Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 77, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1902 — SHAFT TO HERO DEAD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SHAFT TO HERO DEAD

INDIANA DEDICATES GREAT MONUMENT OF MARBLE. Erected at Indianapolis in Memory of State’s Patriotic Sons Throngs of People Gather to Attend the Exercises—Veterans Escort Colors. A Indianapolis correspondence: With tears of gratitude and tender memories of the dark days when civil discord was tugging at the heartstrings of

the nation, Indiana Thursday formally dedicated the tail white shaft in Monument place as a tribute to her soldier and sailor dead and a patriotic legacy to the living and future generations. With silent admiration ’ thousands of her sons aud daughters looked upon that mag-

nificent monument in contemplation of its meaning and then turned away firmly convinced that nations are sometimes grateful for the sacrifices of their citizens. For longer than a decade the people of Indiana have watched the growth of that memorial and have looked forward to the time when they could point at the marble shaft which rears its head above the surrounding buildings, towering far above the neighboring church spires, and say with pride: “Indiana at least is ever grateful to and mindful of the men who in the dark days of the rebellion forsook their daily vocations to bear arms in defense of the Union.” Thursday dawned the realization of that hope, when under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic, with the assistance of tjie veterans of three wars and the State military and civic organizations, this memorial shaft was unveiled. People gathered from all parts of the State to witness the dedicatory exercises

anti see the veterans -bear the battle scarred flags from the capitol to the monument. They came by the tens of thousands to swell the number of visitors who had gathered earlier in the week on account of the twenty-third annual encampment of the Indiana G. A. R. The Indiana National Guard was encamped at the State fair grounds,

in the outskirts of the city, and its members joined in the parade with the volunteers of the Spanish war, and those who have since served in the Philippines lent an additional interest to.the events of the day. Gen. Eli Torrence, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, partici-

pated in the exercises. and addressed the veterans of the Spanish and Philippine wars at a campfire in Tomlinson Hall, for impressiveness it was not to be compared with that short line of gray-hair-Gov. Nash of Ohio was another distinguished guest.

The escort of the colors to the monument was the first Of the three big parades of the day. It was composed almost wholly of veterans. The other parades excelled in show and pomp, lint ed, halting men, who, with drooping ahnuldera and unateaJy hand, followed the old battle flags through tile streets. The escort to the. State colors was made up of veterans of the Mexican war. This parade, as was the one in the afternoon, was in charge of Gen. James It. Carnahan. It was after 10 o’clock when the veterans reached the monument, and it required some time for them to reach their places on the grand stand reserved for them. Gov. Winfield T. Durbin presid*l Uut dtadUrtUUU. ever. i«.-s and iOORev. D. R. Lucas, past chaplain in chief of the Grand Army, had invoked the divine blessing on the assembled multitude. Gov. Durbin in a brief address presented Gen. Lew Wallace as the presiding officer of the day. , John W. Foster of Washington. D. U.. former Secretary of State, delivered the oration. Gustavus Y. Menzies of Mount Vernon, on the part of the board-of control of the monument, delivered to the State and Gov. W. T. Durbin made the speech of acceptance. James Whitcomb Riley read a poem written for the occasion, entitled “The Soldier." The parade was from the capitol to the

monument, where the veterans of font wars massed around the pedestal for the vesper services, in which the “Last March of the Battle Flags” was an impressive feature. The chimes on Christ’s Church played "Soldier, Rest! Thy Warfare O’er.” The color guards of the old regiment were tenderly bearing the tattered flags back to their permanent resting place in the capitol building, while the tens*of thousands of people along the way stood with uncovered heads bowed in reverence. ,j DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT. Shaft Is Among the Most Imposing Military Memorials in the World. The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument that the State of Indiana has erected at Indianapolis is among the most imposing, artistic and beautiful military monuments in the world. It is intended as a

lasting memorial to the sons ,qf the State who fought during the Civil War. The monument stands in the center of Governor’s Circle, two squares east of the capitol. It is built on a terrace 11 feet high and 101 feet in diameter and rises to a height of 284 feet. The shaft is surmounted by a bronze statue of Victory 38 feet tall. The diameter of the

first section of the shaft is 40 feet at the base, 35 feet at the top. The shaft proper begins at a point fifty-nine feet from the ground, with a diameter of 32 feet, which becomes gradually reduced until at the capital the diameter is 12 feet 6 inches. Just below the capital a bronze astragal bears the dates 1801, 1802, 1803 and IW4 on the four different sides of the shaft. These are lighted at night. Midway of the shaft is a second astragal in bronze emblematic of the navy, and farther down a third astragal in bronze represents the army. The monument is constructed of the peculiar limestone discovered in Indiana quarries in the last few years and which has generally been substituted for granite. The particular variety selected fpr the monument is almost cream white In color and takes a good polish. It is much less expensive and more easily worked than granite and is said to be far mare durable. Even fire does not affect it. The idea of building the monument first took shape in 1875, but it was not until 1884, when the Grand Army of the Repiibttc’took charge of the work, that

any progress was made in raising funds. When something over $20,000 had been collected, the State step|»ed in and took up the project, making an appropriation of $200,000 to build the monument and creating a State commission to take ■ barge of the work. ' One of the few reedeeming trnlta In the character of Henry VIII, waa bia respect for bis mother.

J. W. FOSTER.

GOVERNOR DOBBIN.

INDIANA’S MONUMENT.

GEN. WALLACE.

COMMANDER TORRENCE.