The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-08-23

stones Incorporated in u arc memori
blocks, given by the different states au
nations. One slab comes from Gfecc
another from Turkey, and others from !
am aud China All are inscribed in II
languages aud letters Of their countries
Other stones are gifts Of different states Z
the Union. Others land none OF ihes
sbsuld be inserted d--come from Arms an
men who wish 10 advertise themselves 0
their business.
/, is now 50 years since the Washington
monument was begun. aud 50 since II
| plan was conceived. In l11a. len day
aftor the death OF Washington, congres
passed resolutions TO erect a monument II
his honor. The plan was 10 have Wash
ington's remains deposited under the mon
ument Nothing. however, was done be
yond passing the resolution, and the mat
ter remained dead letter up to 1889. Al
this time an association was formed at the
capitol for the purpose Of pushing the mat
ter. Papers were gotten up and contribu.
tions solicited. In lsl7 the sum was suf.
ficient. to warrant the beginning OF the
work, and on July 4. ls4s, tho corner stone
was laid, John Quincy Adams was TO
have delivered the address on this occas-
ion, but he died few months before, and
it was spoken by Robert G. Winthrop Of
Massachusetts, The building OF the mon
ument went steadily ON from this time un-
til 1856, when the funds gave out, and 1T
was stopped, not to be touched again for
"a years In 1856 the monument was 156
feet high. During the next two decades
it came to be thought that it would never
be completed, but in 1876 congress decid-
cd to take the matter in hand, and in 1880
the work Of building was resumed. II
was given into the hands Of Col Casey
and band OF competent engineers. They
found before commencing work on the
shaft that the foundation was poor, and
that it would not sustain the mass of 60,-
600 tons OF stone to be placed upon it.
The monument already weighed 32,l76
tons. Now look at what Col. Casey did.
He went down in the foundation as built
in 1913, and dug from under it all around
a block Of earth 1876 feet square, instead of
80 feet, as formerly. The total pressure
now resting on this foundation is estimat-
ed at about $1,000 tons. Since 1880, when
the foundation was completed, the settle
ment has been remarkably uniform, and
there is no danger OF the Washington n'mon-
ument turning into secondtower Of Pisa.
The action OF the monument is watched
most carefully, aud ITS every movement
Two plummets are suspended
on its inside, one at a height Of 26O feet
and the other at height OF $50 feet. The
OF these are compared many
times day. The movement OF one should
be about one and half times that of the
other, if there we're no irregular internal
Of the part of the structure.
Bnt the register shows that the NOV ment
is irregular IN both direction and in size.
the top moves little but the
whole sway since the foundation was
has been bat one quarter
OF an inch All OF these movements are
very slight, and some of them can only be
detected with microscope. The longer
plummet line is encased in wooden box
% prevent the atmosphere from having
my effect upon it, and since finding that
The spiders had once drawn.the line out OF
The perpendicular, careful investigation
S made daily, to see that the lines are not
influenced by outside causes. Once, when
great CONSERVATION was caused by the ir-
Of the line il was found that an
,wl had perched upon the top of it, 1t
was killed, stuffed and given to Mrs Hayes
md is now probably on exhibition at Ere.
mont.
Col Casey says the monument will he
inished by the Fourth OF July next. 1t
will probably have an elevator IN the inte-
'ior, and on its top will be had one Of the
inest views 10 the world. America will
never be ashamed OF the monument and
will go down to posterity as one OF the
greatest doings of the past Up to 1856
{ had cost $780, 900 aud since then the ap.
have amounted to $500, 900,
10 that altogether it will when completed,
lave cost 81, 100. 900.