[markomalley]

Check original for links.

[Diogenesis]

pRes_ _ent Hussein reminds us that
there are mosques overseas to rebuild FIRST.

[the invisib1e hand]

ahem.

[tbpiper]

'mind boggling' damage

Some minds are easily boggled.

[Rennes Templar]

A Darth Vader gargoyle? Am I missing something?

[Doulos1]

I think the building is misnamed. We have no national cathedral because we have no national religion. It is the Roman Catholic cathedral in nation’s capital.

[thackney]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/08/what-really-happened-national-cathedral-quake/41644/">http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/08/what-really-happened-national-cathedral-quake/41644/

[PUGACHEV]

I read that, for whatever reason, the builders of the Washington Cathedral shunned the use of steel frames and employed medieval architectural techniques instead. I suppose it's too bad that medieval cathedral builders didn't have access to inflatable vinyl churches like I just saw on another thread. This would have saved them a lot of trouble and expense, as well as those who wanted to copy them later.

[shield]

The National Cathedral is the fourth tallest structure in Washington, D.C. Its foundation was laid in 1907.

The Cathedral was also built on the highest elevation in that area.

[madprof98]

In 1931, Stalin ordered the destruction of Moscow's magnificent Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the largest Orthodox church in the world, in order to build a palace dedicated to the memory of Lenin. Though it was never built (the site became a municipal swimming pool), this may prove an inspiration to our current regime. On the other hand, the Episcopalians who run the present building seem perfectly happy to sprinkle holy water on whatever godless politicians troop through it, so perhaps just patching it up will do the trick.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I was shocked to learn that the Natl. Cathedral was built according to medieval building methods — no steel bracing, etc. — just stone on stone. This would never be allowed in CA. There will be aftershocks for weeks, and it would be wise to stay away from buildings like that.

I talked to my daughter last night. She is a teacher in a private school in Richmond and they are in session already. Much of yesterday was spent reviewing fire drills, etc., so the earthquake was just a natural part of the planned day.

BUT, they seemed to have no rational plan on how to deal with it. I asked if she put her kids under their desks, and she pointed out that they have no desks. (She teaches music, and the first sign of the quake was that all of the chimes in her classroom started ringing.)

But the school ordered the students to leave the classroom and line up in the hall on the side where there are no lockers. My daughter’s class found that their spot was already taken by another class and they had to line up on the locker side — bad idea. I’m sure that there are going to be teacher meetings today on a new plan. I hope that the first thing they do is to bolt those lockers to the wall. That would be a cheap precaution.

My SIL’s business (a major CC company) was just chaos. Employees were told to evacuate the cafeteria and then were ordered back in. Nobody had a plan. I hope they get it together.

My granddaughter (on the 3rd floor of her private school) fell off her chair during the quake. My grandson (who was at home because his school has not started yet) didn’t know about the quake. His excuse? “I felt the house moving, but we don’t have quakes in Virginia, so I knew it was not a quake.”

The main disruption is that nobody could make a phone call. All the networks were jammed.

[wagglebee]

A step-cousin of mine was married there about twenty years ago, it is a beautiful cathedral.

[johniegrad]

Ironic that the Washington archdiocesan cathedral would be named after the tax collector.

[trailboss800]

Actually, it’s a very ugly building, time to let it go.

[bert]

union made

[SparkyBass]

at least one gargoyle sustained no damage at all...

[PalmettoMason]

Bfl