Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-06-27
A KNOW NOTHING RELIC.
The Pope's Gift to the Washington Monu-
ment Recovered From the Potomac.

ment Recovered From the Potomac.
WASHINGTON, June 24.-The engi-
neering work now in progress upon the
northern section of Long Bridge has led
TO the recovery Of strange articles from
the depths Of the Washington channel
by the divers employed in digging out
the foundations for the new piers. The
muddy, oozy bottom Of the Potomac at
this point has for many years been the
receptacle of all sorts Of odd articles
accidentally or purposely dropped from
the bridge. Chief among the curiosi-
ties recovered from the Washington
channel is peculiar slab or stone which
is find of real value and interest in
connection with the early history Of the
city.
1t was several days ago that the find
occurred. Diver Harry Edwards was
down on his third trip in the morning,
and was guiding the nozzle OF the large
suction hose that is used in tearing up
the soft bottom to give the workmen ac-
cess to the foundation Of the piers
Near the southwest corner OF the abuS-
ment on the district side he encOuu-
tered the corner OF piece of large
dressed stone, which he at first thought
was a piece of masonry Of the pier
which had become detached and fallen
out. Feeling that perhaps there might
be something to the curious fad he sig
nailed the bucket, and as his time be-
low was nearly up, assembled with the
block OF marble and had it landed on
the barge instead Of being thrown on
the common scrap pile with the rest Of
the refuse.
The closer inspection that the clear
light of the upper air allowed showed
that the stone was not as perfectly pre-
served as he had at first imagined, but
il had evidently suffered under the ham
mer before finding its resting place in
the still depths OF the Potomac. Large
pieces had been knocked of OF i in sew
eral places, and an inscription on one
side had been partly destroyed. Enough
remained, however, TO make out "RO-
tberica" cut deep in Gothic characters.
To the divers this gave no clew to the
stones identity, so after discussing the
matter and deciding to look further into
il the stone was thrown, face up, in one
corner OF the barge, where it lay until
last Saturday morning. The matter was
investigated, and the facts brought to
light make il almost certain that one OF
the Oldest and deepest mysteries Of
Washington has been at last cleared up.
Daring the first years Of work upon
the Washington Monument there was
contributed from all quarters Of the
globe memorial stones to be inlaid on
the inner wall of the shaft. The
crowned heads of nearly every land
we're proud to contribute toward Amer
ica's memorial 70 the greatest hero Of
modern times, and tablets OF granite
and marble, appropriately inscribed,
were received by the Monument Society
and placed, pending their insertion, in
a long, wooden StOrehOuSe or lapidarium
near the foot of the shaft. Among
Others that were received in the winter
OF 1853 was a block OF beautiful striated
marble from the Pope of Rome with the
simple inscription, Rome to America"
meaning by that not the religious but
the political power represented by
Rome"
But It was in the days of the old
Know-Nothings, the American party"
whose Incorporate zeal did not stop for
fine distinctions of definition, aud
thinking that they saw in the gift an
insiduous invasion of papacy into the
land of the free and the home Of the
brave, there were OminouS grumblingS
of wrath on the reception OF the gift by
the authorities st Washington. But
though the cloud lowered it did not
burst. The hard winter OF 1853 passed,
and 1t was late la the spring OF 1854
when work on the monument was once
more begun.
On the morning Of March 9Th Of that
year the city was electrified 10 learn that
on the night before an unknown band OF
vigilanteS had broken into the stone
shed at the foot OF the monument, and
that the Pope'S gift to the structure was
missing. But what had become of IL no
one knew. There was always a watch
man stationed on the grounds around
the monument, and with him a good
watchdog, but the msrauding party had
laid their tlans we'll and the dog had
been poisuDed, while the Waterman waSl
imprisoned in his box By rope passed
around the outside Of the doors and
windows, thus preventing him fromI
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