Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-13

was Suspended for lack of funds. Congress
was meinoriah1ed, but without result. The
shaft had attained a height OF 15s feet above
The advent of the war interfered with the
public interest in the work, and during that
period and subsequently, the shaft remained
passed an act apprOpriating S2O.OW to CON
tinMc the construction of the monument. ana,
suppic.nentary approximations Delng anh1 a,-
ished the 9TH of December, 1884. The strength.
ening of the foundations and the practical
construction OF the shaft was accomplished.
by Colonel Thomas Lincoln Casey, Corps of
Engineers. engineer in charge, detailed UNI
der the joint construction committee consti-
tuted by the act of August 2, 1876, TO super
wise the erection of the monument.
The monument is located adjacent to the
Potomac River, on a Government reservation
comprising seyenty-csght and a half acres.
and being public property the view OF the
shaft entire will never be obstrIcted. The site
is one marked on Major L'Enfant's map of
Washington City for a proposed statue to
Washington, which was voted to ne erected
by the Confidential Congress in l7S. and
to Congress by Washington when
President. 1t was also the site for the monu-
mcnt to the heroes of the Revolution, which
was proposed in the year 1875.
The elevation of the ground on which the
monument stands is twenty-siX feet above low
tide-water in the Potomac River;
Tho original foundation was of blue gneiss
rock, in large blocks as they came from the
| quarry. laid in lime mortar with small por-
ton Of cement II ,. was as 5 s tde to sararf fea ut base base.
mida in shape, having offsets or steps, and
extended Z feet sinches below ground and IL
feet s inches above ground.
Being enlarged and Strengthened by Colonel
| Thomas Lincoln Casey, Corps of Engineers. en-
gineer in charge, the present foundation is rs
square feet. '36 feet 10 inches in depth, and
extends down to q level 8 inches below the
permanent level Of water in the site ON which
The shaft is slightly over nine times the
base. being. 500 feet 5s inches high; base, Is
feet fsitk " ine Oh wa s1Hqa at e5 a9p; 80 ret e Feet ea ia af tep;
Is inches; batter of walls outside, .241 OF an
inch to l foot rise. The top of the shaft is
come to a point at a height OF 2a5 its present
altitude.
Assembly means of iron stairway and
Of eight vertica! Phoenix iron columns -four
Gh and four ~ inches internal diameterlI
beams, channels and ties; four columns term
mate at the height of 500 feet and four within
the roof at 517 feet, which four sustain the
elevator machinery above. The eight col-
u stair nra arlil" aiter m een short fll saas's Strung
along the north and south sides OF the well,
connecting with platforms 4 feet s inches wide
| ito height OF $50 feet, and Z feet l0a inches
wide, 20 feet apart on IL side, and extending
along the east and west walls, being 81 flights
and 800 steps;
ElevatOr-Capacity, 10 tons, with a factor OF
safety of Is.
Total height of monument above floor, SIS
feet 51s inches, or 5g7 feet 3 inches above mean
low water in the Potomac, or $50 feet 9.1H
inches above the mean levelof the Atlantic at
Sandy Hook. N. Y.
Number OF stones in the shaft above $50 feet,
9,613.
Some 1900 barrels of Portland cement were
used in the new foundation and shaft.
Tons.
Weight of foundation and earth upon it. ~, 9l2
Weight of $50 feet of old portion of shaft 22,313
Weight OF new portion OF shaft. ........ .2l, 2GO
Weigh OF yra,nidion $50 s
Total weight. 81 100
The interior of the shaft is lit up by incan-
descent electric lights disposed through it ut
various heights.
Amount raised by contributions from the
people and expended in rearing monument to
l56 feet, $OO,O00; appropriated by Congress
(Aug. 9. 1876. to December, 1884, $500, 600.