Evening star., 1931-12-06
Monument Finished 47 Years Ago

THEN the society appealed to Congress 10
take any action it deemed proper Fol-
lowing careful review of all the society had
done, House Committee recommended that
5000 900 be appropriated to aid in the COM
pletion of the shaft Appropriation of this sum
was halted, however, when an unauthorized as
sembly of men purported to elect new officers
for the Monument Society. Evidence indicated
that the plot was evolved in the lodges of the
"Know-Nothing party and that the persons
who voted in the pretended election balIoted
on the face of certificates of membership from
winch no money ever reached the society's
treasury
This KNOW Nothing" board of officers s,,c-
ceeded in seizng the Monument project and
actually adding two courses of previously re-
jected marble to the shaft Further this
board remained in force until October 1858
when it relinquished control after falling mis-
erably in its efforts to collect funds Congress
finally came to the rescue Of the real wash
ington National Monument Society on Febr1,-
ary %, 1859, when it granted a charter To tha
organization, incorporating it "for the purpose
OF completing the erection now in progress Of
great national monument to Washington.
Congress sought to aid again that year when
at the request of the society it appointed m
engineer officer to superintend the construc
ton. Lieut.. J. C. Ives was detailed to the worl-
and he undertook to aid in raising funds He
also recommended that the height of the shaft
be reduced from the originally proposed soo
feet to 500 feet and at tie same time annrovad
the shafts foundations. Lieut. Ives remained
in the assignment until 1850 when he was re-
ueved
Meanwhile time dragged on and the shaft
remained at standstill. Congress. again be-
coming interested, in 1873 appointed a COM
mittee to confer with the society on the statuz
Oh the penang work. No appropriation was
MADE then, however, but in 1876 Congress
~ anti i,, t,al~
OF completing the monument Once more
structural work resumed and after a nausa
OF more than 20 years the walls of the obelis,c
began again their slow climb to compilation
Under the skilful guidance of Lieut. Col
Thomas Lincoln Casey of the Corps of En-
gineers, U. S. Army, the foundation was
strengthened and the masonry walls with their
crownlng pyramidion were reared into the sky
AT last-December g. I884-the final stona
was to be set 1t was great pyramid weigh
ing $500 pounds. The top was nattened and
followed Heavy timbers formed pyramidicaI
crane directly over the center of the shaft and
the capstone was slowly hauled aloft. It had
fadneo Iurlousiy all morning but at 2 o'clock
In the afternoon, when tie capstone was sched-
uled to be SET only the wind and scuddinp
CLOUDS remained of the storm. Instruments on
the scaHoiding showed a wind velocity of go
miles an hour, but the work went ahead.
Bracng themselves against the storm, the
hleH OH tne Sca1oldlng spread cement on the
bearing surface of the converging walls. At
given signal the capstone was lowered gently
INTO place. So accurately had it been meas
ured and cut not chip had to be removed
once the stone was in its place. Cement was
spread over the shoulder of the capstone and
tne aluminium tip was fitted snugly into the
hollow at the stones peak. That metal tin
Itself little pyramid, tells an eloquent story
IN the engravings on its four faces On one is
inscribed: Chief Engineer and Architect.
Thomas Lincoln Casey, Colonel, Corps Of En-
gineers; Assistants, George w. Davis Four
teenth United States Infantry; Bernard R.
Green Civil Engineer; P. H Mclaughlin, Mas
ter Mechanic"
On second face is engraved: Corner stone
laid on bed of foundation July T. 1848 First
stone at height of 152 feet laid August 7, 1880
Capstone set December 6, 1884"
third face bears: Joint Commission at
setting OF capstone, Chester A. Arthur W. w.
Corcoran, M. E. Bell, Edward Clark, John New
ton Act of August 2, 1876"
And on the final face: "Laus Deo"-Praise
be to God