Lightning damages George Washington stone monument in Maryland
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Version 0 of 1. The oldest monument dedicated to George Washington, the first president of the United States, was partially damaged in a violent lightning storm in Maryland, officials said. The storm toppled an upper-section of the 188-year-old stone structure on Thursday afternoon, according to Maryland natural resources police spokeswoman Candy Thompson. Three hikers seeking shelter from the storm were thrown about by the force of the strike, Thompson said. One received treatment for lacerations, while the other two were stunned but uninjured. The Maryland edifice, a three-storey solid stone structure 54 feet (16 meters) in diameter located in Middletown, about 50 miles (80km) northwest of Washington, will be closed indefinitely for repairs, Thompson said. “It’s a process,” she said. “You don’t just go to Home Depot and get a trowel and mortar and go at it.” The structure predates the Washington Monument obelisk in the nation’s capital. An engineer who inspected the historic monument on Friday found it was damaged but structurally sound, Thompson said. A bolt of lightning directly hit the structure, she said. |