The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-08
From The Journal Of sdsday.l
In HONOR OF WASHINGTON.
Setting the Last Stone in the Great
Shaft at the National Capital.
The Stars and Stripes Thrown to the Breeze
at a Height fisk Hundred Feet
How the Obelisk Was Built
SETTING THE cAP-sToNE.
Brief and simple Ceremonies Incident to tbs
Completion of the Work.

Brief and Simple Ceremonies Incident to the
Completion of the Work.
WASHINGTON. Dec 6-The long-expected
completion Of the Washington monument obelisk
was accomplished this afternoon by the setting in
place of the marble cap-stone and its pyramidal
apex of aluminium The ceremonies were few
and simple, an elaborate celebration of the event
being reserved for Washington's birthday.
Shortly after2 o'clock, Col Thomas L. Casey,
government engineer in charge, and his assist
ants, Captain Davis, United States Army and
Bernard r. Green, civil engineer, together with
Master Mechanic Mclaughlin and several work
ingmen, standing on a narrow platform built
around the narrow marble roof near the summit,
proceeded to set the cap-stone weighing $500
pounds, which was suspended from quadripod
Of heavy joists supported by a platform, and
towering forty feet above them. As
soon as the eap-stone was set, an
american flag was unfurled overhead. and a
salute of twenty-one guns fired by battery in
the White House lot below The sound of cheers
also came up family from the crowd of specta-
tors gathered around the base of the monument,
while number of invited guests on the 5OO-foot
platform, and in the interior at the foot of the
the ''Star-spangled Banner" and other patriotic
songs. steady down. pour Of rain had given
place little while previously to brisk gale of
wind, which, at this elevation was blowing about
ffty-fve miles an hour, and very few invited
guests cared to avail themselves of the privilege
of climbing the nearly perpendicular ladder from
the 500-foot platform to the dizzy height of 533
feet, from which three or four journalists and
half dozen other adventures witnessed the
setting of the cap-stone and subsequently
assembled to the pinnacle
Meanwhile the Washington Monument Soci-
ETY., represented by DR. Joseph NJ. Toner, Hon.
Horatio King, Gen. VIM. Mckee Dunn, DR.. Dan
iel B. Clark and 7. L. Harvey, secretary, held a
meeting on the elevated platform, at height of
500 feet, and when the artillery firing announced
the setting of the eap-stone adopted resolution,
offered by General Dunn, 'congTatulating the
American people OH the completion Of this en-
during monument of the Nations gratitude to
the Father of His Country"
Among those present today at the completion
of the structure was one of the master meehan-
les who laid the cornerstone of the monument
more than thirty-six years ago. and the watch
man of the monument, who has been continu-
Ously employed in that capacity during nearly
the whole intervening period.
The flag over the monument foated to-day
from the flag staff top, which is exactly GOO feet
from the ground. thus displaying the American
eolors at the greatest height of construction
ever yet known in the world. The monument
itself, with its total height Of $50 feet, far over
tops every other structure built by human
hands The aluminium apex of the monument
is engraved with an inscriptions as follows
On one faee-"Cbief engineer aud architect, Thorn
as Lincoln Casey colonel of the Corps of Engineers
assistants, George w. Davis Fourteenth United
States Infantry; Bernard r. Green civil engineer;
master mechanic, P. II. Mclaughlin"
On another-'Corner stone laid on the bed OF
1852 feet laid Aug. Z, 1880; eap-stoie set Dec. g.
1854
On the third faeeJoint commission at the setting
of the eap-stone Chester A. Arthur, W. w. Coreo
ran, Chairman NJ. L. Bell, Edward Clark, John New
ton; act of Aug. ., 1876"
And upon the fourth face the words-'14aus Dec,