The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-01-06

SAS ClLy lUf Tue CTGGllUn III Il
memorial TO the American
soldiers who took part in the
world war. In the form of some monu-
mental work of sculptural art. It's adj
vocateS, says the Kansas City Star
will find historic precedent worthy
OF study and pregnant with sugges
ton in the famous Trajan'S column at
Rome, which remains today after eight
cen centuries one OF the worlds me-
mortal wonders. In its original setting
II was but part OF magnificent sys-
TEN of public buildingS-two libraries,
the Basiica Ulpia and the temple of
IRA ian---which composed the forum
erected by the Roman emperor Trajan .
10 commemorate lis reign and to en- K
blazon his victories for posterity. The (
designer Of the great forum of Trajan /
was AppolodOruS, the Greek architect /
The name of the artist under whose I
inspired hand the column grew from
base to capital and who recorded in its
stones the martial deeds of his inn
perlal master has been forgotten. That
ne was Il Roman, however, is atteStei
by the fact that the column itself is
distInctively Roman in Its design ana
in its inspiration. Today, of all. the
splendid buildings and monuments that
composed the forum Of Trajan but olie
a''s ;at&"t, the great column which
is 10 story OF Trajan's achieve
Z, was after his ret,!rn from the Da-
hon 4
caused U be eTe IN tbs M.ds. #
III s0fua lie hal palt this column,
which N5s designed not only to ner-
rtsJuate the memcty a. his Dac.1n E.e-
iarcs but also &c ford u repository
Tor his dsiWs. Wf..h were placed 81
Il 0llen Urn IN Chamber under the
column. Surviving eighteen centuries
6f wars and the c3rrcdiag touch Of
time and OF "broils that root out the
work of masonry" Tie column OF
'Trajan is today one Of the most beau
1iful Of Roman works Of art and a
document in ston2 OF priceless value
TO the historian
10 Of Greeian Marble.
The ancient nGnie Of this famous
column was the Cblumna C0lchis, SO
called from its win.iing stairs like the
spiral of shell. by which ascent was
made from pedestal TO top. 1t is built
Of huge blocks of Greek marble. The
shaft, base and capital, not counting
the pedestal, which measured eighteen
feet in height, are exactly 100 Roman
feet high (ninety-seven and half
modern English). In diameter the
shaft measures twelve feet at the bet
tom, tapering gently 10 about ten fee,
under the capital On the top of the
capital, in its original form. stood 6
colossal gilt bronze statue of the EN-
peror, nearly twenty feet high. hold
ing an orb in one hand and spear
in the other. This statue was stoler
and carried away during one Of thu
inroads OF the Byzantine emperors il
the fifth century, and was replaced ii
the sixteenth century by the statue o
st. Peter, which now surmounts tn
column.
The tall pedestal on which the col
urnn is built is richly decorated wit
reliefs of arInor ana trophies takel
tablet carried by two figures of Vie
tory and upon it is the dedicatOry il
scriptiOn. At each angle above III
cornice of the pedetal is an eagle SUI
porting garland of flowers. Imm'
dlately beneath tho tablet is the doc
way TO the spiral staircase, lighted b
forty-two small OPENINGS. The wine
sya.x at SsCt re ST.
central newell, all of solid marble.
AS beautiful WORK of sculpture
beauty az is the pedestal itself, Ii
part OF the column which most move
the modern beholder to wonder an
establishment is the shaft whic
standing on the tomb OF the empero
rises with its mass of relief wrougl
figures O hundred feet in the air.
is formed Of twcnty-three drums
marble, arranged in spiral bands
rcliefs, which climb the column to Il
feet Of the statue of the emperor whit
formerly stood upon is capiti
Wrought into these stones are me
than $500 figures, besides n great nu
her Of background accessories work
out with great mlnuteness Of dcta
the figures varying in height FRI
three feat at the bottom to nenrly ia
feet IT the top. The sculptures rcn
sent the complete history of Train
twO DaClan campaigns. upon VIII
his military renown rests, and {
aforr is tald in stone as q iis'or.
IaigAt ten It By tie written v.oyi