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Show GREAT BRIDGE WORLD WONDER v Huge Structure at Washington Wash-ington to Be Symbol of United Nation. Washington. Washington is to see this summer the realization of a gigantic $15,000,000 project to give the nation's Capital ranking with Paris and Rome as cities of spacious boulevards and thoroughfares thorough-fares of approach. The nucleus of this plan consists In the $7,500,000 Washington memorial bridge, symbolizing sym-bolizing In Its simple and severe architectural treatment the solidarity solidar-ity and grandeur of America. It will be the eastern terminus of the Lee highway, extending from the Pacific coast. Concrete symbols representing the consolidation of the North and the South, and strongly emphasizing emphasiz-ing the cementing of this union by the Civil war were suggested for depiction on the bridge. It was proposed pro-posed to place a statue of Gen. Robert Rob-ert E. Lee at the south end and statues of Abraham Lincoln and Gen. U. S. Grant at the north termination, ter-mination, with a piece of sculpture in the center representing the figures fig-ures of two women clasping hands. Symbol of United Nation. Plans for the bridge, as being carried car-ried out, will represent that sentiment senti-ment in a more spiritual way. These plans as now proposed." it was recently declared in the senate, sen-ate, "are going to make of the bridge one of the wonders of the world." Two stately columns 166 feet high, approximately the height of the Colonne de Juillet In Paris, are to be placed on Columbia island at the intersection of a highway from the Lincoln Memorial to the Arlington National cemetery and a broad boulevard running north and south along Columbia Island. These pillars symbolize the North and South. The columns are surmounted sur-mounted by statues of Victory. Looking through them the spectator specta-tor sees at one end the Lee mansion man-sion house nnd at the other end the Lincoln Memorial. Thus, the view through the pillars gives spiritualized spiritual-ized impression of union and harmony har-mony In the nation. l!ut the symbolism sym-bolism goes beyond any representation representa-tion of the merger of North and South. Pylons Mark Entrance. The Washington entrance to the brfclge Is marked by two pylons nbout 500 feet from the Lincoln Memorial. Similar pylons are repeated re-peated at the shore road and the Virginia entrance to the bridge. They are -10 feet high and adorned with sculptured groups and appropriate appro-priate Inscriptions, nnd surmounted by eagles symbolical of the United States of America. Appearing In large disks on both ends of each of the river piers supporting sup-porting the bridge these symbols appear also as the only ornamental sculpture on the sides of the structure. struc-ture. "The sculpture on the sides of these four pylons." the Arlington Memorial bridge commission explains, ex-plains, "represent in different ways the recognition of . the common bonds and aspirations of the nation and the final triumph of the Idea of a permanent and complete union. Differentiated From Others. "The pairs of figures on each end of the piers of the bridge represent repre-sent symbolically the outcome of that harmonious union, the result of the energies of the entire country coun-try In the arts of peace that Is, those inventions and accomplishments accomplish-ments in science and art particularly particu-larly connected with the history of this country. Thus would be symbolized sym-bolized the agricultural, engineering, engineer-ing, religious and educational progress, prog-ress, to mention bnt a few categories cate-gories of action. In the opinion of the architect this sculpture vitalizes vital-izes the entire conception of the design of the bridge, differentiating this memorial from all others and making the reason for its existence Intelligible at a glance." The bridge means even more than a representation of the great progress prog-ress of the United States. Across it will pass cavalcades bearing the nation's fallen heroes in the march from the Capitol through B Street Northwest, extended and widened, by way of the Lincoln Memorial, to the last resting place of our heroic dead in Arlington National cemetery. Terminus of Mt. Vernon Highway. The Mt. Vernon- Memorial highway, high-way, leading from the borne of Washington, will have one ter minus at this bridge. Trallic along Route U. S. 1 from Canada at nn entry In Maine to the tip of Florida may utilize it. It is also on the Lee highway from Los Angeles, and Route U. S. 50, a trans-continental trail from Oakland. Calif. Natural Bridge, Virginia, Is located lo-cated on V. S. 11, coinciding with the Lee highway at this point. It is a curious fact that at one point this highway passes over a crossing cross-ing formed by nature, Natural Bridge, and at another point crosses the Washington Memorial bridge, which Is a product of human la bor and thought" extending over a period of more than 80 years. Links Capital and Virginia. The Arlington Memorial bridge Is also a linking of one of the most beautiful sections of Washington, Wash-ington, the Mall, with a part of Virginia Vir-ginia that is known universally and that is purposed to be improved by parks to be laid out by the federal fed-eral government. Development of the plan has continued from the time the structure struc-ture was first envisioned about 80 years ago by President Jackson, as nearly as can be ascertained from a scrutiny of historical records, to the present. The bridge Is only a pivot In a larger project contemplating improvement im-provement on both the Washington and Virginia sides of the Potomac. The whole project will cost $15,-000,000. $15,-000,000. It is not expected to be completed earlier than 1935. A plaza between the Lincoln Me morlal and the Potomac with steps, for descent from the plaza to the water's edge is contemplated. This will provide a water gate for the bridge at the memorial that will augment the grandeur of the memorial memo-rial Itself. Widening B Street Northwest from the Capitol to the Lincoln memorial and widening Twenty-third Street Northwest from Washington circle to B street also are parts of the complete plans. On the Virginia side, treatment of Columbia island to convert it into a monumental memorial park is planned. A boulevard almost at right angles to the axis of the bridge near the center of Columbia island Is to run the length of the island. Improvement of the Arlington Arling-ton National cemetery entrance approach ap-proach as well as the cemetery Itself It-self Is also contemplated. |