Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-12-25

memorial itself was begun. a task which
| has proceeded without interruption fol-
four years. The marble came from the
Rocky Mountains In Colorado. 5000 fee,
above the sea level. and Is called Colo
rado-Yule marble Many of the blocks
especially of the columns. are very large,
the largest being 1871 feet by six feet
The roof OF the memorial Is unique, being
Of white marble slabs less than one inch
In thickness and so prepared In n white
wax solution that II admits the light.
! While the work on the memorial itself
was proceeding In Washington, Mr..
Daniel G. French. the sculptor. and Jules
Guerin. the artist, were busy in their
New York studios. the one modelling the
statue and the other painting the decora :
tons. The statue, which is being in
stalled this month, Is a seated figure,
heroic In size The total height Of the
figure and the pedestal above the floor of
the memorial Is more than 30 feet. The
statue was cut In Georgia marble and
weighs $50 tons. Mr. Guerin's two dec
orations are each twelve feet high by
sixty feet long. The artist was compelled
TO build a special studio In which to paint
the panels. He did all Of the work him
self The decorations. when completed
were rolled on drums and expressed from
New York to Washington and put In
place.
CENTER PILLAR DEDICATED TO
BAY STATE
The memorial can be seen to-day from
almost any vantage point about Wash
ington. When the grounds are completed
and everything Is In place 1t will rise
many feet above the tops of trees which
will surround 1t, even when they are full
grown. By means of openings In the en-
circling foliage 1t will be seen In It's en-
tirety from six different approaches. Its
whole eastern and western facadee will
be exposed to view, the former toward
the Washington Monument and the lat
ter toward the Potomac River and the
hills Of Arlington, where rest thousands
OF the men who fought that the negro
might be freed.
The visitor who approaches the memo
rial IL impressed by the beauty and the
size of the structure. He sees a row of
great. white marble columns about the
memorial and If he is inquisitive he learns
that the columns ire ~ feet high by Z
feet, inches diameter at their base and
that the colonnade is 1873 feet long by lis
feet wide. The total height of the struc-
ture above the base Of the terrace Is 1902
feet. If he comes from the Bay State
he notes with no little pride that the col
umn directly in front Of the entrance Is
dedicated to Massachusetts.
The top step to the memorial supports
on it's outer edge a Greek Dorlc colon
made OF sc columns. symbolizing the
"a pf In
a State existing at the time of Lincoln
death, This colonnade surrounds the
wall Of the Memorial Hall. At the top of
the wall is a decoration. supported at
intervals by eagles. Of AZ memorial fes-
toons, one for each State in the Union
to-day. These features of the exterior
design represent the Union as originally
formed, as it was at the triumph of Lin
coins life and as 1t was when authority
was granted to erect memorial to his
memory. The cumulative symbols house
as their kernel the memorials Of Lincoln's
great qualities, which are so portrayed
to mankind that devotion, integrity,
charity. patience. intelligence and
humaneness find incentive to growth.
VISITOR ALONE WITH THE STATUE
Each feature of the memorial is relat-
and position, and each is so arranged
that it becomes an integral part Of the
whole. thus attaining unity and SIM
plicity in appearance. BY means Of iso-
lation each feature impresses the behold
er with its greatest force. The most
important object Is the statute OF Lincoln.
which Is placed in the center of the me-
mortal. By virtue of its imposing posi-
ton in the place Of honor. the gentleness.
power and intelligence Of the man, ex-
pressed as far as possible by the sculp-
tors art. predominates. The portion Of
the memorial where the statue is placed
is occupied by no other object to detract
from its effectiveness. and the visitor is
alone with it.
The smaller halls at each side of the
central space contain a single memorial
each-one of the second inaugural and
the other of the Gettysburg address
These speeches are shown by bronze let
tiers arranged on a monumental tablet,
and adjacent low reliefs or decorations
relate in allegory Lincolns great quail
tiles evident In the speeches. While these
memorials can be seen from any part of
the hall. they are partially screened from
the central portion, where the statue is
placed. by means of Ionic columns, giving
certain isolation to the space they oc-
cupy and thereby augmentng their i'm
portance. The intent Of the memorial
is to strengthen in the hearts of all who
enter 1t the feelings OF reverence and
honor for the memory of Abraham Lin
coin.