Evening star., 1926-05-30
ERICSSON STATUE
BESET BY DELAYS
Selection of Site Was Held
Up Pending Adoption of
Bridge Plans.
BY WILLIAM j. WHEATLEY.

L
in Washington over course OF many
years has been fraught with such set
backs and delays as was that to John
Ericsson, which was unveiled In the
exercises held here yesterday. In
stead of the permanent group figures
and the models of Ericsson in granite,
the works exposed to view were the
plaster casts made by the sculptor,
tinted in pink to show their final ap-
pearzlnce when the pink granite Is
cut in the future.
From the day the contract for the
erection of the memorial was given
to James Z. Fraser of New York, the
sculptor, on May 10, 1921, the plans
for completion were continuously de-
layed, principally because of the fail
ure on the part of the Government
to select a suitable site, which was
finally determined at 500 feet south
Of the Lincoln Memorial. on the drive
skirting the Potomac River in West
Potomac Park. The final site was
not selected until February 4, 1924,
and the delay was caused because OF
the necessity of considering its lOca-
ton in connection with the Arlington
Memorial Bridge and its approaches.
Authorized in 1916.
Congress in an act passed August 81,
1915. which, provided for an appro-
priation of $35 900 and also permitted
of the acceptance of $25.000 in fourth
Liberty loan bonds from the John
Ericsson Memorial Commission, being
the proceeds of contributions from
Americans of Scandina Wan descent in
this country to be applied toward the
erection of the memorial. 1t appoint
ed commission consisting of the
chairmen of the committees on IL
brary of the Senate and House and
the Secretary of the Navy. The John
Ericsson memorial committee selected
the design for the memorial from
models submitted in competition by
three invited sculptors. which was ap-
proved by the governmental commits
sion in the Spring of 1921. when the
contract was given to Mr.. Fraser.
Owing to the pending plans for the
Arlington Bridge, he was not permit
ted to proceed, and it was not until
he early part of 1924 that it was
finally determined upon, although the
sculptor only had three years to COM
plete it and two of them had gone
He was granted an indefinite delay
because of this failure of the Govern
ment' s part.
1t became necessary to change cer-
tain of the plans for roadways in
West Potomac Park and to build Il
new seawall out further in the river
followed by an earth fill. When it
came time to sink the piles on which
the concrete base for the memorial
rested, it was found that 1t was di-
rectly over the old seawall, and the
riprap work had to be removed so
the piles could be driven. But the
Government prepared the site with
out expense to the contractor. The
pile driving started on December 81
1924, and shortly after that the
original date for the dedication was
set for May 1, 1926.
Definite Date Demanded.
Work went slowly onward after the
selection of the site. and pressure was
made on Mr.. Fra ser to hasten the
work on the models so that the dedi.
cation could be held on May /, last.
but. for unexplained reasons, the
work was not completed, and as the
time approached it became necessary
10 take drastic action, because of the
great number of distinguished peo.
PIE from all parts of the country who
Planned TO come here to participate
IN the ceremonies, and particularly in
view or the necessity of selecting a
Date which could be depended unon
ior the participation in the cere.
MONIES of Crown Prince Gustavus
Adolphus and Crown Princess Louise
Alexandra.
Inc great blocks of granite ONT or
Mhich the superimposed figures were
70 De cut, as well as the model of
ericsson, We're placed on the SPOT. and
10 hasten the work it was determined
20 send the smaller block to Mr.
tfaSers New York studios to be cut
mere, but as the time for the dedica
tion rapidly approached 1t was found
tnat this could not be done, and the
plaster models were shipped to Wash.
inSton by motor truck. Mr.. Fraser
then recommended that the plaster
models be put in place. because hasty
work on the stone cutting might re-
suit dlSaStrouSly, and as late as April
> or this year it was decided by the
Ericsson Memorial Commission to
have the models put in place, to tint
them to the color of the final memo.
rial and to unveil them. The commits.
sion determined upon this after three
propositions were submitted to them:
TO unveil the memorial in an unfin-
ished state, to unveil the models or to
postpone the unveiling again.
Obviously as late as March 6 of this
year. when the positive action became
necessary because of the elaborate
plans that had already been made to
unveil today, the unveilng could not
be called off, and the commission was
practically forced to the action it took.
This made it necessary to move the
great blocks of granite from their loca.
tion at the memorial and move them
some distance aside, so that they
would not interfere with the unveiling
ceremonies.
Has Cost $37, 800.
TO date the architectural fees on the
ton $500 and the pedestal and set
ting $4,000, or a total of $37,500.
The full sized group for the me-
mortal was not approved by the Ma
tional Commission of Fine Arts until
February IS, 1926, when they were
inspected in the New York studio of
Mr.. Fraser. at which time they had
just been completed. 1t was shortly
after that that Mr.. Fraser made
known the information that he could
not complete the memorial in time and
hasty plans had to be made for the
dedication Of the models in plaster.
The architect of the memorial was
Albert Ross of New York; the con-
tractor the Raymond Concrete Pile
Co., Of New York, and the stone cut
ting Is to be done by Ardolino
Brothers Of New York.
The memorial is to be of pink Mil
ford granite. Seated in the chair set
back in the great pedestal Of granite
is the figure of Ericsson, in a posture
of thought. Superimposed are three
life sized models of female figure
representing Vision; a male figure of
Labor. in working clothes and with
distended muscles, and another, Ad-
venture in the position of advance,
arnaad NTH Slaiald a,,d s,1.rn,.d