Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-07

rns WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
The Capstsse aud Apex Net with Fsw ana
simple Ceremenies- The Highest ssrsesnrs

The Capstene aud Apex Net win Few ana
simple Ceremenies- The iiistess ssrscsnrs
In the worid.
Itv teiesrarh TO The Dispascn.I
WASHINGTON, December 6.--The long
expected completion OF the washington
monument obelisk was accomplished tn's
afternoon nv setting In place the marble cap
stone and IFS ryramidaI apex OF aluminium.
Tue ceremonies were few and simple, an
elaborate celebration Of the event De'hg re-
served for WabIngton's BIRTHDAY.
Shortly after O'Clock Coionei tpomss
l.. Casey, the Government engineer IN
charge. aud bis assistants, Captain DAVIS
OF the Unit d states army, ana bcrnaru IT,
Greene. civil engineer, together WIN MAS
ter-Mechspic Mclaughlin and several WORK
M n standing on the narrow platform quiz
around the sloping marble roof near tne
summit. proceeded TO set tne cspstohe
(weiy hing 1880 pounds, which was sus-
pended from quadrupod OF neavy IolsE,
supported by platform and towering
forty feet above them. As soon as the
carstope was set the American flag
was unfurled overhead and salute
OF tvtnt,-onc guns was promptly fired
by Mojor Hanneman militia battery In the
White. House grounds far below. The
sound of cheers also came up family from
Il crowd OF spectators gathered around
the base OF the monument, while num-
bers 81 invited guests on 500 foot plat
form in the interior OF the monument
N that level spontaneously struck up The
star spangled Banner and other patriotic
songs, A steady dOwn-pOur Of rain had
given place little while previously to a
frisk gale OF wind lat this elevation blow
ing about flfty-tve miles on hour. and
very few Of the invited cared to avail them
selves Of the privilege OF climbing a nearly
perpendicular ladder from the J0D-fo0t
platform to the dizzy height OF 533 feet,
from which three or four journalists and
n bali dozen other adventurous climbers
witnessed the setting OF the capstone, and
subsequently assembled to the pinnacle.
MeanW hile, the Washington Monument
society. represented by DR.. Joseph NJ.
Toner, Hon. Horatio King, General William
Mckee Dunn. DIR. Daniel b. Clark, and r.
l.. Harvey. secretary, held a meeting on the
elcvator-platform at height OF 800 feet,
and when the artillery firing announced
the setting OF the capstone. adopted a rcso-
luton offered by General Dunn "congrat-
pletion OF this enduring monument OF our
nations gratitude to the Father OF his
Country
Among those present to-day at the COM
plttion OF the structure was one OF the mas
ter.mechanics who laid the cornerstone Of
the monument more than thirty-siX years
ago and the old Waterman OF the monu-
ment, who has been continuously employed
in that capacity during nearly the whole OF
the intervening period. The flag over the
monument floated to-day land will remain
for several days until the timbers are all
removed) from the flagstaff, the top OF
which is exactly six hundred feet from
the ground, thus displaying American
colors at the greatest height OF construc-
tIon ever vet known in the world. The
monument itself, with its total height OF
$50 feet, far overtops every other structure
OF human hands. The aluminium apex OF
the monument is engraved with iDscrip
lions, as follows: On one,face, "Cbief En-
gineer and Architect, Thomas Lincoln Ca
sey, Colonel Of the Corps OF Engineers;
Assistants, George w. Davis, Fourteenth
United states Infantry; Bernard X. Green,
Civil Engineer; Master Mechanic, =. III.
Mclaughlin" On another. cornerstone
Laid on the Bed OF the Foundation July
4. 1913; First Stone at the Height OF 152
Feet LAID August !, 1880; Capstone Set De-
cember 6, 1884" On the other side. "J0int
Commission at the Setting Of the Cap
stone. Chester A. Arthur. W. W. Corco-
ran (Chairman), w. +. Bell. Edward Clark.
John Newton; Act OF August 2, 1876"
Fourth side. the words L" LdlLS DeO."