The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-07
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 Height of Six Hundred Feet
How the 0beliSk Was Built
SETTING THE CAP-sTONE.
Brief and Simple Ceremonies Incident to this
Completion Of the Work.

Brief and Simple Ceremonies Incident to tbs
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 Wsshington's birthday
Shortly after 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 a quadripod
of heavy iosts supported by platform, and
towering forty feet above them. As
soon as the capstone was set an
American flag was unfurled overhead. and a
salute of twenty-one guns fired by a 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 500-foot
platform, and in the interior at the foot Of the
monument at that level, spontaneously struck up
the Star spangled Banner" and other patriotic
songs. A steady down pour Of rain had given
place a little while previously to a 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 5OO-foot platform to the dizzy height of J33
feet from which three OF four journalists and
half a 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 M Toner, Hon
Horatio King, Gen. VIM. Mckee Dunn, DR.. Dan
iel B. Clark and r. L. Harvey. secretary, held a
meeting on the elevated platform, at a height of
800 feet, and when the artillery firing announced
the setting of the cap-stonA adopted resolution,
offered by General Dunn. 'congratulating the
American people the completion Of this en-
during monument of the Nations gratitude to
the Father of His Country"
Among those present to-day at thu completion
of the structure was one of the master mechan-
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 hoated to-day
from the flag staff top, which is exactly COO feet
from the ground. thus displaying the American
colors 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 face-"Chief engineer and architect Thorn
as Lincoln Casey, colonel of the Corps Of Engineers
assistants, George w Davis Fourteenth United
States lnfantry Bernard Il. Green civil engineer;
master mechanic 2. H. Mclaughlin"
On another" Corner stone laid on the bed of
the foundation July 1913; first stone at height of
l52 feet, hid Aug. :, 1850; cap-store set Dee. s.
1854"
On the third face oint commission at the setting
of the cap-stone Chester A. Arthur W. w Corco
ran, Chairman NJ +. Bell Edward CLARK, John New
ton; act Of Aug q 1876
And upon the fourth face tho words-"I.at, peo."