Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-30

duCtiOn occupied thrce years time.
Surrounding ths exterior walls
inclosing these memorials II n
colonnadc forming a SYM
bol OF tho union. each column repre-
scnting one ~ the 80 States existing
at tho time OF Lincoln's death. ON
tho outer walls above tho colonnadc
and supported Mt intervals by eagles
are ~ fcstoons. one for each State
existing mt tho present time.
At one end Of the great axis. plan
ned over "A century ago. is the capitol
of tho nation. which In the monument
of tho government. nnd n mile west
ward from the capitol Ia tho 5b5-foot
granite shaft which n the monument.
to George Washington. Now. on this
same Rrcnt axis half n milo west Of
tho Washington Monument stands
tho Lincoln Memorial. This completes
an unparalleled composition, a tril-
oEy which imparts 10 each OF It's
monuments n value In addition 10 that
which each standing alone Possesses.
More than n dozen years ago Po-
tomac Park. ono of the most import
ant units OF Washinston's great park
system, and which lies along the Po-
tomac river, was first suggested as
tho site for a memorial to Lincoln,
Tho late John Hay. one OF Lincoln's
secretaries and biographers. and later
Secretary OF State of the United
States, favored Its selection. In ex-
pressing his approval. he wrote:
AS I understand It. the place OF
/ kAn L. k, .I,, tr. ,,f
Lincoln. OF all Americans next to
Washington. deserved this place OF
honor. He was OF the immortals. You
must not approach too close to the
immortals. His monument should
stand alone, remote from the common
habitations OF man, apart from the
business and turmoil OF the city--iso
| lated, distinguished and serene. Oi
nil the sites this one, near the Po
tomac, In most suited TO the purpose.
BY means OF terraces the groundi
around the site are raised until th'
floor OF the memorial itself is 45 fee
higher than the grade OF Potomac
Park. A circular terrace, 1000 fec
In diameter, first rises above the park
on its outer edge stand four concen
trio rows OF trees. leaving n plateat
In tho centre T55 feet I'm diameter. I
the centre OF this plateau. surrounds
by widc rosdweys and walks, rises a
eminence supporting rectanRula
stone terrace wall IL feet high. rs
feet long and 1sG feet Wide. On thi
rectangular terrace rises the whit
marble memorial. All the foundation
OF the steps. terraces and memoirs
are built on concrete piling whic
extends down to solid rock.
, Rising from this rectangular tor
race three steps, each eight feet higl
form platform measuring 204 fe.
, I'm length and 1s4 feet I'm width. q
this platform stand the rs column
, symbolizins the Union, which enclos
I the memorial hall walls and suppo
, the upper portion of the building bea
ing the festoons representing the el
3 listing AZ States This colonnade Ia II
, feet long and is feet wide. the column
{ being ~ feet high and seven feet. fi'
= inches in diameter at their bases.
within the colonnade stands u
white memorial hall, measuring II
feet In length and 81 feet In widt
I inside tho building tho central ha
n whore the statue Of Lincoln alta nds
90 foot wide. 10 feet long md so 70
I high, while tho halls whore tho IN
MORALS OF the speeches arc plso.
= src 81 feet long, ~ feet wide and
feet high; four Ionic columns sep,
rating each OF these halls from Z,
central hall. Tho colopnaded el
Q trance to tho memorial hall In <5 fe
: wide ana ~ feet high.
To tho eastward OF the memoirs
c at the foot OF the series OF steps lea
y ing from the entrance and extendir
toward the Washington Monument
a lagoon. or rcfecting basin. 20
g feet long and 4s0 feet wide. In
q waters Is reflected from one end q
i Lincoln Memorial and from the 9th
IL end the Washington Monument
J, pictured. 1t In from two to three fe
= deep, its floors OF dark material. ma
II ing the water Rs reflective as mirr,
= Splendid elm trees line both sides
= tho rejecting basin.
The grounds surrounding the IN
l. mortal slope up gently TO the windil
d walk which encircles the entire stru
ture. Rare specimens OF boxwot
'e trees. nesting in the corners OF I
% temple. are each nearly 100 years {
H. and cost about $1,000 apiece. Ea
J. tree planted about the memorial is
l. selected specimen OF great age.
r. The movement for the constructi
ie of the memorial WAS begun I'm IL
" and in 1910 the late Senator Shel
H. NJ. Cullom OF Illinois. friend OF Il
IL coin, introduced in the Senate the
ye