The Colorado statesman., 1919-06-21


ness of his principles
Found 1t upon the massive
and eternal rock; you cannot make 1t
more enduring than his famei Con-
struct 1t Of the peerless Parian mar
BILE; you cannot make 1t purer than
his lifel Exhaust upon It the rules
and principles Of ancient and modern
art; you cannot make 1t more proper
tionate than his character" the
speech of Robert G. Winthrop at the
laying of the corner stone Of the
Washington monument July 4. 1848.
In the National Geographic Maga-
zine three years ago William Howard
Taft wrote of the Washington monu-
ment: Taken by itself, the Washing
tion 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 1t Is
at once so great and so simple that it
seems to be almost a work Of nature.
Dominating the entire District of Co
lumbia, it has taken its place with the
capitol and the White House as the
three foremost national structures.
with a new character for each new
hour a different aspect for every
change of light and shade, the Wash
lngton monument seems to link heaven
and earth in the darkness, to pierce
the sky in the light and to stand an
immovable mountain peak as the mists
of every storm go driving by. With a
height of 555 feet, base Of 90 feet
feet at the base to 1S inches at the
top; with its interior lined with memo
rial stones from the several states,
from many famous organizations and
from q number of foreign countries |;
with its stately simplicity and the
high qualities of manhood 1t honors,
it is fitting that the aluminium tip that
caps it should bear the phrase Laus
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 a large col
umned pantheon to be used as mu-
scum for war relics 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 be
built, and everyone feels now that 1t
is good thing it was so, because a
building of any kind at its base would
only detract from its sublimity and
grandeur.
Washington himself selected the site
for the monument, but at that time
the intention was to erect an eques-
trian statue, which congress had voted
for in 1888. Nothing was done until
1888, when Chief Justice John Mar
shall headed a movement called the
washington Monument society,"" to
solicit funds to build it. 1t was then
the architect, Robert Mills, designed
an obelisk surmounting a colonnade of
Doric columns.
Some money was collected, but not
enough te build it as planned, so the
pantheon feature was abandoned and
work begun on the obelisk. The cor
ner stone, weighing twelve tons, was
laid July a, 184S, in the presence of
10000 people.
In 1855 the funds ran out and work
was stopped, and for twenty years the
partly constructed monument re-
mained an ugly stub. But the centen-
nial exposition of 1875 brought re-
vival of patriotism and there was a
nationwide demand that the monu-
ment be finished. Congress took hold
of It, funds were asked for from every
state, as well as contributions of stone
blocks with which to line the interior.
In 1880 work on the monument was
resumed, but on altered plans. The
foundations were enlarged and
strengthened and the shaft increased
In height. In 1884 it was finished at
total cost of S1,2OO,OOO.
Lower Walls is Feet Thick.
Following is a detailed description
Of the monument taken from the
d-McNally Guide to Washington
"The foundations are described as
constructed Of mass of solid blue
rock 146 feet square.
''The base of shaft is 55 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 80 feet
square. The inside Of the walls, as
far as they were constructed before
the work was undertaken by the gov