Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-08-08
The Washington Monument. .

ue washington COrEtS pOHueul Ol lll6
Cleveland Leader says that no one laughs
now at the Washington monument. The
day of its being subject for ridicule is
over for ever. Its growth is the wonder
of Washington, and its beauty the admira-
ton of both Americans and foreigners.
Already over $50 feet high, it rises from
the banks of the Potomac Il great white
marble shaft piercing the clouds and
backed against the blue of the sky. 1t is
already the grandest obelisk the world
has ever seen, and in the cons of the
future, should the nations of to day pass
away, leaving no more records of their
progress than the mighty ones Of the
Egyptian past it will surpass the pyra-
mids in the wonder of its construction.
1t is already higher than the third pyra-
mid, and within one hundred feet Of the
size of the second. 1t is taller than St.
Paul's cathedral, and when finished it
will be the highest structure in the world
To day the cathedral of Cologne-5l2 feet
highs the tallest work in the world !;
next comes the great pyramid, 4S3 feet
high; then the Strasburg cathedral, AIS
feet then the second pyramid, 453; then
St. Pctors, 43O; st. Stephens at Vienna,
443, and St. Paul's, at London, 39f
The monument when completed will be
555 feet high. 43 feet higher than the
cathedral at Cologne. 1t will he far diff
ferent, however, from the needle like
shafts of the great European Cathedral; !;
each of its sides at the top will be 35 feet
in width, and the whole massive tower
will seem a solid growth of natural rock
rising from the earth and reaching
to she sky. The width at the base OF
each of its four sides is 80 feet the monu-
ment gradually tapering for over 500 feet
until it becomes II cone each siGe of
which is 80.
The work of building is going rapidly
on, and it is expected that it will be COM
pleled within two years at least. The
lower part of the monument is granite
with marble facing on the outside. A
few feet more and it will disappear, and
the remainder of the monument will be
entirely of marble. Some of the stones
incorporated in it are memorial blocks,
given by different states and nations.
One slab comes from Greece, another
from Tul key, and others from China and
Siam. All are inscribed in the languages
and letters of their countries. Other
stones are the gifts of different states of
the Union. Others-and none of these
should be inserted--come from firms and
men who wish to advertise themselves OF
their business.
1t is now 35 years since the Washingo on
monument was begun and SO since its
plan was conceived. In December, 1919,
ten days after the death of Washington,
congress passed resolutions to erect a
monument in his honor. The plan was to
have Washington's remains deposited
under the monument. Nothing, however,
was done beyond passing the resolution,
and the matter remained q dead letter, up
to 1885, At this time an association was
formed at the capitol for the purpose OF
pushing the matter. Papers were gotten
out and contributions solicited. In 1917
the sum was large enough to warrant the
beginning of the work, and on July a.
1S4S, the corner stone was laid. John
Quincy Adams was to have delivered the
address on the occasion, but he died few
months before, and it was spoken by
Robert G. Winthrop, of Massachusetts.
The building of the monument went
steadily on from this time until 1856, when
the funds gave out, and it was stopped not
to be touched again for "a years. In 1855
the monument was 1856 feet high. During
the next two decades it came 10 be thought
that it would never be completed, but in
1876 congress decided to take the matter
in hand, and in 1880 the work of building
was resumed. 1t was given into the
hands of Col. Casey and a band OF compe-
tent engineers. They found before COM
mencing work on the shalt that the founda.
tion was poor, and that it would not sus.
tain the mass of $4,000 tons of stone
intended to be placed upon it. The mon.
ument already weighed so, I76tons. Now
look at what Col. Casey did. lie went
down in the foundation as built in 1S4e
and dug from under it all around block
of earth A feet square. This was directly
under the monument, which, with its
$4,000 tons, stood above it. Around this,
thirteen feet deep and 126 feet square,
solid wall was built. Part of tho old
foundation was then torn away and n new
and better one built gradually, reaching
outward and uniting with the new founda-
ton, so that the pressure is now exerted
upon base 1876 feet square instead of 80
feet,as formerly. The total pressure now
resting on this foundation is estimated
at about 10000 tons. Since 1880, |
when the foundation was completed,
the settlement of the shaft has been one
and quarter inches, aud this though the
weight has been increased nearly 3O,OOOI
tons. The settlement has been remarka-
bly, uniform, and there is no danger of
the Washington monument turning into
second tower of Pisa.
The action Of the monument is watched
most carefully and its every movement
registered. Two plummets are suspend |
ed in its inside, one from n height of 260
feet and tho other from height of 15O
feet. The movements of these are COM