TRIBUTES TO THE I\IEMORY OF MR. DOWNING. 



mansions also bear testimony to the same taste, 

 the same wise sense of- beauty and fitness. As 

 a writer, Mr. Downing is remarkable for a mix- 

 ture of the strong sense, thorough understand- 

 ing of his subject, and a genial originality. The 

 cessation of his monthly essays in the Horticul- 

 turist, will leave a permanent blank in the his- 

 tory of the domestic arts. While he drew his 

 materials from the most varied culture, he was 

 always, and in the most frank and manly way, 

 an American. His chief aim was to refine the 

 taste, and elevate the social life and habits of 

 his countrymen, to something like the ideal 

 proper to freemen. An artist, a scholar, and a 

 gentleman, we dej)lore his untimely loss, and a 

 wide circle of acquaintances who with us recall 

 his eminent social, as well as public qualities, 

 will join with us in this tribute to his memory. 



[From the IVciv York Evening Post ] 

 Mr. Downing first became known by a work 

 on Landscape Gardening, in which he ex- 

 hibited great taste and enthusiasm. It was near- 

 ly the first book of any pretension to direct our 

 countrymen to ornamental gardening and ru- 

 ral arcliitecture, and it had a good eftect in re- 

 fining and cultivating the public taste. Not 

 long afterwards he published a smaller work on 

 Cottage Residences, which also attained a wide 

 circulation, and exercised a healthl'ul influence. 

 He then prepared a work on the Fruits and 

 Fruit Trees of America, in which his extensive 

 horticultural studies and exi)erience were appli- 

 ed. He edited also, a small book etitled Hints 

 on Architecture, but of late years his energies 

 were princii)ally exerted in the Horticulturist, 

 a monthly magazine of high character, devoted 

 to Horticulture, Pomology, Landscape Garden- 

 ing. Botany, and Rural Economy. Mr. Doayn- 

 ing's contributions were a chief attraction of 

 this periodical, which through his ettbrts, had 

 become unusually successful. 



These publications of Mr. Downing, more 

 than any other agency, had worked a change in 

 our style of building, and created a general im- 

 provement in taste. He was comnu'is.sioned, by 

 a large number of gentlemen about to construct 

 private residences, to prepai'e the designs and 

 lay out the grounds. The evidence of liis fine 

 professional accomjilishujents now meet us in 

 all parts of the country, and his loss is one that 

 will be felt far beyond the bereaved circle of 

 which he was the ornament and pride. 



At the time of his death, Mr. Downing was 

 employed by the government at Washington in 

 laying out the public grounds in front of the 

 Cai)itol. He had not yet completed his plans, 

 but such alterations as bad been already made 

 were universally admitted tobeagreatiinprove- 

 ment to the metropolis, and promised the most 

 beautiful results. Mr. Downing had determin- 

 ed to expend the whole resources of his art, 



under the guidance of his exquisite taste, in 

 rendering these national gardens worthy of their 

 name. AVhether he has left any instructions or 

 drawings, to enable others to carry out his de- 

 signs, we cannot say. 



[From the JS'eivburgh Gazette.] 

 We have had a conversation with Miss Amelia 

 A. Bailey, in relation to the last moments of 

 Mr. Downing. She assigns the preservation 

 of her life to the advice given her by Mr. D., 

 who, before she jumped overboard, urged upon 

 her presence of mind, and directed her how to 

 avoid strangulation as she sank into the watery 

 element. They were on the stern of the boat 

 together, whence one after another were throw- 

 ing themselves into the water as the fierce flames 

 approached. She sprang into the water from 

 an elevated point, and as she arose caught hold 

 of the chain, fortunately within reach. There 

 she sustained herself until a gentleman, arising 

 tor a moment from the same fearful grave of 

 youth, manhood, and age, grasped the chain 

 with a convulsive effort, that forced her to lose 

 her hold. Miss B. finally clung to the braces 

 (under the guards,) sustaining above the water 

 with her feet, an elderly lady in whom the spark 

 of life had almost expired, while another per- 

 son clung to her waist until a boat arrived and 

 rescued them. Miss B. informs us that the last 

 she saw of Mr. Downing, he was struggling in 

 the w^ater with Mrs. Wadsworth clinging to his 

 neck. She did not speak to him in the Avater, 

 though she saw him, as stated above, sinking in 

 the water a short distance from her. She says 

 he was perfectly composed, and just betore they 

 parted on the declc, I'eplied to her inquiry 

 whether there was a prospect of being saved ; 

 ' I cannot say. there is danger,' or soiuething 

 to the same effect. 



PI?" A correspondent of the N. T. Times wri- 

 ting from Newburgh, in reference to the disas- 

 ter to the Henry Clay, says: 



" This country has good cause to assail them, 

 and pray most sincei'ely that just retribution 

 may fall ujjou all who were in any way the cause 

 of this thrilling and heart sickening calamity. 

 Ml'. DowNiN<i's loss cannot be made good by a 

 thou.sand owners of steamboats. His death is a 

 national loss. ]\rrs. De Wint, of Fishkill, was 

 niece of the late John Quincy Adams, and Mr. 

 Downing was her son-in-law. He undoubtedly 

 lost his life in attem])tiiig to save a lady — Mrs. 

 Wadsworth of New-Orleans, a very lovelj' wo- 

 man — and who was under his charge. His wife 

 escnjicd by being supported upon two chairs un- 

 til she was rescued. Knowing that Mr. Down- 

 ing was an excellent swimmer, she supposed he 

 had been taken off by the Armenia, and gone 

 to New- York, and it was not until the next day 

 that she was told of his sad fate.'' 



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