The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-13

venturing upon technical details, then, 1t
may be briefly stated that the framework
Of the derrick, 80 long familiar object on
top of the white shaft, will only be in use
few days longer to put in place the last
five courses of stone necessary to bring
the work to a height Of five hundred feet
above the ground floor, at which height
the roof will be put on. The laying of
these remaining courses, if the work is
not delayed by bad weather or accident,
will occupy the workmen during this
month and part of the next Early in
August, however, the public is promised
grand transformation scene on top Of
the monument. All Of the framework
will be cleared away, and in its place
lofty derrick will be erected, composed of
four stout masts starting from the tops of
the iron columns near the angles, and
leaning toward each other, until they
meet at the height of seventy.fve feet
above the top of the monument. Around
will be circle of metal, and around this
circle the horizontal arm of the derrick
will swing free in every direction. On
stout iron beams laid across the top of the
monument and projecting twenty feet
over the edge on the east side, strong
platform will be built. The roof stones
will be hoisted by the elevator, in the
usual way, to the top Of the monument,
| and will then be placed on an iron car
riage and run out on the projecting plat
form. The arm of the derrick will then
be swung over the stone, and 1t will be
hoisted and deposited in the place for
which it is intended.
The roof will be pyramid in form,
like that on Bunker Hill monument, but
much larger. The corbels, when finished,
will be the stone ribs or supports of the
roof. There are three projecting from
the inner surface of each wall. The four
middle ones will be brought closer and
closer together until they have nearly
met, and then -four way" keystone
will be set, uniting them. They will then
present the appearance of two gothic
arches crossing each other at right angles.
The intermediate eight, after the two in
each angle have come together, will be
keyed by large stones fitting closely. On
the stone rib work thus formed the large
fat roof stones will be laid in such man.
ner that each course will rest upon the
marble ribs, and not on the course below.
These ribs will be set in the regular
courses by aid of the derrick, until the
course Immediately below the arm is set,
and then, of course, the derrick must come
down and other means be devised for set
ting the cspstone.
To do this it will be necessary to build
scaffold on the outside of the roof, and
from this scaffold, by an ingenious ar
rangement, the capstoue, with its copper
apex, will be put in place by a workman
who will then come down through hole
left in the stone for the purpose.
The thrust of the roof against the walls
is overcome by iron rods connecting the
opposite sides.
In the lower course of roof stones two
wide window openings will be cut on
each side at height convenient for the
eye. This will give an outlook from
eight windows at the height of five hun
bred feet, or rather five hundred aud sew
enteen feet, above the ground.
J Speaking of the copper point on thu
J summit stone, Colonel Casey said that il
would be connected with the iron columns
, which he had connected with the vel
under the monument when he begar
, work. This, he said, had served to main
tain the electrical equilibrium between thu
upper air and the ground, and the shat
had not been struck by lightning since h'
had had charge of the work, though i
had been struck before Washington Star