Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-26

t,,a themselves Of all the current events Of the
~ Terms, ~ cent? per week. H.'-|.
Tu NATIONAL WASHINGTON MoNuMxxr.-I
/ ,utenant Ives, engineer In charge of this work,
.n compliance with a resolution Of the Society, |
makes report ~ Thomas Carbery, Esq, Chair |
ursn Of the Building Committee, in regard to the
rrr,-nt condition. Of the Monument, in which he
Avs .-'
The work upon the Monument having been
almost entirely suspended since the charge OF IL
rssscd from the hands Of your society," IN Tue pc
ginning Of the year 1855, the material LOT US prose-
eution has b~en gradually falling 10 decay, and
rcuuirr a nearly com plete renovation The build
jhlss the shops, the implements the cranes az the
,vb,rvss and an Of the fixtures and machinery,
18Th ,bs execution Of the steam engine, In a
diI,pidsted condition. The derricks have become
psrtiriIy rotten, and have been much damaged by
fi,htning. | would not, however, recommend
any outlay In renewing or repairing this material,
until the Society feels that IL will probably he In
its power to proceed unnteruptedly towards the
completion Of the work At the same time. as
one or two months Of preparation will be required
before the building OF The obelisk be continued
would propose, when a sufficient amount Of
money IS on hand to just ~ resumpt on of opera
lions, that no delay should be made In commenc-
ing these preparations. both in order to what
may still be nninjured, and to be ready to begin
work upon the shaft as early in the ensuing season
the weather will permit.
Before the Monument commenced, the
SIR a-th OF the material of which the obelisk was
thoroughly
suits on record in the Office Of the Society. IL
j. known that the marble was found to be able to
bear without crushing. pressure more than fif-
teen times greater than il would be subjected to in
spy mart Of the structure Marble from the same
ouarry that has hitherto supplied material for the
Monument can be readily procured in sufficient
cuantity for the completion of the work that no
further experiments in regard to this point appear
necessary.
A few Of the blocks in the lowest courses have
slightly Clipped at the edges owing to the joint.
will however be covered by the base
To those who are aware Of the care which was
tsk-n in laying the foundation of the Monument
both in the selection and preparation Of the bed
and in the execution Of the masonry work Ii will
be scarcely necessary TO enter into any statements
in regard to its present condition. The test 10
which il has been already subjected may how
ever be mentioned. IL raised to the height of
si1 hundred feet, the weight Of the entire shaft
together with the foundation, will be a little
more than seventy thousand tons The weight
Of the portion now built is more than forty thou
sand tons. For five years. therefore, while the
work has been suspended, the foundation has
been bearing about four-sevenths Of the pressure
th1t il will ultimately be required to sustain; and
IN Il recent examination l was unable to detect
any appearance of settling or indication Of inse-
Curity-
As the question has been raised whether the
height of six hundred feet can be obtained with
endanEeTln. the sta bilty of the Obclisk a COM
Putaiinn has been made from which it appears
int. without taking into consideration the adhe-
sion Of the mortar, the weight alone of the struc-
tire would offer resistance nearly eight times
greater than the overturning effort of the heaviest
tempest to which 1t would probably ever be ex-
posed
In regard to the oscillations experienced by
high towers during violent storms II is stated by
VI Fresnel, one of the most eminent French en-
gileers, that all well observed facts appear to
demonstrate that the oscillations impressed by
temPestS on masonry towers cannot injure these
eilnceS II property built, unless they wanting
instability that is unless they could be overturned
Ia rnasS by the effort of the wind"
Ii was proposed to the Society, many years ago.
TO SI'round the foot Of the obeliSk with base OF
the Pantheon form, and an engraving was made
ofthe Monument as t would appear If completed
IA accordance with that plan An impress on has
ben IN this way created thrOug bout line country
that the engraved design has been adopted and
cannot now be dsviatsd from without tearing
down what has been already built. An infiuen.
ual portion of the press and MANY citizens have
expressed their opposition to the further continu-
aRce Of the work, owing to the dSapproval Of the
design which they suppose is in contemplation to
carry out As IL has not been the intention of the
Society TO accept the plan referred to- and as the
errOS that exists seems to have injurious effect
would suggest the expediency of notifying the
public officially that the obelisk the only pOr-
ton Of the Monument the form of which is de-
Cidcd upon. and that the determination Of the de-
syn for the hase is still open for consideration.
The Lutheran SYNOD Morning Session
TIE Eastern District OF the Evangelical Lutheran
Synod Of Missouri, etc, convened at SIX O'Clock
Yesterday morning, at the church corner of Fourth
and + streets The subject Of the previous discus
sion was taken up, being the propagation Of tie
writings Of Luther. This subject having been
discussed at a session of the Western District held
at Addison, Illinois, society has been formed
called the american Luther Society," the object
OF which Is to repubish and circulate all those
writings Of Luther deemed Of general interest To
The Lutheran Church.
DIR. @ Seyffra,h Of Concorda College, ST. Louis.
tthe well-known inventor of the kew 10 hyero-
giyPhics and the renowned scholar In Egyptian
dntquiteS-) being agen:y tour fOr said
lniher society, addressed the Synod on the neces-
sly Of rePubiishing and circulating the works Of
Luther aInony the p ople OF the Church.
Rev. l.. Dulitz Of Butf.lo read a report COM
Piled from the special reports of members of SyBcd
showing that W nat had hitherto been done I'm ref
trence TO the propagation of the works Of Guther
from this II appears that GutheTis smaller cate
rbism is In the hands of every congregational
member and Of every child able TO read in the
congregational schools; his larger cateC hsm is in
me hands Of great part Of congregational MEM
IT'S and his sermons. delivered in his house to
his own family. are still more in use. But few
only OF lay members are in POssess On OF the entire
"Orfs OF Luther, sting Of 81 octave volumes
published recently in Eslangcn. Bavaria the
grader part Of THESE works being me ely Of i the
OiOglcal interest.
The pastors OF the Synod Were exhorted to sup
port the Luther Society by collecting mem bers
and funds twas thought that. with the proper
support the Society would be able to publish dive
volumes in small octave at the price Of nfty cents
Rev. MIR. welden, President OF tue Lutheran
Synou OF pennsylvania. and Rev. MIR. Hoppe, of
Baltimore mot members Of this SYNOD y were
greeted by rising Of the membs-S.
Session was closed, usual, at IL O'Clock.
Er,HiHS SeSSjnH.-The subject under discus
sion was again taken up after the usual litIrgir al
service was had. IL was remarked tnat the pastors
Of the church should sndcavor 10 study their ser
mons more ON Luther; not that they should
literally cCpy him. but ma Ike the ubject OF uthers
sermons IA such way their own, tuat they preach
CLfst in the same truly apostolic spirit as Luther
did. since soon after the great reiormer's times
quite din,Eeat manner of preaching had com.
into use. The Synod then adjourned as a body
and special conference of the pastors Was held
70. The purpose Of exchanging views on the best
way If stIdy ing Luther's works
IHE CAPITOL WORKs.-After thorough exam
nation OF the machinery attached to the CauitoI
extension works, which was at first supposed to he
badly damaged by the late lire there it has been
s,eertaihrd that the esgihe and stone planning
apparatus rrcei we'd but sli hit amape and In ycx
- tie want of suitable FlcilitIes for Swing and
fIinihg marble, Ia considerable quantity Of which
VIII vet lie needed in order to the conIDl-tion at
~, "Htension) Capt. Meigs has d,t2rn!ncd to