hmmm....is someone/thing angry???

[Guest guest]

funny how it fell on the right side and took out the phrase " equal justic for

all "

 

Piece of Supreme Court marble falls near tourists

WASHINGTON (AP) — A basketball-sized piece of marble moulding fell from the

facade over the entrance to the Supreme Court, landing on the steps near

visitors waiting to enter the building. No one was hurt.

 

A Supreme Court police officer carries a barricade across the steps of the

structure to seal off the fallen marble.

By Kevin Wolf, AP

 

The chunk of Vermont marble was part of the dentil molding that serves as a

frame for nine sculptural figures completed in 1935. The piece that fell was

over the figure of Authority, near the peak of the building's pediment, and to

the right of the figure of Liberty, who has the scales of justice on her lap.

(Video: Chunk falls from Supreme Court facade)

 

A group of visitors had just entered the building and had passed under the

pediment when the stone fell at 9:30 a.m. ET.

 

Jonathan Fink, a government attorney waiting in line to attend arguments, said,

" All of a sudden, these blocks started falling. It was like a thud, thud. "

 

Ed Fisher, a government worker, said some of the marble pieces shattered,

spraying the terrace four floors below the pediment with smaller chunks of

stone. A group of students from Columbus, Ohio, tried to pocket some of the

fragments as souvenirs, Fisher said.

 

" A few of us attempted to. The police officers were like 'you have to put that

back,' " said Sarah Rosenblum, 13, a member of the 8th grade class.

 

A short time later, workers loaded the roughly 40 pieces into plastic fruit

crates and carried them away. Architects estimated a 12 inch by 10 inch piece

broke off from the pediment, Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said.

 

A structural engineer and photographer from the Architect of the Capitol's

office planned to use a lift to inspect the pediment, Arberg said.

 

Officials with the Office of the Architect of the Capitol conducted a routine

check of the pediment two years ago and found no indications of problems,

spokeswoman Eva Malecki said.

 

The weight of the chunk was not immediately available. However, a cubic foot of

Vermont marble weighs 172 pounds, said Robert Pye, director of the Vermont

Marble Museum in Proctor, Vt.

 

Earlier in the morning, dozens of people had lined up in hopes of getting a seat

for arguments inside the court — a practice that is not unusual. Justices were

back on the bench Monday following a two-week recess.

 

The fallen marble lay directly in the center of the path up to the court

entrance.

 

The 70-year-old Supreme Court building is undergoing a $122 million, five-year

renovation project, although it is unclear whether the accident was related to

that work. The project includes an underground two-story police station.

 

 

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Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not

be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

Don't need no politician

Tell me things I ought to be

Neither no optician

Tell me what I ought to see

No one tells you nothing

Even when you know they know

They tell you what you should be

They don't like to see you grow