I read an interesting factoid about the Washington Monument. When it was still under construction, the Vatican contributed a block of stone. However, this was at a time when anti-Catholic sentiments were running high. The Pope’s block somehow disappeared “mysteriously.”
What I wonder is, where was the block when it was stolen? Was it sitting out on the National Mall, in full view? Or was it in a freight yard where the absconders might have a little more privacy?
IIRC, the monument was half-build for a stretch of decades. The block could have been sitting there for years and years.
This page http://www.nps.gov/wamo/memstone.htm provides information on the “memorial stones” within the monument. Most of the state stones were carved and sent to Washington in the 1850 timeframe (for states that were in the Union then) which was long before the tower was finished.
Presumably the state stones were stored at a warehouse in or around Washington until the funds for finishing the monument came in. I doubt there were stones just lying around on the Mall for years…
The Federal Gummint told me so!
I just looked at two contermporary newspaper accounts of the crime. These accounts were published within the same week or so that it occurred.
There was a guard/sentry who was on the grounds. He spent the night in a shack with a stove(this was March). He was locked in his guardhouse by unknown assailants who tied the door shut with a rope. Then they put paper over his windows. Then they smashed the stone to small pieces.
BOTH of the cites I found say the stone was smashed to pieces on the grounds.
I’ll email the National Park Service and ask for their info about the Know-nothings and the stone in the Potomac idea.
The Know Nothings grabbed up the Monument Society after taking the “Pope Stone” and screwed it up royally
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/62wash/62facts3.htm
Thanks for all the links and info. This is a fascinating piece of Americana.
From the link by Already in Use, I learned that the Vatican sent a replacement stone (didn’t know that). And that “The first stone was a stone from Pope Pius IX that was a historical piece of Marble from the Temple of Concord (which was built in 366 BC) in Rome.” So the Vatican had taken a stone from a pagan temple and put its own mark on it.
If anyone knows Latin, what does A ROMA AMERICAE mean? I’m assuming it’s something like “from Rome to America.”
And the link by jimmmy had some amusing stuff, including the people who sent stones that had nothing to do with Washington. For example, one from the Templars of Honor and Temperance stated “We will not buy, sell, or use as a beverage, any spiritous or malt liquors, Wine, Cider, or any other Alcoholic Liquor.”
And *The Know-Nothings retained control of the Society until 1858, adding 13 courses of the masonry to the Monument—all of which was of such poor quality that it was later removed. *
The articles cited by samclem say the stone was smashed to bits. Others say it was dumped into the Potomac. If it had been smashed, the shards should remain.
If not, it’s interesting to reflect that the 2300-year-old stone could yet turn up.
Yep. From Rome, to or for America (in the sense of a gift, not of a destination).
Isn’t it “From Rome to the Americas”?
–Cliffy
If -ae is used to indicate a plural, then it has to be nominative, which would mean that the Americas are the thing doing something, rather than Rome. But -ae can also be genetive singular (which doesn’t make sense here) or dative singular (which makes perfect sense, since it’s inscribed on a gift). Dative plural for a first declension word (I’m assuming that “America” is first declension) is -is, so “From Rome to the Americas” would be “A Roma Americis”.