Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-26

- - 49,. 80
of Lincoln, the other his second in.
augura1 address. Both of these are
carved on tablets of the same sort OF
marble that is used in the statue and
its base.
Henry Bacon was the architect OF
the Lincoln memorial. He, too. al
though a native Of Illinois, now makes
his home in New York. The first
work on the memorial and the general
design of the whole was left to his
capable hands.
The memorial cost all told $780,
600. OF this amount the architect re-
ceived $685. 900, the sculptor $3.50 ono,
and the artist $4,000. The remainder
OF the sum was spent in actual con-
s~truction of the edifice. the approaches
to it, and the rejecting pool to the
east of the building.
The memorial is located on the axis
of the capitol and the Washington
monument, in accordance with the
early plans for making and keeping the
capital a place of beauty. A stones
throw to the west of the building is
the Potomac river.
The business of erecting this new
est shrine of beauty in Washington has
been going forward constantly since
uoAy 4%y 4O4I, WACA NIL AdIl,
then president of the Lincoln Memorial
commission, turned the first spadeful
Of earth on the site. The very founda-
ton of the memorial is of interest from
q scientific point of view. Instead of
the ordinary excavation, 1928 steel
cylinders were driven down through
the earth until each one reached and
rested firmly on bedrock.
Care Taken With Foundation
These cylinders were driven down
much as wooden piles are driven into
the ground. The cylinders then were
filled with concrete. A year was occu-
pied with this part of the work. This
time was sufficient to complete not
only the underground part Of the foun-
dation, but 45 feet Of it which rises
above the surrounding ground level.
For this Colorado-Ya al marble OBJ
tanned 5000 feet above sea level was
used. By filling in with earth, the
group was brought up to the top of
the foundation level placing the struc-
ture at the top Of a gently sloping
artificial hill.
The roof Of the memorial is an inter-
esting departure in such construction.
1t is of marble cut in slabs five feet
long, three feet wide, and only three
eighths of an inch thick. Through this
the sunlight easily enters, softened and
diffused. This was an experiment, but
proved to be a highly successful one.
The SO marble pillars surrounding
the building on the outside are symbols
of the states of the union at the time
of Lincoln's death. Above this colon
made, at regular intervals, are As me-
f~estoons, representing the states
of the union today. The columns around
the outside of the building are a feet
high, and seven feet in diameter. The
inside are so feet high, and
five and a half feet in thickness.
The Lincoln memorial is already
as one of the capitals out
standing beauty spots. On sunny aft
ernoons the roads which offer changing
views of it are thronged with sight
seers. From the city it appears as
a great Greek temple with the blue
Potomac, the Virginia hills, and
glimpses of Arlington as a classic
background. This tribute to the Great
is a fitting companion
to the nearby monument to
Washington, and in future the two viii
share in the homage of patriotic pill
prlms. |