Nanking Building Speaking before the American University: Club int a tiffin held at the Astor' House Hotel Shanghai, on Mar. 27, Mr. Henry K. Murphy, in an anusuaily interesting lecture, liberally interspersed with lantern slides, described in detail, from its inception to its" completion, the splendid Revolutionists' Mem rial on Purple Mountain Nanking. This memorial was plane Ined to hold the remains of 24, 000. soldiers who had laid down their lives in the various stages of China's revolution since 911. It has been called Mr. Murphy's grcatfat, achievement among' the many which he has planned and executed Jeaving his one year's appointment by the Nanking Government to be Jarchitectural adviser and ety plane ner.
The speaker introduced by Dr. Essen M, Gale, vice-president Jot the American University Club.
his brief introduction to his address Mr. Murphy referred to the many difficulties which have arisen to prevent the successful fruition of many of the plans which were drawn up during his year in office, mentioned, however, many utilitarian new entrance gate at the south end, a large pai low midway betwee this entrance gate and the great Beam: Tess Hall, a central cemetery just north of the Beamless Hall with a second land a third cemetery 1,000 feet to the east 4 to the west respectively, of the "Beamless Hall," a new Memorial Hall just "north of the central cemetery, and a pagoda Showsand feet north of the Memorial Whence the Pagoda Mr, Murphy told his hearers the reason for the inclusion of the Pagoda, which had not deen in the original plans for the memorial, Gen. Chiang asked the speaker of the time for his reasons for suggesting thet a pagoda be built and Was told that it was needed in order to mark the site of the memorial from a distance. My. Murphy. rethe general's instructions to him when approached for instructions concerning the practical requirements for the interior of the aged. These instructions were: Mr. Murphy, pay no attention to that; your job is simply to make rejects which have been carried out Chi this the ment. beautiful pagoda. in fand spoke with particular pride of The speaker then drew his and the completion of the Revolutionists? ence with him through the various 'Memorial, which is purely cultural stages in the design and constiuce tion of the various components of Continuing his. address, with free the memorial. " Feeling that pictures vse of slides' to illustrate the many would better illustrate the fine work phases of the magnificent: memorial, d if, the "Beamlens the speaker then spoke of the choice fof the site, than the long description Which it would: need to give it Suggestion of Site Justice, "more than a dozen slides "Just before Gen. Chiang Kai-shek Were shown solving the restoration left Nanking: on his courageous visit in all of its stages. for 1929 into the stronghold of his enemies in Peking, he a ced Use the speaker'
The three "cemeteries which, to words, torn "the me to spend an afternoon with hin essentials of the group" and pro and Madame Chiang exploring the vided a very difmeult problem ands of an ancient' Buddhist design, were laid out in the horse-Temple, " Lin-Kou-Stu. on the shoe "shape which characterises southern slope of Purple Mountain, many old Chinese graves, Laid out about a mile beyond the tomb of 80 that only one cemetery unit eaa be seen ata time, each unit occupies fon as to its fitness no fess. than two acres of land: Sure the Proposed Memorial Cemetery ing each one isan enclosing. for Heroes of the Hevolution wall which, to ald effectiveness to great Chinese Arlington the design, has been divided into a "The suggestion of thi succession of short semi-civeles and manorial was especially wel-longer ellipses. From the ents of ome tome as it fitted in very well the horse-shoe, where the walls are with my city. planning scheme, of three feet high, gently rising and which the most I feature fal falling, elliptical curves raise the was the placing of the Government. Centre development outside the city wall, about mile and a half cast of the point where the new Chun Shan highway passes out throug! the East Gate; and the addition of the Revolutionists' Memorial asthe easternmost of a symmetrical three-Point, composition—the Ming Tomb, the Sun Yat-sen Tomb, and the Re:
Pete tory back ground, artistically as well og his. torically, for a Government Centre located where I proposed it..... Wel i rambled through this fascinating 'Spivit Valley' until we came upon the ruins of the magnificent old 'Beamless Hall) built in_the four. teenth century' by the first Ming Enperot, and partially destroyed 7 years ago in the Taiping Rebellion, 'L was so much impressed by the beauty and dignity of this splendid old, building, and. its magnificent scale, that I at once suggested to Gen, 'Chiang: that it be restored and nine the central feature of the Revolutionists' Memorial Group; and wax delighted when he agreed to this suggestion. 4 the general plan, which has since teen carried Gut, with its main north and. south axis coinciding with the main axis of the old. Buddhist Temple group. and comprising— walls gradually until they" each height of 18 fect
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.