Morning journal and courier., 1886-08-26
THE CAP STONE LAID

or New Havenss Soldiers Monument
 Yesterday-Three Tons i'm Weight
 Wait ng Now for the ScuIptorss
 Work-Dimculties SurmOunted-The
 Striking Scene From the Monuments
 Top.
 Yesterday at 12 o'clock noon the cap
 stone of New Haven's soldiers monument
 was laid Messrs. Smith & Sperry; the ina
 son builders, commenced the work of build
 ing the monument about the middle of last
 June. The firm bent all their energies to the
 task to complete the monument and sur
 mount it with the figure by Septem Der 1,
 and though delayed ten days for stone in the
 interim they have accomplished their part of the work and the cap stone weighing three tons is laid. They are now waiting for the statue which is to adorn the lnonu- ment's summit, which comes from Moffat & Doyle of New York, and word has been re- ceived from them that this crowning figure l and the crowning figures for the lower part of the monument will not be ready until the 10th or 2Oth of September. Owing to this delay it is doubtful if the mason contractors can complete the monument this year. They | fear that they will be obliged, in conse- uuenee of the unexpected delay, to postpone l the completing work until next spring. This | is because of the gales, which in windy day | are violent on the top of the Rock, and
 stiff September gale is liable to blow down | the derricks and demolish them and endanger I human life. On every windy day it blows hard upon the top of the Rock, as anyone | who has stood upon the monument on such a | day has amply experienced. MT. Smith, of | Smith & Sperry, who has superintended and engineered the work of building the monu-
 ment, is entitled to praise for his very suc-
 cessful efforts and untiring energy. Having l a public monument of so important nature l to erect he naturally has felt 8 special 1 interest in the work and has pushed it, while 1 at the same time he has successfully sur mounted many difficulties in raising the stones, many of them weighing tons each, to their positions. The derrick is now in
 place on top of the monument for the placing in position of the figure Ia statue l of Peace), which it is expected will weigh two tons. MT. Smith, although over sixty years of age, clambered to the top of the der rick yesterday, from which elevated position, 20 feet above the cap stone and 4oO feet above
 sea level, he took a view of the country around. From this height as well as from the cap stone one without bending far over
 can see nothing of the rock, and all that is seen from an upright position is the landscape five hundred feet below, very inspiring sight. The top stones above l the lookout chamber near the top of the
 monument weigh from one to three tons each and through these to hold them firm ly together long iron rod will pass. The crowning figure will rest on half globe which will be securely fastened by six dowels to these upper stones. The difficulties at tached to the work and the placing of the
 heavy stones in position at such height will be readily appreciated by builders and others. The coming September gales it is feared will compel the builders to take down the derricks to save them from being blown A1,o