New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-06
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT

TO speak respectfully OF the Nashhgtoh '''""
ment That unsightly column-as II was lor ~
many years-whieh used to stand like big stone
stump between the Ionic pOr leo of the Treasury
and the broad glIttering shadows of the fotomAo'
has within the past two years risen into stately
obe]isk. whose marble sides CLEAN in the sun-a
simple and imposing shaft. which will one day De
majestic. The photographers, VINO are
still ioking about it, ara behihd 'ne
aoe 1t is now higher than any
of the Egyptian pyramids except Una, tnA'
of Cheops and its companion pyramiu' N'nt
Shafra's: and when il is completed 1t VIII DE ioio
than 100 feet higher than either OF these anu WI"
be not only the highest known structure Ill '"o
world but so II said, the highest structure
is known to have been ever raised 10y the manu- y,
man rho great spirc of the Strasburg Cathedral
rms M TO the helght of 46S feet; the height OF te
tower of the Cathedral at Cologne is put at OIL
feet; st. Peters from the pavement TO the base oil
the lantern is AS feet and the Milan Cathedral Is
800 feet TO the very top OF the statue OF the Madon
M The Washington Monument is now $40 feet
above the floor of the shaft. When completed, rs
il will be by December 1855. at the latest, 1t VIII
be $50 feet high. or more than fortX feet higher
than the very TIP of the slender pinnacles al 20
logne. The comparison is an awkward one perhaps
but i. has its uses peVrthelessa plain smart Is hot
to lie compared. INTELLECTUALLY, with catheurai
or pyramd; but il rs OF some interest 10 remember
that while the tower of the Cologne Ca'hedrai VIII
probably taper into the air with very small
d;ameter. the Washington Monument at 800 feet,
or almost exactly the same height. Will snow
width of thrty-fve feet on each of its
four faces At the base each of these
sides has width of ffty-fve feet.
showing tat the taperng of the column is very
gradual As one stands near the foot and looks up,
the column seems like great tower of rock grow
ing ont OF the earth and reaching the sky Work Is
to begin for thls season on Monday, and by Decem-
Der the monument VIII probably he about 430 feet
high.
The engineering feat by whicha new and enlarged
foundation was inserted undor structure 100 feet
high and weighing II 800 900 pounds, as the monu-
meni was when work WAS tegun in ISIS one which
cau only be adequately described by Colonel Casey.
theengneer IN charge and he says that though often
urged to do so, he shall nos write line upon the
subiect until the monument is completed. Perhaps
it vii make the story more Ineligible TO go back
a little. The plan Of monument 10 Washington
in the city bearing his was, rs many will re-
member formally approved bv Congress in q resolu-
ton passed less than fortnight after his death. sn
which requested that his family permit his BODY 10
he deposited under il. The monument was 10 be
erected by the United States, but nothing was done.
In 1888 an association of leading citizens here was
formed which, having collected enough money by
private subscription to begin work. secured he site
from Congress- in 1SIS and laid the corner
tone OF July Oh that year In The ciglt years fol-
lowing the shaft Was carried to the height OF l1O
feet where work suspended for lack OF funds.
and DO stone was Land on the shaft from taat time
until Auoust $ 1850, an Interval Of twrnty-fOur
wears during VIII ca the slavery agitation. III" civil
war aud the commissions growing out o. II, united
no Ill praI DefI
National and suggestive of peace AMI unity But
one ofthe great reasons Why the flow of litl' sub
scrip,ions from all over the land was stopped. was
the belief which became general, that the founia-
ton was not strong enough. When Mr CorcoTan,
Dr. John b. Blake. and other citizens here,
succeeded in inducing Congress 10 undertake
the conn letlon. which it did by resolution IN the
Centennial gear constituting joint Commission. 1t
was found that this belief was correct. The monu-
ment which. as already stated, showed "a breadth
OF 80 feet on ca h Of ITS faces at the base line rested
upon foundation only 80 feet square auf % feet
deep. ard poorly constructed at that. below this
was the ground OF rather Yielding nature. II they
had gene on heaping stone upon the monument. the
result would simply have been that ;he weight
Honld have driven Il downward like punch. Ii
wIud probably have settled unevenly: and We
should have had either new leaning tower of Pisa.
or perhaps no tower at all. hch wonld have fur
nished either way fine paragraph Tor the news
paper correspondents but ", I'D not probably have
been Of much benefit to any other class in tho com
munity.
Obviously the foundation needed to be strength
eued and Colonel Casey addressed himself TO task
which a good many engineers would have preferred
not to undertake Gnlng down below the foam
dation already built. be ding from under il all
around a core OF earth - feet square. directly
a., ,l,.f.
aud the Il 100000 pounds OF weight stool on ehis
pilar Of earth. The excavation was of depth
of :, ieet and made a cellar under the fUun lati,n
J 136 feet square. This WAS HE'D with soG mason
~ except where the core OF earth stood, which
not removed. Then the side, OF the old foundation
above were turn down for a considerable distance
under the walls OF the shaft rebuiit OF better
/ terials and spread out further over the base
below, thus distributing The pressure over much
| larger area. ~. Insteal oil a foundation only 40
feet square. that Is, aHtenling Ony l2l2 feet be-
yund each of the four faces. there IL now foun-
datIon l26 feet square. extending - feet beyond
each face and running l3 feet deeper. A good
many engineers have come at different times to
visit the monument and Inspect this interesting
work One of them locked al 1t a long time with.
OUT saving ANYTHING. Then lie remarked quietly,
Wen. that's easy enough To 10, but don't know
/ one engineer in thousand who would want 10 try
it." The result proves how well the work has been
done. Slice the laying OF stone was renewed
- 1855 tons of stone have been added TO the pile.
and the settlement of the shaft due 10 this load has
been just one and quarter inches. The settlement
is so even that the greatest variation the sinking
OF the four corners is a difference of four-one-
hundredths of an inch between the southwest and
northeast corners. The other two have settled
exactly alike. 10 the hundredth part OF an
| inch. The total pressure now borne by the bed of
foundation is 74,S71. tons or 81 per Mt of the
whole pressure that will be placed upon L. The
! liue at which the work rested IN 1886 plainly
be seen, the old portion OF the monument being