The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-12-07
WASHINGTON.
A Budget of News From the
Capital.
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
The Ceremonies at It's Completion
AttOrney-GeneraI Brewster
Renders a Decision.
Items of Interest from the Nations
Headquarters.

Items of Interest from the Nations
Headquarters.
WASHINGTON, December 6.-The col
lections of internal revenue the first
four months OIL the fiscal year ending
June 30th, 1884, were SIS, 375, $40, the
same period previous fiscal year, $40,-
500, 40, decrease, 50, 623, 794. There was
an increase of $500, 1873 in collections
from fermented liquors, and decrease
of $258, 859 on spirits, 1874 ,912 on tobacco
and $157 1896 on miscellaneous items.
The aggregate receipts of October last
were 81, $50, 675 less than the same
month in 1883.
Acknowledgement Brewster rendered
an opinion sustaining the position taken
by Acting Secretary of the Treasury
Coon, last summer, that it was illegal to
approve plans for public buildings
where the expenditure was greater than
the limit fixed by Congress was clearly
contemplated, and which would be
necessary to complete the building.
The long expected completion of the
Washington monument obelisk was
accomplished this afternoon, by the
setting in place of the marble capstone,
and its pyramidal apex of alu
miHum. The ceremonies were
few and simple, an elaborate
celebration of the event being reserved
for WaShingtOn's birthday. Shortly
after o'clock. Colonel Thomas L.
Casey, the government engineer, in
charge, and his assistants. Captain
Davis, United States Army, and
Bernard b. Green, civil engineer, to-
gether with Master Mechanic McLaugh-
lin and several wOrkmen, standing on
the narrow platform built around the
sloping marble roof near the summit,
proceeded to set the capStOne weighing
3 .306- pounds), which was suspended
from quadrupon of heavy joists, sup
ported by platform and towering forty
| feet above them. As soon as the cap
stone was set, the American flag was
unfurled overhead, and q salute of
tWenty-One guns was fired by a
battery in the White House lot, far
/ below The sound of cheers also
came up family from the crowd of
spectators gathered around the
of invited guests on the 500-foot plat
! form and in the interior OF the monu-
ment at that level, spontaneously
struck up The Star Spangled Banner"
and other patriotic songs. A steady
| downpour of rain had given place a
| little while previously to brisk gale of
wind. at this elevation, blowing about
| fifty-ive 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 10 the dizzy height.
| 533 feet from which three. or
| four journalists and hall
dozen other adventures climbed and
witnessed the setting OF the capstone,
and subsequently assembled to the pin
nacle. Meanwhile, the Washington
Monument Society, represented by DIR.
Joseph N. Toner, Hon. Horatio King,
General VIM. Mckee Dunn, Mr.. Daniel
B. Clark and T. L. Harvey, secretary,
held n meeting on the elevated platform
at q height of 500 feet, and when the ar
tillery firing announced the setting OF
the capstone, adopted 4 resolution. Of
fered BY General Dunn, cOngratulating
the American people on the completion
of this enduring monument of our ma
TONS gratitude TO the father OF his
country" Among those present to-day
at the completion of the structure was
one of the master mechanics who lad
I the corner stone OF this monument
more than thirty six years ago,
and an old Waterman OF the
monument, who had been con
tinuouSly employed in that capacity
| during nearly the whole of the inter
yening period. The flag over the
monument is floating to-day from the
| flagstaff the top of which is exactly 500
feet from the ground, thus displaying
American colors at the greatest helght
| of construction ever yet known IN the
world. The monument itself, with Its
total height of $50 feet, far overtOps
every structure of human hands. The
aluminium apex of the monument is
engraved with inscriptions as follows:
On one face. The Chief engineer and
architect, Thomas Lincoln Casey,
! Colonel Corps of Engineers; assistants,
/ George w. Davis, fourth United States
Infantry, Bernard r. Green, civil en-
gineer; master mechanic, P Fl. Nc
| Haughiin. ron another, Corner stone
laid On the bed of the foundation, July
4th, 1913; the first stone
was laid August 18th. 1880; the capstOne
/ set December 6, 1884" One a third,
aIoint commission at the setting of the
csnsfone Chester A. Arthur, w w.
Corcoran. chairman, NJ. E. Bell, Edward
Clark. John Newton; act OF August ID,
| 1876" On the fourth the words. Las
| Dec.
! The Hawaiian treaty was signed to-
dav bv Secretary Frelinghuysen for the
| United States and Mr. Carter represent
ing the Hawaiian government.
It is understood that the sub-oom-
mittee of the Springer committee on
expenditures in the Department of JUS
| tica IN investigate the charges made
( against United States Marshal Lot
| Wright By Representative Follett, will
consist of Messrs. Springer IllinOiS)
/ Van Alstyne New York;, and Stewart
| vermont. The subcommittee viii
probably start for Cincinnati on Thurs
day night.