Tuesday, August 23rd's earthquake that rattled nerves of east-coasters and caused giggles among west-coasters did have a significant effect: The National Park Service (NPS) has discovered structural damage serious enough to have them close the monument indefinitely.
Cracks found at the top of the iconic "needle" have stirred no small amount of concern. An outside structural engineering firm has been hired to evaluate and make recommendations for repairs. The 5.8 magnitude quake caused enough shaking to drop mortar down into the monument's observation area.
The 127 year-old obelisk is constructed of made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 5 1⁄8 inches. At its completion it became the world's tallest structure until the Eiffel Tower in Paris was completed two years later.
nps photo
No comments:
Post a Comment