The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-08-05
ERICSSON SOON
To Be H0N0RED
MEMORIAL TO GREAT SWEDISH
AMERICAN INVENTOR WILL
BE IN WASHINGTON.
PROJECT DELAYED By WAR
James Earle Fraser Is the Artist
Creator Of the Imposing Monument
to Be Erected In the National
Capital.


to Be Erected In the National
Capital.
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.
Neutrality-suspicious. soon will be
started on another dignifed art
monument that is to be a part of the
ensemble Of governrnent-built art and
architectural masterpieces extending
west from the capitol TO the Potomac
river and lying just south of the
White House. The new structure will
be the memorial to John Ericsson, the
inventor and builder of the famous
Monitor.
Its nearest nelghbor will be the
new Lincoln memorial that Is to be
dedicated next winter, but others in
the ensemble are the Washington
monument. the new National museum,
the Smithsonian institution, the Freer
Art gallery and the Pan-American
building.
The Ericsson memorial is in honor
Of the man who first applied to naviga-
tion the principle of condensing
steam and returning the water to the
boiler; who invented the screw pro-
peller, thus revolutionizing navigation;
who built for the United States gov
eminent the screw-propelled warship
Princeton, the pioneer Of modern
naval construction.
The project of erecting the memorial
for Ericsson was started several
Gears ago, but was delayed by the war.
Congress appropriated $4,000 on the
understanding that Swedes In this
country would raise the remainder.
Since the armistice, Swedish societies
scattered over the whole country,
have raised $4,000 and now the work
is ready TO begin. With the co-opera-
ton Of the National Fine Arts com
mission, the site and character of
the Ericsson memorial were deter
mined upon after years consldera-
ton.
Frsser's Design Chosen.
known because of his design of the
buffalo nickel, won the competition
and is the artist-creator of the memo
rial. He also is known as the artist
who made fine Roosevelt bust, and
"The End of the Trail" The judges
of the contest, in which several sculp-
tors and artists of international repu-
tation were competitors, were Andrew
O'Connor and George Gray Barnard,
sculptors: Harvey Corbett. architect,
and August Franzen and Henry Reu-
terlahl, painters.
The mental attributes of Ericsson
were, as conceived by Mr.. Fraser.
vision, adventure and labos Vision
for the man who, in his minds eye,
saw what had not yet been seen; ad-
venture for the man who Jared forth
into this unknown realm to bring
therefrom new liberties and capacities
for man; and labor for the man whose
day-by-day effort. whose minute pa
thence cut the road between him and
achievement. These qualities are
represented by three figures grouped
compactly about the Tree of Yggdra-
sill. the "world tree" Of Morse my
thology.
The base OF the memorial Is a cir
cular floor, 80 feet in diameter. upon
which are inlaid In bronze the points
Of the marine compass. Set In the
middle of this is a square base, 20
feet by 20 feet, which in its turn sup
ports a smaller square.
Ericsson and Symbolic Figures.
The seated figure of Ericsson is
placed on the larger square so that
the back of his chair is against the
smaller one, which is indented to adj
nit It. His entire figure Is contem'
plative. The elbow of the left arm
rests on the smaller base. but the
hand. which is closed. is posed against
the body in a way that suggests readi-
ness for instant action whenever the
mind shall demand 1t. Around the
top OF this smaller base runs this In
scrfptlon: "In appreciation of John
Ericsson, inventor and builder Of the
Monitor: he revolutionized naviga-
ton by his invention of the screw
propeller"
Set upon this base is the circular
pedestal from which rise the three
symbolic figures. towering high above
the man whose mind and genius they
typIfy. The center of the compact
group is the Tree Yggdrasill, which Is
stuDted, gnarled. massive, as trees OF
the far North often are. OF the three
figures, Vision rises directly behind
and above Ericsson. II is a woman
whose far-seeing eyes and parted lips
betoken that perception and reception
OF an idea that we call inspiration
while her deilcately modeied body
with its suggestion OF qaiekiy In
taken breath. gives the same thought
fits more literal rendering. This figure
Is purely idealistic. belonging to the
realm OF thought Of any land. Adyen-
ture is the old Morse hero, with shield
and breast-plate and sword. and hfs
helmet winged. Labor 10 as definitely
American-the working cot in terms
Of human usefulness all that vision
- so..talI aud advanfurss ean reach.