Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-12-18
Completed.

! WASHINGTON, December 6.-The long,
expected completion of the Washington
Monument obelisk was accomplished this
afternoon by setting in place the marble
cap-stone and its dyramidal apex of alumni
mum. The ceremonies were few and sim
pie. There will be an elaborate celebration,
the event being reserved for Washington s
birthday, Col. Thomas l.. Casey, govern
ment engineer in charge, and his assistants,
Captain Davis, .. S. A., and Bernard B.
Green, civil engineer, together with master
mechanic Mclaughlin and several work
men, standing on narrow platform built
around the slOplng roof near the summit,
proceeded to set the cap-stone, weighing
$4,000 pounds, which was suspended from
a quadripon of heavy iQists, supported by
a platform and towering forty feet above
them. AS soon as the cap stone was set.
the American flag was unfurled overhead
and salute of tWenty-One guns was fired
by battery in the White House lot far be-
low. The sound of cheers came up family
from the crowd of spectators around
the base OF the monument, while a number
of invited guests on 5O0-foot platform
in the interior of the monument struck up
the "Star Spangled Banner and other pa
triotic songs. A steady downpour of rain
had given place, little while previously,
to brisk gale of wind. at this elevation
blowing about fifty-five miles an hour, and
very few of the invited guests cared about
ayailing themselves of the privilege Of
climbing nearly perpendicular ladder
from the 500-foot platform to the dizzy
height of 532 feet, to which three or four
journalists and half a dozen other adven-
turers climbed and witnessed the setting
Of the capstone, and subsequently ascended
to the pinnacle.
Meanwhile, the Washington Monument
Society, represented by DR.. Joseph NJ.
Toner, Hon. Horatio King, Gen. William
Mckee Dunn, DR.. Daniel B. Clark, and
T. L. Harvey, secretary, held meeting on
the elevated platform at the height Of 500
feet, and when the firing Of the artillery
announced the setting Of the CapStone,
adopted a resolution offered by Gen Dunn,
congratulatiug Americans on the compile
ton Of this enduring monument Of our
nations gratitude to the Father Of his
Country.
Among those present to day at the com
pICllOL VI tAS StltO'uiS huS ChS i-''S'SA
mechanic who laid the cornerstone Of this
monument more than thirty-siX years ago,
and an old watchman of the monument
who had been continuously employed in
that capacity during nearly the whole in
tervening period The flag over the mon
ument foated to day from the flag staff
top, which is exactly 600 feet from the
ground, thus displaying the American
colors at the greatest height of construction
ever yet known in the world. The mOnu-
ment itself, with its total height of $50 feet,
far overtops every structure of human
hands. The aluminium apex of the monu-
ment is engraved with inscriptions as fol-
lows: On one face, Chief Engineer and
Architect, Thomas Lincoln Casey, Colonel
Corps Engineers; Assistants, George w.
Davis, Fourth United States Infantry;
Bernard r. Green, Civil Engineer; Master
Mechanic, P. II. Mclaughlin. On an
other face: Corner stone laid on bed of
foundation July 4, 1S4S. First stone at
height of 152 feet laid August 7, 1880,
Capstone set December G,.1SS4" On
third face: Joint Commission at setting
capstone: Chester A. Artur, W. W. Cor
coran, Chairman; NJ. E. Bell, Edward
Clark, John Newton. Act Of August 2,
1876" On the fourth the words, "LduS
ToO "