Temporary

Ice Palace

On November 25, 1895, a cornerstone of ice was laid in Leadville, Colorado—the beginning of the largest ice palace ever built in America. In an effort to bolster the town’s sagging economy, the citizens staged a winter carnival. On New Year’s Day of 1896, the town turned out for the grand opening. The immense palace measured 450 x 320 feet. The towers that flanked the entrance were 90 feet high. Inside was a 16,000-square-foot skating rink. But by the end of March the palace was melting away, along with the hopes of Leadville. The thousands of visitors had spent very little.

Today in the Word, August 4, 1993

Cracks in Mount Rushmore

If anything looks like it could withstand time, it’s Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. But up close, maintenance crews have found something disturbing—cracks running through the granite faces of Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lincoln. The monument isn’t in immediate danger, but experts say that without a facelift the world’s largest sculpture could begin crumbling. Water runs into the cracks and freezes in winter, pushing on the rock with a force of 2,000 pounds per square inch.

Today in the Word, October 3