Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-09-06

were appointed in various districts A plan was
also adopted of placing contribution boxes in
the different post Offices and the postmaSters
were the recognized and authorized agents OF
the society. Several thousand dollars was Sc
cured in this way.
On June 18th. 1889, the society made a request
OF the Secretary Of War Floyd. to detail an
officer of the engineer corDs to act as archit ect
and engineer OF the movement and he detailed
Lieut. j. Z. Ives. That officer served but a
short time. when he was ordered away. having
only made an examination of the work. Then
| the rebellion broke out, and monument
affairs came to stand still as did nearIv every
thing else.
CONGRESS TO THE RESCUE.
1t was not until 1878 tina. the society again
sent memorial to Congress and it was so
theoretically pushed by Mr. Chapman, who re-
presented the District in Congress that a COM
mittee OF thirteen was appointed By the
Speaker to confer with the monument society
as to the practcability of completing the mon
ument by the centennial celebration of 1876.
! On February 22d. 1873. the committee recon-
mended an appropriation of 300 900. but the mat
ter went over until the next session. May list.
1874. the committee again reported in favor of
an appropriation sufficient tor the purpose. but
again the matter was not finally acted upon.
Nothing was done. in fact. until July. 1876 At
that time proposition was made by Senator
Sherman to devote a portion OF the centennial
lIiS tlc " lltil
the money should be refunded to the govern
ment This met with the approval Of the Sen
ale. and by the time the matter came VI n the
House the members of the monument society
had worked to such advantage that there was
no difficulty in securing anancndment to make
an appropriation OF $500 600, payable in annual
instruments of $50. 600. The Senate concurreti
in the proposition with the proviso. which was
adopted. that the foundation be first examined
At a meeting of the monument society. on the
laft
ferrlng to the government the title of the reser-
walton on which the monument stands. Suisse
quently deed was prepared by the Attorney
General and duly executed by the first vice
president. Mr. W. w CorcOran. and the secre-
tary DR.. J. B. Blake. as officers representa-. y
the society. The date OF the deed is January
~, 1877, and it is now on file in the State de-
partment.
TIE WORK RESUMED
in 1877 the foundation was examined care
fully ny commission of distinguished army en-
@ineers OF which Gen. Gilmore was president,
and steps were taken to strengthen it in the
manner recommended. The maaarement OF the
construction OF the monument was then turned
oyer to a monument commission of five mem
berS. consisting of the President Of the United
states. the Chief OF engineers the first vice pres
ident of the monument society, the architect OF
the Capitol ana the supervising architect Of the
Treasury. 1t the instance of the commission
the President. in June 1878 detailed Col. I. l..
Casey and Capt. Geo. W Davis of the engineer
corps. as engineer and assistant engineer. re-
spectively, OF the monument. Under their man
a@enent the work has been carried on system
aticatly. scient iicay and rapidly. The work
on the monument. from the one hundred ami
fifty foot point, differs very materially from the
original work. \ drawing Of the surface of the
top OF the monument at that point shows the
stones TO be OF irregular shape and rather care
leSSly placed. headers and strinmers occurring
wherever convenient. and the creyices filled with
cement. Since the work has been recommended
the stones have all been cut with great accll-
racy. and laid in the most careful! manner pos
sIbe. Every other stone on the front either
a header or stringer-thnt is. if was laid either
with its end or its side to the surface
COST OF THE WORK.
The subsequent appropriations 10y Congress
amounted to 800. GOO. SO that in all the mon
.ument has cost. or will have cost. if the amount
On hand is entirely expended. Sl.130.0C0. Oh
this total the monument society collected and
expended 5,23O. 600. and the remainder was pro-
yided by Congress. The monument which has
caused so many years OF toll and trouble. is at
last about to receive its capStone. and when
completed. will be acknowledged to be one OF
the finest illustrations of engineering skill of the
age, towering above every other building OF
structure in the world.