The Red Cloud chief., 1913-02-20
LC2]2IZElYZ' Sea .I>IzZL
-1J' W HlLEE AR2z2P HSzxY-
2tH ~ et2XZEII.D

work due to a long suspension Of activities owing
to lack Of funds. The whole project of providing
what Is accounted the nations monument to
WASHINGTON a long .drawn-out undertaking.
but this seeming hardness of action has been
atoned for by the beauty Of the structure. which
has few rivals In height, save some Of the newer
skyscrapers In New York. and which Is so jeal
ously guarded by proud people that congress
not 80 very long ago felt compelled to refuse
the request of the navy department that permis-
sion be granted to establish wireless telegraph
station at the top Of the monument, as has been
done on the Eifel Tower In Paris.
The project to provide tribute to George
Washington at the seat OF government dates from
the year 17S3 when the Continental congress
voted to erect an equestrian statue and, oddly
enough. selected for its site the very location
that is now occupied by the national monument.
However. the project progressed no further and
there was no further action until Washington
died at the end OF the century, when congress
passed another resolution for n monument-this
bill providing for a testimonial In marble
granite beneath which should repose the remains
OF the nations greatest hero. Here, however, the
widow Of General Washington interposed with
her very natural preference that the body should
rest at mount Vernon. and accordingly the whole
project again lapsed until 1928 when number
of patriotic citizens OF Washington formed an or.
ganization known as the Washington Monument
association and undertook to revive interest in
the undertaking.
,- The scheme was to provide funds by popular
subscription for erecting a monument and this
canvass was pursued more less energetcally
but 1t was not until 1S4S. when total OF sS7 900
had been collected, that the officials OF the Or
ganization considered that the funds in hand
justified the commencement OF actual work The
cornerstone laid with due ceremony and the
work went forward for some years but additional
subscriptions did not come In at a very lively
rate and finally work had to be suspended for
lack of funds Thus the partially completed
obelisk-a stump" OF a monument It was termed
stood during all the years intervening between
1858 and 1880 until congress finally took up the
matter and appropriated funds to finish the
gigantic shaft
ing money to carry out the work already started
The United States army engineers who were put
in charge when the national legislature took q
hand In the matter speedily discovered that the
original foundation provided for the monument
was hopeessly inadequate. considering the height
and weight of the mass which II was proposed
to place on 1t. Thereupon they set about
mighty ticksh engineering project-nothinl
less than the provision OF new or rather al
enlarged foundation for the monument O
course the perplexing part OF It was that th'
new foundation had to be slipped under thu
great mass Of stone as It stood, for naturally
there were many objections to consuming tim,
and money In tearing down the monument ant
re-erecting 1t.
The engineers dug out at the corners an,
sides Of the monument as much as they daret
OF the old foundation, meanwhile supporting tn
partially undermined structure by means O
beams and braces OF various kinds All tn
stone thus removed was replaced with concret
and the concrete foundation was also extended Il
every direction beyond the base lines OF tn