Evening star., 1936-01-12

necessary to the execution Of the 1901
plan would seriously endanger the
stability of the foundation of this
gigantic shaft.
DR.. Moore contends that the WASH
ington Monument, which does not rest
upon solid rock, should be underpinned
to firm foundations. Then. he says.
anything desired can be accomplished
without disturbing the shaft.
To the south of the Monument, on
the axis of the White House. says Mr..
Partridge, following LEnfant's scheme
for the gardens of the President, eX-
tending to the river. the Mcmillan
planners proposed the Washington
Common, having at its south end a
memorial to the founders of the Re-
public. This site is now under con-
sideration fZ the memorial to Thomas
Jefferson. While this would consider
ably change the shape of the present
Tidal Basin, it is not impossible of full
f1llment, he declares.
"One can say that with the excep-
ton of some details, if the Washing.
ton Common and the southern arm
Of the cross are completed, the McMil-
Ian plan is we'll on its way to being
carried out as nearly as changed con-
ditions will permit" declares Mr..
Partridge.
WITH the Lincoln Memorial and
w Rejecting Basin awaiting only
-
Building for completion, and the Mall
waiting only the growth Of the trees
to be planted for its full effect, we
who have followed for years the for
tunes of the Mcmillan plan can hardly
realize so much has been accomplished
! in our lifetime and that what has been
| done follows so closely the original
plan"
Faithfully adhering to the 1901 COM
mission program are the creation Of
the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway,
the extension of Rock Creek Park,
Potomac and Anacostia Parks and the
ambitious design for a park system
embracing Great Falls.
| What manner of men made the Nc
MILAN Park Commission and its far.
reaching aspirations possible?
Daniel Hudson Burnham. whose
span of life ran from September I,
1848, to June /, 1912, was the chair
man of the experts. Although he
failed to pass his entrance examina.
tions for Harvard and Yale, these
educational institutions in later years
! laI hi ~
chitect with honorary degrees. For q
time he prospected for gold in Me-
vada, but with ill success, yet the
Chicago fire of 1871 gave him his op.
portunity The demand for archi.
tects in the rebuilding was great and
with his partner, he travelled the rosf
to fame 1t is said that his Montaus
Building in Chicago was the first "sky.
scraper,' but in the East his name and
fame are remembered for his Flatiron
Building IN New York City.
The World Columbian Exposition
in 1893 was to commemorate the 400th
anniversary of the discovery of Amer
lea, and Burnham was chief Of con-
struction. Frederick Law Olmsted was
selected to choose a site on the shores
of Lake Michigan and McKim was
associated in the great task Of build.
ing a wonder city there. Burnham
and McKim grew to be stanch friends
and they shared their enthusiasm for
the stimulation of Greater Washing
ton as, well as the American Academy
in Rome. Hailed as the most sue.
cessful architect in America, Burn
ham was elected to the presidency Of
the American Institute of Architects
He had been commissioned to design
the new railroad station here and he
gave his services to Manila, Cleveland
and San Francisco for civic betterment
He evolved the plan of Chicago now
being carried out. He suggested Henry
Bacon as the architect for the Lincoln
Memorial and in later years Burnham
served as a member of the Fine Arts
Commission. At his death he was its
chairman.
ICHARLES FOLLIN McKIM was
born August "a, 1847. in Pennsyl-
vania and at his death on September
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