New-York tribune., 1884-12-07
woRK on rHE wAsHIAGrON MONUMENT
rur CAP STONE ~ PosirlON-otFlCiAL CERl-
MONIES 10 TAKk PLACE ~ FEBRUARY.

r,r CAP STONE ~ PosiriON-0FFICIAL CERr-
MONIES 10 rAKE PLACE ~ rtDRuARY
~, TELEGRAPH 10 rae lRinuNEl
WASHINGTON Dee. G.--lhc booming OF
cannon and shrcking ~ steam whistles this afternoon
nnoun od to the qcoplc Washington that tho stone
~ the washn ton monument had ioen successfully nld
h,y auorward tho block which forms the apex ~ the
49, ,,,nl. rnof Of tho highest structure raised 10y human
hand, Wa. srt in it, place, and an American Nag wa'
r,n floating from the hutd of tho Htap ahoNo IT, TIE
u,ofir In Witch tho cap stone rests was laid by Colonel
c,,ey aud his assistants IN the prrscucc ~ lew spec
,r. who had havcd the storm of rain and wind to SEQ
r hing tonchcs given 10 tho great monument which
,,,r Ifs head 300 feet above tho earth Colonel casey
M bre IA charge of tho work In the last ak ycar' and
no accident causing loss OF lie has happened In that
urtipl owing t0 tho great care exercised IL WAS
srge,lrd that the lay Ing OF thc cap STONE be deferred
unin December II, the ninety nith anniversary oi
Wnshine toms dcath but that day might be TO" in
cl,ment lor work at such height. aud Will fall
sunday az well for other reasons, II was thought
best that there should be no delay.
Tho Official ceremonies I" mark the completion oi tno
monument Will take place on February -. tue one
hundred and iity third anniversary OF Naslhngtofs
blth 1Lcy will De under the direction Of joint COM
mission Oi the Scna" and House of Representatives,
consisting Ot Senatj sherman. Morrill,. Alson Bayaid
and Lamar ana Representatives D0rsheimcr, Tucker,
Reagan ollin-. Eldredgc. Hgham Cannon ana LAIRD.
ihe commission viii hold meeting next week TO
stone the monument laid On July L. lSi5 IN lae
presence OF Preoldc1t Ioa the -Presdrnt members
other persons. Robert G. winthrop then speaker OF the
House Representatives. delivered the Grafton. II Is
eNpcccd that be viii deN cr the inaugural address on
the completion o the salt next icbruary In 1871 the
fund, of the monument society exhausted the
shaft having AT that time reached the height Ot l1J feel
after expenditure ~ S2jDVOO Sub-cqo oent dincdtc,
with rival society defeated the efforts TO obtain an
appropriation from tpnsrc--. aud tlc disappearance
of u stone contributed 10y the Pope during the KNOW
Nothing excitement shut of 10 great cNtcLt contGlbu-
tnn- many from private sources The Legislature ot
California voted $1,000 year until tine monument
-hoIld be completed, but nothing hal been paid down
10 1874. In ls1l the state 81 Ncw York voted $4,000
npon condition that enough money should bc raised 10
complete u. bat nothing lad been paid iu@n 10 ls'i
In 1877 the state of New York vo'cd $4,000 on
condition that enough money should b" ialscd to com
prte the shaft aud NeW-Jrr-ry voted $1,000 and
Minnesota 5000 OH like condition. In Isfl tho
society had IN hand only $1,000 tue most of which
cOntiibu ed IN California on election day In Nov, 1850
IL apparent that Iunstos, must act II the monument
WAS be finished. In 1873 and 1874 efforts we're
made 10 appropriations To insure tho completion
o work by the time Tor the opening OF the Centennial
Exposition OF 1876. but they failed. la tho latter ycir
however. q appropriation was made. and since that
time the work has steadily advanced II N expected
that ahOdt two years ell be required for the final
pletlon o the interior and buse Of the monument