Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1919-06-20

cannot outreach the loft.
~ ness OF his principles.
Found II upon the massive
and eternal rock; YOU cannot make it
more enduring than his fame! Con
struct Ii of the peerless Paran mar
BILE; you cannot make it purer than
his life! Exhaust upon II the rules
and principles of ancient and modern
art; you cannot make il more proper.
,ionate than his character. From the
speech of Robert G. Winthrop at the
laying of the corner stone of the
Washington monument July 4. 1S4S.
In the National Geographic Maya
zine three years ago William Howard
Taft wrote of the Washington monu-
ment: Taken by itself. the Washing
ton monument stands not only as one
OF the most stupendous works of man,
but also as one Of the most beautiful
OF all human creations. Indeed II Is
Mt once So great ana so simple that 1t
seems to be almost work of nature.
Dominating the entire District of Co
lumbia. II has taken It's place with the
capitol and the White House as the
three foremost national structures.
with new character for each new
hour different aspect for every
change of light and shade. the Wash
ington monument seems to link heaven
and earth In the darkness. to pierce
the sky in the light and to stand an
lmmovable mountain peak as the mists
of every storm go driving by. With Il
height of 800 feet, base of 50 feet
square, and walls taperlng from Is
feet at the base TO Is inches at the
top; with Its interior lined with memo.
rial stones from the several states,
from many famous organizations and
from n number of foreign countries /:
with its stately simplicity and the
high qualities Of manhood IL honors,
1t Is fitting that the aluminium tip that
caps it should bear the phrase Taus
Deo.'"
stately simplicity" is what makes
the Washington monument one of the
greatest in the world. observes the
Kansas City Star.
Original Plan Changed.
The original plan of the designer,
Robert Mills. was to have as the main
feature of the monument large col
umned pantheon to be used as mu-
scum for war relies and statues of
great men, and the obelisk was to
arise from its center and surmount
the whole.
The pantheon Idea was abandoned
later when the monument came to he
built, and everyone feels now that IT
is good thing It was so. because n
building of any kind ut It's base would
only detract from its subllmity and
grandeur.
Washington himself selected the site
FOR the monument. but at that time
the intention was TO erect an eoiies.
trian statue, which congress had voted
for in 1888. Nothing was done until
lS33. when Chief Justice John Mar
shall headed movement called the
Washington Monument society" to
solicit funds To build II. 1t was then
the architect. Robert Mills. designed
an obelisk surrounding colonnade of
Doric columns.
Some money was collected. but not
enough to build 1t as planned, so the
pantheon feature was abandoned and
work begun on the obelisk. The cor
ner stone, weighing twelve tons, was
laid July 4, 1913, in the presence of
10000 people.
In 1879 the funds ran ont and work
was stopped, and for twenty years the
partly constructed monument re-
manned an ugly stub. But the centpn-
NAL exposition Of 1876 brought a re-
vival of patriotism and there was a
nationwide demand that the monu-
mcnt be finished. Congress took hold
of IT, funds were asked for from every
stare, as well MS contributions of stone
blocks with which To line the interior.
In 1850 work on the monument was
resumed, but on altered plans. The
foundations were enlarged and
strengthened and the shaft increased
In height In 1884 II was finished at
total cost OF Sl200,0O0.
Lower Walls is Feet Thick.
Following Is detailed description
OF tie monument taken from the
Rand-McNnlly Guide to Washington:
"The foundations are described as
constructed OF mass of solid blue
rock 146 feet square.
"The base OF shaft is So feet square
and the lower walls are 10 feet thick
At the 5OO-foot elevation, where the
pyramid top begins, the walls are only
Is inches thick and about 35 feet
square. The inside of the walls. as
far as they were constructed hefnre