Evening star., 1934-03-18
MONUMENT REPAIR
WORK IS DELAYED
Project Is Not Likely to Get
Under Way Before
July |.

Summer may be we'll on its way
before the Washington Monument can
hope to receive its much-needed facial
treatment unless Secretary of the In
terror Ickes interCedes in its behalf.
The admission was made by Ma
tional Parks Service officials yesterday
that the repair work project cannot
possibly be started before July !. not
withstanding reaSSuring report from
Engineer Officer John l.. Nagle. who
expressed the belief that bids for the
project can be advertised by the
time weather conditions will permit
outside work to be undertaken. Since
last Fall, when the Public Works Ad-
ministration hastened to make $780,
600 available for these repairs, Nagle
pointed out in his report that more
seasoned decisions regarding methods
of treatment have been made pos
sible.
Ever since the Washington National
Monument Society focused attention
anew on the unsightly appearance of
the marble facing of the lower por-
tion of the shaft on February %,
demanding that something be done
at once to correct it, officials in
charge of the Monument have chaffed
under a barrage of criticism. The
Fine Arts Commission called for an
engineering report and indications
pointed to an early start being made
to remove the stigma attached to the
long-standing unsightly appearance
of the Monument.
Gives Reasons for Delay.
Secretary Ickes, who has a personal
interest in the Washington Monu-
ment, yesterday directed that the re-
port of Engineer Nagle, held up for
some time by officials, be made public.
Asked if the work could be started
when weather conditions permitted,
Associate Director A. E. Demaray of
the National Park Service said yes
terday so many other things stood in
the way that he didn't see how it
would be possible to begin the repair
job before July /.
The Nagle report pointed out that
one of the reasons for the delay in
getting the Washington Monument
work started was the placing of other
plOJCCOS vi lllC ul1l htI bCAduSC tAACy
would put more men to work.
Secretary Ickes is understood to be
giving the situation his attention and
it was indicated in the Interior De-
partment yesterday that he may in
tercede so as to speed up the neces-
sary repairs regardless of other prof.
ects. While no report has been made
of man-hours involved in the Monu-
ment job, the work is of such a na-
ture as to involve the employment of
q large number of skilled craftsmen.
Nagle submitted a 15-page report
on every phase of work to be under
taken in connection with the much
discussed condition of the washington
Monument and brought out some
little-known facts about the condi-
tion of the interior. subjected to
dampness. Condensation inside the
Monument is one problem about
which very little has been said, the
engineer stressed, but one to which
his Office has been giving considerable
attention.
Discussing the situation. he said
at is possible considerably to reduce
the more Objectionable effects of the |
condensate by preventing it from col /
lecting in pools on the landing floors .
and dripping down the shaft on the |
heads of visitors. No general treat /
ment of this problem can be described, !
as every particular location gives rise
to different condition. 1t is hoped, J
however, that it will be possible, with
available funds. to bring the interior
of the Monument to a somewhat more /
hospitable condition during the un-
favorable periods of weather"
Heating Work Not Planned.
While pointing out that condensa-
tion could be prevented only by heat
ing the interior, Nagle stated in his
report, however, that cit is not con-
templated that any heating work will
be undertaken in connection with the
present repair study"
To prevent the condensation 1t is
necessary to keep the interior face
of the masonry at a temperature
above the dew point of the air.
This problem would require care |
full study" he said. but by reason |
of the proximity of one of the steam |
mains ITOIll IIle new CtIlIl dl llcdlLIiS /
plant. which crosses the Monument |
Grounds a few hundred feet east of |
the Monument, the problem of suf1-
cient heat is by no means a difficult |
one"
Water also is entering through the
joints Of the pyramidion. These
joints were laid dry without any NOR
tar and fit so closely it would be nee
essary to channel them to insert |
caulking to prevent further leakage. |
AS several practical obstacles are en-
countered in such work. no definite |
plan ought to be formulated for it, |
Nagle reminded. until the actual con-
dition of the exterior of the joints |
can be examined.
The Fine Arts Commission. at |
whose request Nagle submitted the
engineering report, approved it in |
full. and Chairman Charles Moore,
after an inspection of the Monument |
declared the. suggestion to heat the
shaft commended itself to the COM
mission. "Of course" he said, sit is
understood that this will be made
the subject of careful scientific study, |
in cooperation with the stone ex-