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Show TEXASjlTO ILrWE MONUpTlENT ALAnO nmORlAL THE state of Texas is about to honor the memory of the men who defended the famous Alamo Ala-mo against the Mexicans by a unique and lasting tribute. A monument, the tallest in the world, 502 feet in height, will be erected on the plaza in San Antonio not far from ihe Alamo itself. Only one other structure struc-ture in the world will exceed this ieight the Eiffel tower. Texans look on the Alamo as sacred, Ihe old battlefield as hallowed ground, ind the heroes Crockett, Travis, Bon-aam Bon-aam and Bowie as demigods. To Tex-ins Tex-ins the great monument will fall short In Indicating the love and admiration in which these soldiers are held. But the mammoth structure will be more than a mere monument It will contain a museum and art gallery. Beauty, gradeur and usefulness will be combined. There will be an auditorium audi-torium for state meetings, and every-:ounty every-:ounty will have an individual room assigned as-signed to It for its own special historical histor-ical displays. The rugged strength given the monument will be concealed conceal-ed largely by the graceful lines and artistic decorations. It will become Dne of the wonders of the world that .ourists will go far to see. Besides the big auditorium there will be three other halls for meetings of various associations. Balconies near Ihe top, which give the structure beauty when seen from a distance, will permit visitors to gaze out upon five lountles. Base to Be of Solid Granite. The base of the monument will be ot solid granite, rising to a height of 50 feet. On this base will be placed at each corner of the monument and arranged around the shaft huge pillars pil-lars each eight feet in diameter and 70 feet high, all of solid Texas granite. These pillars will be surmounted by heroic size statues of Travis, Crockett, Bowie and Bonham, the four great leaders who died the in the Alamo with the men in their commands who aad followed them devotedly in the early days of the campaign for liberty and who did not hesitate to follow them even to death. Above these statues will be placed the six flags that have waved at different dif-ferent times over Texas, the Lone Star and the United States flags in the center, cen-ter, and on each side the flag of the Confederate States of America, of Mexico, Spain and France. Place will be made, too, for an emblem representing represent-ing the Indian tribes that possessed this land before the Spanish- adventurers adven-turers found their way here. The exquisite grandeur of design and the architecture of the structure will impress itself on the mind, whether wheth-er viewed from without or within. The great lobby will focus the extent and magnitude of the monument like a beautiful and magnificent Image that takes possession of the thoughts to the exclusion of the monument and all else. Everything about the structure will be on grand proportions, and the lobby will be one of the most impressive sights of, the monument. Visitors are to have free access to it at all times. Us inside measurements will be 82 feet square, which will also be the ln-.;lrte ln-.;lrte measurements of the auditoriums, museum and art gallery, each of which will be larger than any hall In San Antonio today. Star of Texas In Dome. The ceiling of the lobby will be 60 feet high, an opening In the center, eight feet across, forming Its summit, and this opening is to be carried up through each succeeding story until It reaches a height of 700 feet. Here will be set into the celling, beautifully lighted by electricity, the Lone Star of Texas. The space for 100 feet beneath the star will have no opening from without with-out to admit the light, so this star will be almost as brilliant In the daytime as at night. The elevators in the monument, four In all, will be located between the massive columns as far up aB these extend, ex-tend, which will be to height of 120 feet from the ground, and above that in the shaft, in which one will be placed in each corner and extending to the base of the dome. These elevators ele-vators will have large carrying capacity, capaci-ty, which will be necessary to accommodate accom-modate the immense crowds that will visit the monument. The rooms apportioned to the different differ-ent counties of Texas, 275 and 300 (for some will have to be provided for new counties that will be created in the years to come), will be located within the shaft of the monument above the four floors, in which will be placed the auditorium, museum, art gallery and chambers for patriotic organizations. These will be reached by the elevators, ele-vators, one of which will be designated to serve them, while the other will run on express schedule between the first landing, at a height of about 120 feet, and the balconies at the top. The dome of the monument will not be open to visitors, but will be offered offer-ed to the federal government for an observatorw, such as Is now maintained maintain-ed at a few places In the United States, and which is much needed in the south. At the very top of the great structure will be located a powerful searchlight, the strongest that it will be possible to obtain. This powerful light will be turned on faraway towns if so desired, but generally gen-erally It will be turned toward the clouds, and its rays will be visible at great distances far beyond points from which the great tower itself may be seen. For the maintenance of this monument monu-ment an admission of 50 cents will be charged to the museum and art gallery, gal-lery, and another admission price of 50 cents will be charged for a trip In one of the four elevators to the balconies bal-conies near the top of the structure. |