Evening star., 1924-07-13

tioidi capital as IL Is now DelnS worked
out after being rescued from oblivion
and improved upon by more modern
artists the word science" was regard
ed by most persons as being almost
synonymous with witchery and atheism.
Today, more than century after the
famous French engineer laid his ideas
before Americas first President. one of
the first units to be completed along
the broad parkway laid out by L'Enfant
is the shimmering white temple facing
the Mall. dedicated to the achievements
of science in America-the magnificent
home of the National Academy of
Sciences and the National Research
Council. Impressive in the lovely SIM
plicity of its lines and design, Slistening
white in the flashing rays of the sun,
almost awe-inspiring meath the mellow
light of the moon. it is truly shrine,
thing of unsurpassed beauty and
worthy companion to its stately neigh
Dor just across the Mall--the Lincoln
Memorial. But the National Academy
of Sciences is even more than shrine |;
it is house of a thousand wonders.
Aside from its architectural beauty
and its Importance as the home of two
of the greatest scientific organizations
in the world, one of it's prime purposes
is to serve as a means of keeping the
public in touch with the progress of
science and to demonstrate the inn
portance of research. 1t is the national
focus of science and research in this
hemisphere.
Within it's many rooms science has
unlocked the great treasure chest of its
wonders and laid bare to public gaze
the story of it's achievements, brought
to view the genii that have worked
wonders that stagger the imagination
and only a century back would prob
ably have resulted in their originators
being thrown into prison, if not actually
executed, for having practiced witch
craft. Il
T EFT us wander slowly through
the academy and see what we shall
find. Turning into the washed gravel
walk, We are first attracted byI three
marble reflection pools, one rising above
the other, filled with water of most
beautiful blue tint. For the present the
blue is obtained by dropping copper
compound into the water. Later, how :
ever, as soon as the furnaces can be
gauged to make a product of the proper
color, specially prepared blue tile will
pave the bottom and sides of the res
ervoirs.
A striking doorway beckons US within,
and as we pass beneath the portal we
find carved above it: 1.-THE National
Academy of Sciences. The National
Research Council"
Before disappearing into the fascinat-
ing halls Of the temple, however there
are things to intrigue the imagination
outside. The great bronze doors that
guard the entrance during the hours
the academy is closed are in themselves
wonder, perhaps one Of the finest
specimens of their kind in America.
Massive in structure, they tell a
story in picture form. The first things
to strike our fancy are eight figures,
which represent eight characters of out
standing Importance in the history of
science-Aristotle, the great scientist
of his time; Galileo, inventor of the
telescope; Lyell. far-famed geologist;
Watt, inventor of the steam engine;
Euclid, the father of mathematics and
geometry; Newton, discoverer of the
laws of gravity; Darwin, father of the
theory Of evolution, and Pasteur. the
man who laid the foundation for the
bacteria theory of disease.
Neatly arranged around them are a
score or more of other figures, one of
which, a very careful observer will
notice, seems to be turned upside
down All, an error, even in the Ma
tional Academy of Sciences" he may
think. But closer inspection will re-
veal that it is not an error but a bas-
relief of Icarus, the worlds first
known would-be aviator.
1t may be remembered that Icarus
thought he could conquer the air
merely by attaching a pair of wings
to his arms. He found that he could
not, to his sorrow, and the engraving
shows him shooting head first to a
realization that the laws of gravity
are stronger than wings.
Prominent among the other figures
in the smaller group are bas-reliefs
or the architect Bertram Grosvenor
Goodhue of New York, and the sculp-
tor, Lee Lawrie. Mr.. Goodhue lived
just long enough to see his dream
building completed, and died a short
time before it was dedicated in the
presence of high officials.
One might spend an hour or more
wandering around the outside, study
ing the bronze tablets and figures that
adorn the face of the structure.
X x
RUT even more fascinating crea-
~ tions await us inside. Before
leaving the charm of the massive
main entrance. however, it would be
interesting to interpret the inscrip-
ton, which is in Greek, engraved un-
der the cornice of the front facade.
1t Is a quotation from Aristotle:
"The search for Truth is in one way
hard and in another easy. For 1t Is
evident that no one can master 1t
fully nor miss it wholly. But each
adds little to our knowledge Of ma
ture, and from all the facts assembled
there arises a certain grandeur"
Upon passing into the main corri-
dor, we are attracted by a series of
four grilled bronze doors, the figures
forming their centers being the twelve
= signs of the Zodiac, every detail of
the building being a new chapter in
the story Of science. Four bronze
lights, symbolic in appearance of the
bowls in which the vesta1 virgins
kept the fires of virtue glowing in
the days of antiquity. provide illumi-