, 1924-06-25
Declaration" at
Last Has Worthy
Permanent Home
Wanderings of Famous Doc
ument Finally Brought
to an End.
Charter of American Liberties
Enshrined in Library
of Congress at
Washington.

Outi recently, pTODaDly mo- one
person In a thousand could tell what
had become Of Americas most famous
document, the Declaration of indie
pendence. Very few people have ever
seen 1t. This is not surprising. for
since 1894 IL has beer locked away
from public view in q steel case under
the care of the secretary of state at
Washington. This had to be done on
account of the serious condition of the
aged In Its travels from one place to
another thai it was feared 1t might
eventually fall to pieces.
But now the document has been
placed in a permanent shrine In the
library of congress at Washington.
where Americans of future genera
lions will be able to see with their
own eyes this charter Of their liberty.
says a writer in the New York Times
Magazine. The shrine itself. a work
of architectural beauty. has been de-
signed to give the Declaration as much
protection as possible from risk Of
fire and from the danger of deteriora-
tion by exposure to the light.
Enclosed In a metal case In a niche
of marble. the parchment document
Is covered with two sheets of heavy
plate glass, virtually ~unbreakable. be-
tween which there is a transparent
film OF gelatin which neutralizes the
nctlnic rays of light. and should pre-
vent further fading. Bronze doors.
which can be opened or closed at will,
pIya fttrfhnr medication 70 tho shrtnn
which Is fianked on both sides by
handsome bronze eagles.
Shrine Worthy Of Document.
Grayish-black York mable. quarried
near Plattsburg. n. Y. forms the back.
ground of the shrine, which bears In
gold letters the inscription "The
Declaration of Independence and the
Constitution of the United States
The document Of the Constitution
Declaration. which is set in the wall
about three feet from the ground. the
whole shrine being surrounded by a
white marble rail.
The shrine was unveiled on Febru-
ary IS by the chief librarian OF the
library of congress. The President
was there, with Mrs. Coolidge. the
secretary of state, and many members
of congress, but the ceremony was
notable by reason OF Its simplicity
Thus quietly and ~unobtrusively ttso
Declaration Of Independence was
brought. after years OF wandering. to
n permanent and appropriate resting
place, where II will remind the thou
sands who pass before 1t OF the prin'
cIples for which our fathers fought
and died.
Its %migrntions under the stress OF
war are In themselves interesting. and
30 bound up with the early history
OF the country that II is worth while
TO recall them.
The Declaration, after II was signed
was given into the care of Charles
Thomson. secretary OF the Continental
congress. and kept In his Office in the
PENNSYLVANIA state house. which aft.
erward became known us I%ndepend'
ence hail. within n few months. In
December, IT76. the British forced
Washington back over the Delaware
and congress moved TO Baltimore. TAX.
ing the Declaration and other impor'
tant papers with 1t In a light wagon.
Forced to Move Again.
As soon us the British had been
driven back. congress returned hui
was Obliged 10 leave again within ri,
months on cou OF General Ttowe's
arrival with large relnforcemen,s
This time the government moved to
Lancaster. Pa. and then to York. Pa.