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15 GRAND NATIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS.
THE VVELLINGTON TESTIMONIAL.
Within a distance of half a mile from Sarah’s Bridge, and in the enclosure of Phcenix
Park, stands the memorial called the “Wellington Testimonial.” The inhabitants of
DUBLIN participating, equally with the other countries of Europe, in feelings of grateful
acknowledgment to the heroes of VVaterloo, determined to express their sense of those
courageous deeds and warlike achievements, which will ever occupy a principal place in
the history of Great Britain, by the erection of a memorial worthy of the event. Accord-
ingly, subscriptions were contributed, amounting to $26,000, and placed at the disposal of a
committee, composed of persons of acknowledged taste and much experience in the fine arts.
Designs were furnished by artists from all parts of the united kingdom, for the inspection
and adoption of the committee, who also offered premiums for, in their judgment, the six
most meritorious. The public were gratified by an inspection of the most approved
models, which were exhibited in the gallery of the Royal DUBLIN Society, the majority
appeared to favor the adoption of Mr. Hamilton's very elegant obeliskal design, combin-
ing all the advantages of simplicity and of magnitude which the present column possesses ;
while the man of pure classical taste at once claimed the appropriate model presented
by Bowden, and copied from Trajan’s Pillar. The most colossal, but least attractive, the
design of Mr. Smirke, was however selected by the committee, to whom the public had
delegated full power for that purpose.
Smirke’s design consists ‘of a base formed by four great flights of steps, of incon-
venient and gigantic dimensions, ascending to a height of 20 feet. The ground
periphery of the base measures 480 feet, and the summit platform supports a square
subplinth, 60 feet in periphery by 10 feet in altitude. This again is surmounted by
a pedestal 56 feet square by 24 feet in height, from which a truncated pyramidal column,
measuring 28 feet round its base, rises to a height of 150 feet above its pedestal,
diminishing in the ratio of an inch to a foot in its ascent. The total height of
this great obelisk is 205 feet. The principal front, according to the original design,
but which is not yet completed, is to be adorned by an equestrian statue of his Grace
the Duke of Wellington, dressed in a military costume; for this the pedestal is erected,
and stands near the summit of the stair-formed base, entirely detached from the prin-
cipal column. The pannels of the pedestal of the grand obelisk are intended to be adorned by
has-reliefs of the principal battles won by his Grace, and the names of many of his well-
fought fields are carved on the facades of the pyramidal shaft, at equal intervals. The
entire of the Memorial is of hewn granite stone, raised in the DUBLIN Mountains: the
situation is very well selected, and was formerly occupied by a salute battery, which was
erected there from its commanding position relative to DUnLrN generally. Indeed, the
colossal scale of the Wellington Memorial prohibited its admission within the avenues, or
even squares. of the city, nor is this to be regretted. Its present site is remarkable and