In the six months following the dedication ceremony, over 10, people climbed the nearly steps to the top of the Washington Monument. Today, an elevator makes the trip far easier, and more than , people visit the monument each year.
A city law passed in restricted the height of new buildings to ensure that the monument will remain the tallest structure in Washington, D. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The Irish Free State, comprising four-fifths of Ireland, is declared, ending a five-year Irish struggle for independence from Britain. Like other autonomous nations of the former British Empire, Ireland was to remain part of the British Commonwealth, symbolically subject to the On December 6, , the 13th Amendment to the U.
Constitution, officially ending the institution of slavery, is ratified. It was the worst mining disaster in American history. In , the creation of the Norfolk and Western Railway opened a gateway to the At a.
As World War I raged in The first stone was laid in , but the monument was not completed until 40 years later. What took so long? Money and war, what else? The first phase of construction was privately funded, and bureaucratic issues and mishandling of finances led to disaster. Mills died in ; the nation then erupted in Civil War, and construction ceased. Finally, in , Congress assumed control of the project and allocated public funds.
The second phase reached peak efficiency, and the monument was finalized eight years later. The two phases left it with slightly different colors, because the stones were sourced from different quarries. The Washington Monument was officially dedicated on a chilly February morning in Quakes are a rarity on the eastern seaboard of the United States, and very few structures are earthquake proof. The foundation shook, and the marble cracked. Congress authorized an extensive renovation plan, and the monument was encased in scaffolding for three years during construction.
The repairs were completed in May , and the inside was reopened to an anxiously awaiting public. Naval Academy band. Not surprisingly, Washingtonians were eager to visit the top of the monument once the pomp and circumstance died down. Initially, the existing freight elevator was used to ferry visitors up and down, though this was only a temporary measure.
Interesting aside: elevator operator Edward Wayson told The Evening Star that in general, men seemed more scared in the elevator than women. The traffic took its toll. The limited staff who were tasked with keeping an eye on the entire foot-high structure and answering questions were unable to prevent the damage. Fortunately, efforts to improve the elevator and make it more visitor-friendly were already underway The grand debut of the new elevator took place on Oct.
At p. The first group went back down, and the next 29 people took their turn in the elevator. The new elevator was an instant hit. The day after it opened, people waited in line for hours to ride to the top of the monument. On Oct. Two days later, The Evening Star reported that elevator capacity increased to accommodate the demand. He discovered the necessity of this one day when the crowd inside forced the people to stand on the benches, whereby one of them was broken.
0コメント