
I9O2-S.
Born July Seventeen, 1888.
Lost on the Lusitanta
May Seven, 1915.
His achievements in Science, Litera-
ture, Philanthropy and Public Service
were ftly crowned by bis surrender
to another of his opportunity for
safety. Greater love hath no man
than this-That a man lay down his
life for his friends"
The south side Of the monument will
contain an inscription giving a short
history Of the sinking Of the Lusitania
and the circumstances surrounding the
death Of Lindon Bates, IF.
"ROxwenPs Daily Prayer"
The inscription on the north side Will
be called ''RoxwelIs Daily Prayer"
Roxwell, 1t may be said, was the pseudo
nym by which Lindon Bates, IT., was
known to his family and friends. The
prayer is:
May I faithfully guard the trust Of
my brothers soul: Make me unselfIsh.
charitable, righteous, and fit me for a
work Of highest service to mankind"
The inscription on the west side VIII
denote the mission on which LIndon
Bates, jr., was engaged at the time Of
his death. 1t will say simply:
COMMISSION FOR RELIEF
IN BELGIUM"
There Is a significance attached to the
erection OF such a monument on this
particular spot. Mount Lebanon has
been part OF the Bates estate for many
years. Nearby there stood the Bates
country home, in Columbia County, n.
7. It was here that y2ung Lindon spent
much Of his boyhood.