The Washington Post reports that the quake damage at the National Cathedral is not structural.
National Cathedral quake damage is not structural
By Michelle Boorstein,The Washington Post
Structural engineers say the earthquake damage to the National Cathedral on Tuesday was not structural, though it left millions of dollars of damage to the elaborate exterior.
At a news conference Wednesday, Dean Samuel Lloyd said a 3,000-person interfaith service that was scheduled for Saturday to mark the opening of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial would be moved to the National Shrine as engineers made final determinations about how to stabilize the massive, cracked spires that stand 300 feet above ground.
In Tuesday’s quake, three of the four spires, or pinnacles, at the cathedral’s highest point fell off and the fourth shifted, like layers of a cake that came off their base.
The cathedral, which typically hosts 300 tourists a day this time of year and holds three daily worship services, is closed at least until Saturday.