Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-21

| George Washington first in peace first in war
and first in the hearts OF his countrymen, was
| one of the chief instruments of Divine Prov-
dence in securing American independence and
| In laying broad and deep the foundations OF our
| liberties in the Constitution of the United States
| therefore, as mark of our sense of the honor
| due to his name and to his cOmpatriotS and as
sociates. our revolutionary fathers, we, the Sen
ate and the House of Representatives, in Con-
gress assembled, in the name of the people ofthe
| United States at this, the beginning of the sec
| Ond century OF national existence, do assume
and direct the completion OF the Washington
| monument in the city of Washington, and in
struct the committees on appropriation of the
| respective houses To propose suitable pro-
| visions of law to carry this resolution into
| effect"
The resolution passed the Senate unanimous
| ly, and on the following day the House of Rep
resentatives also passed it unanimously.
| Two days afterwards Mr.. sherman introduced
continue the work. The le'' bin was pushed
| through both houses with as little delay as pos
sihle. the appropriation having been increased
to 5000 900 and on the I'd of August 1876, it
| received the signature OF the President and was
| a law.
ment should be completed by October, 1881 the
centennial anniversary ofthc surrender otCorn-
| wallis at y yorktown, and the browning achieve
| ment OF Washington in war.
| THE MONUMENT COMMISSION
The construction of the monument was placed
| under the direction and supervision of an eX-
| ofciO commission to consist of the President Of
| the United States, the supervising architect of
| the Treasury department, the architect of the
| Capitol, the chief of engineers OF the United
States army, and the first vice president of the
| Washington National Monument society.
The gentlemen who have served on the mOnu-
| ment commission since this law was passed are
Presidents Ulysses S. Grant r. b. Hayes, Jas. A.
Garfield and Chester A. Arthur; Chiefs of Corps
| OF Engineers. L. s. A.. Brgader Gems. A A.
Humphreys, Horatio Wright and John Newton;
tects of the Treasury James 6. HILL John Fraser
| acting and NJ. 4. Bell: and first vice presi-
dent of National Monument
ent members of the commission, besides
President dent Arthur, are Cen John New
| W. COrcoran. The law creating the commission
required that all the property and rights of the
Monument society should be conveyed to the
| Stunning the work on the monument an eXami-
nation should be made to ascertain whether the
| foundation was sufficient to sustain the weight
| OF the completed structure.
a board OF engineer officers reported that the
| foundation was insufficient, and it would be
| lnadvisible to proceed with the work of con-
stiuctlon until it was properly strengthened
| The report of the commission, with the facts in
| the case, We're transmitted to Congress with the
annual message of the Resident, on December
3, 1873. Congress then ,Onferred the necessary
authority for the expenditure of a portion of
| the appropriation of 5000, 900 in Strengthening
the foundation. Two seasons were spent by
Col. Thomas Lincoln Casey. the engineer officer
detailed to take charge of the work. The SHOWS
and suns of twenty-five winters and summers
had made havoc with the comparatively I'M
protected masonry in the top portion of the
| shaft, and it was found necessary to take down
three courses, which reduced the height of the
| structure to one hundred and fifty feet above
the level of the floor
THE WORK RESUMED.
The work of carrying skyward the structure,
which had stood for many years as reproach
to the patriotism of the nation, was resumed on
the 9TH of August, 1880, when the first stone
was laid. The capstone was placed in position
December 9th, 1854 The cost of the work up
to the present time has been S1,1S7,71O31 of
which amount the United States expended
SSS1,1lO.31, and the Monument society about
100000