Engineers Resume Inspection Of Washington Monument
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Park Service says engineers are resuming their inspection of the earthquake-damaged Washington Monument.
The team was to continue its rappelling work Monday. Work was suspended both Saturday and Sunday due to the weather, including high winds.
The engineers are rappelling down the monument to inspect for damage caused by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 23. The quake caused numerous cracks to form in the 127-year-old obelisk, which remains structurally sound. The engineers have been removing loose stone and mortar.
The inspection began on Wednesday, but weather has caused some complications. On Friday, engineer Erik Sohn was blown about 30 feet off the monument's face by a gust of wind but wasn't injured.
The park service says the team made minor changes to its safety plan since the incident.
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