Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-19
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
Result Of . Years Work On the Tai
Shaft.
INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE ANNUAL RE
P0RT OF COL. CASEY.

INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE ANNUAL RE
P0Rr OF COL. CASEY.
The annual report OF Col. Thos. L Casey, on
the Washington monument, which was SUBJ
mitted to the Senate by the joint commission
Of the Washington monument, with its appro-
val, states that at the close of the last season
the topmost stone of the walls had been setsub-
stantially completing the obelisk The work
since done upon the masonry has had for its
object the improvement of the appearance Of
the obelisk. and its protection nom the de-
structive effects of the weather.
The nine windows in the pylamidion, which
served as openings through which the staging
for building the pyramidion was supported, and
by means Of which access to the exterior OF the
walls can be gained at any time, were carefully
fitted with marble shutters set In bronze frames
Eight of these frames are hung upon revolving
cranes, and are SO contrived as not only to be
readily Unanswered, but to carry the shutters
into positions where their faces are protected
from disagreement or accident. When the
windows are closed by the shutters the pyra-
midiou is much improved in appearance. and
the interior of the shaft is protected from storm
waters, which would otherwise flow into them
rom the roof and flood the upper platforms.
THE CHANGES OF THE ENTRANCES
The two original entrances to the monument
at Its base were large Egyptian doorways, Is
feet in height by feet in width, each sur
mounted by heavy pediment, and an entab-
iature upon which was carved the winged ball
and the asp. These door ways were in keeping
with the original design of massive temple to
no longer appropriate after the determination
to retain the obelisk only as the monument the
protecting jams, entablature and pediment
were dressed down to the planes of the faces of
the shaft, and the western doorway walled up
with large grained marble such as was used in
facing the lower part Of the walls. The eastern
reduced tn fao<o
was closed by two marble doors or slabs, revoly-
ing upon heavy bronze hinges. the weight of
each leaf, over half ton, being supported upon
q steel friction roller.
INTERIOR WORK
During the year plant for lighting the inte-
rior of the shaft with seventy-five incandescent
electric lamps was introduced. The dynamo
ana cables OF this plant are designed for one
hundred and twenty-five lamps, which mum Der
at some future day may he required. From the
floor to a height of 300 feet there are two
lights to each platform, and from 900 feet to
$50 feet there is but one light to each platform
The metal work to complete the treads, plat
form coverings. hand-rails OF the stairs, and
going on rapidly. Owing to great difficulties
encountered in rolling the steel treads of the
stairs, the whole work was much delayed, and
the contemplated alterations in the engine
house. boiler house, elevator car, and floor of
the monument deferred to latter period in
the year.
MEMORIAL STONES
OF the 1S9 blocks OF stone presented to the
monument at various times from foreign coun.
tries, states, territories &c, 81 had been built
into the wallis OF the portion of the shaft con-
ment society.
In taking off the upper feet of the old shaft
which was damaged by the weather. of these
stones were removed and deposited in the store
house. To insure thorough bond in the
masonry and the strongest character of ashlar
construction, 1t was decided not to build i'm any
more of the blocks until the completion of the
obelisk. During the past year, SO blocks were
inserted in the walls, from platform 16O 10 plat
form 23O both inclusive. The work consisted
in reducing the thicker blocks to thin Slabs
cutting depressions in the faces of the walls,
and securely wedging the slabs into them. OF
the stones inserted during the year, were
from foreign countries, namely, Brazil. Bremen,
China, Greece, Japan, Siam, Switzerland, Tur-
and territories, namely, Kansas. Kentucky,
Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada
Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont. West Vir-
GINA, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming a space
being secured on platform 100 for stone from
the state of New York, now being prepared
10 from cities and towns; from Masonic socie-
ties; q from Odd-Fellow societies; 4 from Sons
Of temperance, and miscellaneous. The re-
manning 81 blocks in the store house, repre-
senting mainly local societies and organizations
ana Individuals, have been reserved for future
consideration.
PROTECTION FROM LIGHTNING.
A considerable amount of unexpected work
was performed during the season in the cree
ton OF rods and points to protect the obelisk
established for the monument, were commenced
In January. 1850, and were finished in Janu-
ary 1850. These conductors consist of the four
hollow wrought iron Phoenix columns standing
IN the well OF the shaft, and which support the
elevator machinery and guide the car. The
bottoms of these four columns rest upon aud
are bolted to cast iron shoes, which in turn
stand upon the floor OF the large drum-pit be-
meath the floor of the monument. The shoes
are connected to three-quarter-inch soft copper
rods led to the bottom of u well in the center of
the foundation. This well is 30 feet 10 inches
In depth below the bottom of the drum-pit, and
15 feet inches below the bottom OF the ma
sorry foundation, and the water stands in it
permanently feet inches above its bottom.
After the copper rods were inserted the well
was filled with clean sharp sand for a depth of
10 feet inches. or up to the level of the bottom
OF the Old rubble-Stone foundation OF the monu-
bases, and always projecting above the top of
the shaft, were continually heightened as the
building of the shaft progressed, and for the
1--WE summers during which the masonry was
in progress acted as the lightning conductors of
the edifice. No dsruptive discharge of cleo
tricity was experienced during those five years.
When the walls were completed. in December
OF 1884, four copper rods, three-quarte OF an
inch In diameter, were run, one from each col
umn, to the top stone, and there united in
112-inch copper rod, which, passing vertically
through the stone, was screwed into a solid
metal terminal of aluminium. The system was
entirely completed and connected on January
20, 1885.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
On the 9Th of April, 1885, during the passage
OF heaVy thunder cloud over the monument
ut least five immense sparks bolts of electrical
light were seen within period of twenty min
utes to flash between the terminal and the
cloud, without audible sound to the observers
without any effect on the structure. On the
Sth ofJune, however, during a thunder Storm
a disruptive discharge cracked the stone on the
north face of the pyramidion just under the top
stone The fragment was easily forced back to
plac, and bolted to the solid stone from which
it had been torn.
THE NEW SYSTEM OF PROTECTION
A committee consisting of Profs. H. A. Row.
land. of Johns Hopkins university; Simon New
comb, of the United States navy, ana T. C.
Mendenhall, of the United States signal service
after a careful examination recommended i'm
substance, that the interior conductors should
number of points, to be located upon the ex-
terror of the pyramidiOn. The additions con.
sist of four one-halfinch copper rods fastened
by u band to the aluminium terminal and led
down the corners to the base OF the pyraml-
dion; thence, passing through the masonry they
extend inward, and are Joined to the iron
columns above described. AS these exterior
rods are each over 90 feet long, they are also
connected at two intermediate points of their
lengths with the iron columns by means of cop
per rods One-half and three-quarters of an incn
in diameter, respectively, furnishing sixteen
rods in all connecting the exterior system of
conductors with the interior conducting col.
umns. Where the exterior rods upon the cor
ners cross the eleven highest horizontal joints
OF the masonry OF the pyramidiOn, they are
connected to each other all around by other
copper rods sunk into those joints. All Of these