Karl Schmidt Memorial, located at Elliot`s Beach in Chennai city of Tamil Nadu, is an architectural landmark standing in honour of a Dutch sailor who drowned in the year 1930 in an attempt to save the life of a girl. Presently the monument is in ruins. It is the only heritage structure of the Elliot`s Beach, however over time, owing to the lack of stone foundation in the memorial, it has suffered much damage.
History of Karl Schmidt Memorial
The history of Karl Schmidt Memorial is associated with a Dutch sailor named Karl Schmidt. As per the record of the historians, the sailor had gone to the beach when he saw an English girl proceeding towards the water. Soon the girl began drowning in water and was struggling for life. The Dutch sailor tried to save the girl and in the attempt, he lost his own life but saved her successfully. In the following evening, the English girl whom Schmidt had saved from the sea, went to a party and acted as if nothing had happened. The then governor was evidently angry with the girl about her behaviour. He later constructed the memorial to commemorate the gallant act of Karl Schmidt.
Architecture of Karl Schmidt Memorial
Karl Schmidt Memorial had an imposing architecture as per the experts. The monument was constructed with bricks and does not have a stone foundation. It had uneven base and over the years, the sea water has caused much damage to the structure. There is also a memorial stone in the monument which reads as `To commemorate the gallantry of K A J Schmidt who was drowned near this spot on December 30, 1930 while helping to save the lives of others`.
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