Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-29

threatened fall of the spire Of the Metro
politan Church a AZ and c streeas The
steeple and its eccentricities caused much
excitement in Washington at that time.
One of the heavy storms of Washington
was that of July 4. 1874, and after the
passing of the winds ii was observed that
the steeple careened considerably. 1t re-
manned about six inches out of the per-
pendicular and it had been reported that
it would be impossible to straighten it
without taking it down and rebuilding it.
The lean of the steeple was not consid-
cred dangerous and there was a good deal
of talk about Washington having a lean
ing tower or a leaning steeple.
One of the heavy storms was that
which began at midnight February .,
1876. As usual during heavy storms,
houses were unroofed, frail houses
were blown down, trees were uprooted
and signs and fences carried through
the air. Part of the roof of Foundry
Church was blown off. The ST. Cloud
Hotel lost its roof. The Academy Of
the Sacred Heart and the coast sur
vey building on New Jersey avenue
were damaged.
While the wind ragged during the day
of February 5, 1876, the spire of the
Metropolitan Church swayed, opening
seams and cracks in the woodwork.
\ reporter of The Star went down to
look at the spectacle of the swaying
steeple and returning to the office he
wrote, in part, what follows:
This steeple is known the Kelso
spire and is one of the tallest and
handsomest in the District. being of
graceful proportions and pleasing col
or. The swaying to and fro of the
spire with the gusts OF wind very
neighborhood of the church, who fear
damage to property and life If it falls
The police cut off travel during the
morning by stretching ropes across
~ street above and below ana on Z
street"
About / o'clock that day workmen
were sent up the inside of the steeple
TO that part where the chimes are IN
stalled to knock out the Stats which
form a screen before the bells, i'll order
TO give the wind freer passage
through the structure. The Star man
writing of the steeple gave some in
teresting facts concerning 1t. he
wrote:
The steeple is 23o feet high. about
100 feet being a tower of Seneca stone
masonry, on top of which is the splre
of wood; in the latter portion very
heavy timbers were used. which run
down 40 feet inside the masonry work
besides being otherwise secured with
iron bars and bolts.
II would seem from the ancient &C
counts that part of the woodwork at the
base of the spire within the masonry
tower broke loose. causing the spire to
sway in its great stone socket one OF
he things worth recalling is that during
The storm and while the spire was sway
ing TO and fro, and while large crowds in
the streets were looking upward. Prof.
Widdows, the chinnist, stuck by ms
place in the steeple all day, and would
occasionally strike out one of the IA
rniliar melodies on the bells as If to as
sure himself that the bells were all right,
and also to assure the people below that
there was no danger that the steeple
would fall.
While between the storm of July 4, 1874.
and that of February 2, 1876, the steeple
was six inches out of the perpendicular,
it was computed that during the latter
storm the tip of the steeple sWayed Six
feet from the perpendicular. The wooden