It is also
somewhat "showy," with too much hung-on ornament; and the green columns
against red walls are not satisfying-this being one of the very few
failures of the color scheme in the entire group of buildings.
At night the tower takes on a new and unexpected beauty. The outline
softens under the illumination, and the feeling of over-decoration and
broken lines is lost. The whole structure becomes a huge finger of
light, reaching up into the dark heavens-with softer indirect lighting
below, and glowing brilliantly above. Even the hundred thousand pendent
jewels, which at best are but flashy in the day time, add to the
exquisite fairy like effect at night. The illumination here is such,
indeed, that it must be one of the most impressive and lasting memories
to be carried away by the visitor.
The Tower of Jewels was designed by Thomas Hastings, of the firm Carrere
and Hastings of New York.
Sculpture
The sculpture, like the mural paintings, deals in general with the
winning of the Americas and the achievement of the canal project.
Sculpture on the tower. As one stands in the South Gardens facing the
tower, one sees above the first cornice, reading from left to right,
four statues of The Adventurer, The Priest, The Philosopher, and The
Soldier. These finely realized figures, which are by John Flanagan,
represent four types of the early conquerors of America.
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