Kansas City: Time capsules are fickle, and the opening of one buried a century ago inside one of the most prominent World War I memorials was no exception. The first challenge was to reach the time capsule, which was entombed in a tower that rises 217 feet (66 meters) into the Kansas City skyline and is topped by a giant flame. Crews had to drill 18 inches (45 centimeters) of concrete and limestone, Christopher Warren, chief curator of the National World War I Museum and Memorial, said during a dedication Wednesday. “It wasn’t easy. There was no door to open and take out the time capsule,” he said. Then there was another problem: The time capsule included a film from the 1920s that contained nitrate. As it deteriorates over time, it can be highly flammable, which is why the police department’s bomb squad was present when the time capsule was first opened.
“Nothing caught fire, which was great for conservation. It might not be as interesting as it would have been if things had exploded,” Warren said. Before an audience full of schoolchildren, he showed the content, carefully evaluated beforehand. One of the highlights was a letter from President Calvin Coolidge, who praised the community’s spirit. The Egyptian Renaissance-style monument was erected in a burst of postwar patriotism after $2.5 million was raised in less than two weeks in 1919, an amount that would be equivalent to about $45 million today.
The achievement was so remarkable that Allied commanders from Belgium, Britain, Italy, France and the United States met in 1921 to dedicate the site where the time capsule was buried three years later. The monument is across the street from the Kansas City train station that more than half of American troops passed through before being sent overseas. Today there is a museum below.
Officials saved some surprises for the public presentation, including a first reading of a message in italics purported to be from Gen. John J. Pershing, commander of U.S. forces in World War I.
But it didn’t go as planned. The memo explained that members of the time capsule committee contacted Pershing but received no response. They settled for including some comments Pershing made during the 1921 dedication festivities. “Ladies and gentlemen, do you know what this is? “This is an out-of-office memo from 100 years ago,” Warren said. “General Pershing is on vacation but will respond to your email when he returns to the office. Alright. He remains an American hero.” Museum leaders immediately began making plans to create another time capsule.
(This story is not edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed)
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.