Evening star., 1935-02-17


Following the death of Mr.. Madison the society
amended its charter so that thereafter the
President of the United States should be ex.
officio its president and all Presidents from
Andrew Jackson to the present time have held
this ofnce.
This organization Is regarded IS one Of tho
most select bodies in the National Capital Il
holds annual meetings on each washington
birthday anniversary and this year will be
an especially notable one. Besides its ex-oficio
president, the Governors Of the several States
Of the Union are ex-onicio vice presidents and
when Washington had mayor, and later
governor, these officers were also honored In
this way
Today President Roosevelt is ex-officio presi-
dent Of the society," and the Governors Of the
States hold honorary Office, as stated. Willis
Van Devanter associate justice, Supreme Court
of the United States, is first vice president;
Charles G. Glover, second vice president; The.
odore w. Noyes, treasurer: William r. Harr.
secretary and the other members are Herbert
Putnam, Maj Gen. William M Black, U. s. A.;
Frederick H. Gillett, Lieut.. Col. U. s. Grant.
I'd, u. s. A.; Right Rev. James E. Freeman.
Frederick A. Delano, George E. Hamilton, Rev.
DR.. Charles Wood, Robert Walton Moore, Lo-
gan Hay, Gilbert H. Grosvenor, Maj. Gen.
omar Bundy, U. S. A.; Cloyd Heck Marvin
and Rear Admiral Walter r. Gherardi U. s. N.
When the Government took over the In.
completed monument in 1877 the board Of
officers detailed from the Engineer Corps Of
the Army reported as to the strength OF the
foundation to sustain the weight Of the Monu-
ment at its proposed height, and Congress
authorized that the foundation be sufficiently
strengthened for this purpose. This most dele
cate engineering feat was successfully accom-.
plished by Lieut.. Col. Thomas Lincoln Cosey
Oater brigadier general and chief, Corps OF
Engineers, who was ably assisted In this work
and in carrying 1t on to completion by Capt.
George w. Davis u. S. N; Bernard r. Green
G. E., and Master Mechanic p H. Mclaughlin,
whose names are inscribed on the south face
OF the aluminium point crowning the apex Of
the Monument.
DEFORE anything could be done the old
- foundation had to be strengthened, and
one can hardly imagine the vast amount Of
work that was required In doing this. From .
reliable source we are told the mass of COM
crete beneath the old foundation Is 1875 feet
inches square, 13 feet inches in depth, and
extends 1s feet within the outer edge Of the
old foundation and % feet inches beyond this
line. In placing this work. 70 per cent of the
area of the earth upon which the Monument
was standing was removed.
The second part Of the strengthening Of ~
1OunQauOn cOnSlSCeu III CONSTRUCTING - CokS'
tinuous buttress beneath the shaft and extend
ing out upon the concrete slab, so as to dis
tribute the pressure over the foundation. In
this operation, sections Of the rubble masonry
were removed and replaced with concrete. As
compared with the original bulk OF the old
foundations, 81 per cent Of its contents was
removed and 48 per cent Of the area of the
base of the shaft undermined. The new fOun.
dation rests on a bearing surface 126 feet .
inches square, or 6,002 square feet, as com.
pared with 6,400 square feet for the old foun.
dation.
On August Z, 1880, work on the structure.
which had lain dormant for many years, was
again begun and the shaft was formally opened
to the public on October 9, 1888. Since then
somewhere near 10000, 900 people have Travelled
up its 878 steps or have taken the elevator to
the top landing.
The Monument is 555 feet SIS inches high.
cost $1,30o,0O0 and weighs S1,120 tons. Its
elevator operates at speed of 500 feet q min
ute and when tested in 1926 against accidents.
showed that it dropped only 16 inches below
the point where it had been released In 1t are
100 memorial stones.
The corner stone was the gift of Thomas
Symonton Of Baltimore, and weighed 24.50o
pounds.
Phil Baker, catcher Of the old Washington
base ball club, was the first to catch q BAN
thrown from the top Of the structure His
home was in Chicago up to a few years ago.
when he was said to be in good health
Rudolph Jouvenal sculptor of the Franklin
statue at Tenth street and Pennsylvania avenue.
cut and placed the capstone, and Robert Mills
OF South Carolina drew the original design.
which was somewhat modified.
After the recent intensive repairing it ~
ceived, 1t Is probable Presidents 500 years
hence can say, as did Calvin Coolidge. 'aYhs
Monument still stands"