Evening star., 1937-07-25
By John Claeetf Proctor.

Gated Pacific Circle, although under
another name it is still In the same
place. right in the heart of the city, its
present name being Dupont Circle,
which will be readily recognized by
every one.
Back in 1882, when it was pro-
posed to erect statue of Rear Ad-
niral Samuel Francis Dupont in this
circle, Congress thought that the
name of this reservation should be
changed to the name of the man
whose statue was to grace the in
closure, and this was accordingly
done
1t took a few years to get the red
tape unWound, of course, and to have
the statue made. and finally the day
for unvelllng arrived. And this day
was December 20, 1884. 1t was bitter
cold, the Potomac being frozen over
all the way from Washington to
Alexandra. But this did not prevent
President Arthur and many distin-
guished guests from Drawing the ele-
ments. though it does seem that a
different time of the year would best
have been selected for an event of
this kind.
The piercing wind" says an old
account, which blew up the broad
conrerglng avenues and across Du-
pont Circle yesterday made the POM
pous ceremonies of unveiling another
statue seem more perfunctory than
ever. The stand was prettily draped
by the Wyandotte and Dispatch sail
ors, and some of the neighboring res
licences had been gay in honor of the
event. The President and cabinet
were somewhat tardy. When they
appeared on the platform the bugle
corps of the Maine Band played the
usual welcome, which was immedi-
ately followed by Rossinis 'Stabat
Mater by the full band, with cornet
solo by Jaegar. 1t was a grand per-
formance and brought forth merited
applause.
S SOON as the music had died
away, Secretary Chandler
stepped to the front of the grand
stand and said; We have assembled to
honor the memory of one of the naval
heroes of the War for the Union,
Samuel Francis Dupont, who entered
the Navy in 1915 as a boy of IL
and died in the service in 1865, rear
admiral. His faithful labors for his
country, his patience. dignity and
loyalty under trying circumstances.
and his important achievements in
battle against the enemy have made
his name illustrious. The Congress
has ordered that his statue shall be
here erected, an enduring memorial
OF his virtues, his valor and his
patriotism
After the remarks of Secretary
Chandler, he called upon Rev. DR.,
Leonard, who was dressed in full epis-
copal robes and offered up a fittin.
prayer. Immediately after the PRAYER
two sailors, stationed on either side
OF the pedestal, seized the ropes that
held the covering around the statue
and at the signal pulled them awav
the appearance of the figure being
greeted by salute from the military
and applause of the spectators.
AS soon as the applause died avav
secretary Chandler introduced SEN
ator Bayard of Delaware as the orator
OF the day. 1t took the Senator inst
one hour and 10 minutes to deliver
his address, he standing all the time
uncovered in the intense cold. The
spectators, especially those on the
erandstand, were the pictures of do
spair, the cold making their faces
appear in all sorts of shapes and
grlmaces. Secretary Frelinghuvsen
vas the only member of the cabinet
who retreated, retiring early from the
scene, but the rest of the gathering
0'ithstood the blast and the snow that
fell toward the close like so manv
veterans.
AT the conclusion of Senator
Bayards address the Marine Band
struck up Hail to the Chief, while a
rear admlrals salute was fired from
the artillery stationed on P street
The military parade consisted of the
Marine Battalion, with full band and
bugle corps, commanded by Col. Nc
Cauley and Lieuts. Harrington, Nichol-
son and Turner, a detachment of
sailors from the Navy Yard supplied
with cutlasses and Dupont Post, No
2. G. A. r., of Wilmington, Del, under
charge of Comdr Emmons. Most of
the Army and Navy officers on duty
here we're present in uniform as were
also many diplomats"
WELL, it is surprising what
change in sentiment a few
years will bring about, and so we find
that in less than 81 years the statue
Of Admiral Dupont. then considered
an artistic achievement, was taken
down and removed from the city and
in its place was erected white marble
fountain, upon which are figures rep
resenting the sea, the wind and the
stars.
OF course, no one with an eye for
the beautiful could other than praise
this memorial as a work Of art, espe-
cially when we know that Daniel
Chester French, who made that mar
velous statue of the Great Emanci-
pator in the Lincoln Memorial, was
also its sculptor, Henry Bacon the
architect and that Piccirrilli brothers
were the marble workers But this
Is there and speaks for itself, while
the heroic bronze figure, formerly on
the site, is probably in one of the
Parks of Wilmington, Del, where The
Star, at the time of its removal, said
1t would be placed.
The statue, placed in the circle in
1884, was the work Of Launt Thomp-
son. an artist of rare ability, of whom
1t has been said:
Another sculptor of great ability
owes his first instruction in the plas-
tic art to Palmer-Launt Thompson
He was poor lad who early showed
art instincts, but was employed in the
office Of Dr Armsby, until Palmer
stated one Gay that he was in search