1 00:00:04,547 --> 00:00:09,633 Soaring structures built to stand the test of time. 2 00:00:09,677 --> 00:00:15,639 And gigantic stone obelisks that reveal mysterious agendas. 3 00:00:19,103 --> 00:00:24,023 For millions of people, monuments like mount rushmore, 4 00:00:24,066 --> 00:00:26,316 the washington monument, 5 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:28,652 and the empire state building represent 6 00:00:28,696 --> 00:00:31,530 the engineering triumphs of a great nation. 7 00:00:31,574 --> 00:00:33,866 But what is it about america's monuments 8 00:00:33,909 --> 00:00:37,119 that continue to fascinate and inspire us 9 00:00:37,163 --> 00:00:41,373 decades or even centuries after their creation? 10 00:00:41,417 --> 00:00:46,378 And could their facades be concealing hidden meanings 11 00:00:46,422 --> 00:00:50,340 or even secret purposes? 12 00:00:52,053 --> 00:00:54,678 Well, that is what we'll try and find out. 13 00:00:56,140 --> 00:00:58,140 ♪ ♪ 14 00:01:14,617 --> 00:01:17,701 here in the black hills, nearly 6,000 feet above sea level, 15 00:01:17,745 --> 00:01:20,746 four colossal granite faces 16 00:01:20,790 --> 00:01:23,916 look over the majestic landscape. 17 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:25,793 Their names? 18 00:01:25,836 --> 00:01:29,379 George washington, thomas jefferson, 19 00:01:29,423 --> 00:01:32,966 theodore roosevelt and abraham lincoln. 20 00:01:33,010 --> 00:01:37,930 Four iconic representations of america's dramatic past. 21 00:01:39,809 --> 00:01:41,433 Tony perrottet: Mount rushmore is an extraordinary vision 22 00:01:41,477 --> 00:01:42,434 when you first see it. 23 00:01:42,478 --> 00:01:44,103 It's very impressive. 24 00:01:44,146 --> 00:01:45,979 It's closer in spirit to an ancient monument. 25 00:01:46,023 --> 00:01:47,356 It's like one of the, you know, 26 00:01:47,399 --> 00:01:49,024 the wonders of the ancient world. 27 00:01:49,068 --> 00:01:52,903 Shatner: Today, more than two million people visit each year 28 00:01:52,947 --> 00:01:57,866 to gaze in awe at these silent stone sentinels. 29 00:01:57,910 --> 00:02:01,745 But was mount rushmore built merely to allow americans 30 00:02:01,789 --> 00:02:03,872 to celebrate their history? 31 00:02:03,916 --> 00:02:07,835 Or is it possible that it had another, 32 00:02:07,878 --> 00:02:10,879 even more profound purpose? 33 00:02:10,923 --> 00:02:14,842 Doane robinson was the state historian of south dakota 34 00:02:14,885 --> 00:02:16,969 in the early 1900s. 35 00:02:17,012 --> 00:02:20,139 He was the original person to have an idea 36 00:02:20,182 --> 00:02:24,101 of bringing tourists to his great state of south dakota. 37 00:02:24,145 --> 00:02:27,563 Perrottet: His idea was to create these folkloric sort of characters 38 00:02:27,606 --> 00:02:29,898 carving from the black hills. 39 00:02:29,942 --> 00:02:33,360 This sort of shaping of the, of the, of the very landscape. 40 00:02:33,404 --> 00:02:35,237 It-it seems a very american thing. 41 00:02:36,490 --> 00:02:38,907 Shatner: Doane robinson envisioned his monument 42 00:02:38,951 --> 00:02:41,618 to depict the heroes of the american west, 43 00:02:41,662 --> 00:02:46,540 such as lewis and clark, sacagawea, buffalo bill cody, 44 00:02:46,584 --> 00:02:49,001 and chief red cloud. 45 00:02:50,671 --> 00:02:55,174 Bracewell: Doane robinson's original idea was to bring a sculptor, 46 00:02:55,217 --> 00:02:58,260 a stone sculptor, to south dakota to do the job. 47 00:02:58,304 --> 00:03:01,263 He asked several sculptors in the united states 48 00:03:01,307 --> 00:03:02,848 that were unavailable, 49 00:03:02,892 --> 00:03:06,185 and he read a newspaper article about the work 50 00:03:06,228 --> 00:03:08,812 that gutzon borglum was doing down in stone mountain, 51 00:03:08,856 --> 00:03:11,648 and got the idea that he would be available 52 00:03:11,692 --> 00:03:15,694 to do this kind of massive sculpture in south dakota. 53 00:03:15,738 --> 00:03:18,614 Perrottet: Gutzon borglum was the first american sculptor 54 00:03:18,657 --> 00:03:21,116 to have a piece of work bought by the metropolitan museum 55 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:22,284 while he was still alive. 56 00:03:22,328 --> 00:03:24,745 He'd gone and studied in paris with rodin. 57 00:03:24,788 --> 00:03:27,497 So he had quite an impressive career 58 00:03:27,541 --> 00:03:29,708 by the time he was contacted by doane 59 00:03:29,752 --> 00:03:31,418 to go to south dakota. 60 00:03:31,462 --> 00:03:34,713 Robin borglum-carter: Gutzon was a second-generation american, 61 00:03:34,757 --> 00:03:37,341 and love for america was instilled into him 62 00:03:37,384 --> 00:03:38,842 in the beginning. 63 00:03:38,886 --> 00:03:41,762 His father was from denmark and was a mormon missionary, 64 00:03:41,805 --> 00:03:44,056 and had waited ten years to get to the united states. 65 00:03:44,099 --> 00:03:46,808 So he had an appreciation for american art 66 00:03:46,852 --> 00:03:48,435 and everything american. 67 00:03:49,813 --> 00:03:52,231 Shatner: Gutzon borglum rejected doane robinson's plan 68 00:03:52,274 --> 00:03:54,191 to carve depictions of native americans 69 00:03:54,235 --> 00:03:56,109 and regional folk heroes. 70 00:03:56,153 --> 00:03:58,612 As far as he was concerned, 71 00:03:58,656 --> 00:04:03,075 his masterpiece required figures of a more national stature. 72 00:04:04,745 --> 00:04:07,329 Perrottet: He was really looking for something incredibly grand, 73 00:04:07,373 --> 00:04:10,165 incredibly splendid, something for the ages, 74 00:04:10,209 --> 00:04:12,376 so that his name would ring down through history. 75 00:04:12,419 --> 00:04:15,921 So he came up with the idea of using the presidents. 76 00:04:15,965 --> 00:04:19,174 Shatner: But why would such an accomplished artist 77 00:04:19,218 --> 00:04:22,177 risk his reputation to pursue an engineering feat 78 00:04:22,221 --> 00:04:23,637 that other sculptors had deemed 79 00:04:23,681 --> 00:04:26,890 not only difficult but impossible? 80 00:04:26,934 --> 00:04:30,269 Borglum-carter: I think he had convinced himself that he could carve mountains, 81 00:04:30,312 --> 00:04:31,270 and he wanted to prove to everybody 82 00:04:31,313 --> 00:04:32,604 that this could be done. 83 00:04:32,648 --> 00:04:37,067 He had one dream, and that was to create something 84 00:04:37,111 --> 00:04:40,988 on a monumental scale that would show everybody one man's 85 00:04:41,031 --> 00:04:42,572 love for his country. 86 00:04:42,616 --> 00:04:44,283 It just became an obsession. 87 00:04:45,494 --> 00:04:47,577 Shatner: To realize this tribute to america, 88 00:04:47,621 --> 00:04:50,998 borglum employed a small army of highly skilled artisans 89 00:04:51,041 --> 00:04:53,292 to ensure that the beauty of mount rushmore 90 00:04:53,335 --> 00:04:55,877 was equal to its enormity. 91 00:04:55,921 --> 00:05:00,632 People like italian immigrant luigi del bianco. 92 00:05:00,676 --> 00:05:03,093 Lou del bianco: Before mount rushmore was even carved, 93 00:05:03,137 --> 00:05:05,721 two years were spent clearing trees. 94 00:05:05,764 --> 00:05:07,848 They had to create roads. 95 00:05:07,891 --> 00:05:11,977 They had to run 20 miles of electrical cable 96 00:05:12,021 --> 00:05:14,104 from mount rushmore to rapid city 97 00:05:14,148 --> 00:05:16,648 so the pneumatic drills could be powered, 98 00:05:16,692 --> 00:05:18,358 or any other kind of, uh, necessities. 99 00:05:18,402 --> 00:05:20,652 Shatner: To get from the staging area 100 00:05:20,696 --> 00:05:22,070 to the top of the mountain, 101 00:05:22,114 --> 00:05:25,741 the men had to climb 700 steps, 102 00:05:25,784 --> 00:05:29,911 which is like climbing halfway up the empire state building. 103 00:05:29,955 --> 00:05:33,957 And they had to bring heavy equipment along with them. 104 00:05:34,001 --> 00:05:38,045 So, this is a pneumatic drill, and it probably weighs about-- 105 00:05:38,088 --> 00:05:40,047 I'm gonna say it weighs about 25 pounds. 106 00:05:40,090 --> 00:05:43,550 The larger drills were probably 45 pounds. 107 00:05:43,594 --> 00:05:47,179 And these guys had to use these, like, up to 12 hours a day. 108 00:05:48,891 --> 00:05:51,808 Shatner: After 15 years, 400 men, 109 00:05:51,852 --> 00:05:54,686 more than 20,000 pounds of dynamite, 110 00:05:54,730 --> 00:05:58,774 and the removal of 450,000 tons of rock, 111 00:05:58,817 --> 00:06:01,276 the work intended to represent 112 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:06,031 "the triumph of modern society and democracy" was complete. 113 00:06:06,075 --> 00:06:09,159 But there is another feature of mount rushmore's 114 00:06:09,203 --> 00:06:12,621 original design that has forced many historians 115 00:06:12,664 --> 00:06:15,791 to debate and ponder gutzon borglum's 116 00:06:15,834 --> 00:06:19,753 profound reason for creating the monument. 117 00:06:19,797 --> 00:06:21,671 There's a valley right behind the memorial, 118 00:06:21,715 --> 00:06:23,382 and on the other side of the valley, 119 00:06:23,425 --> 00:06:28,720 he had plans of carving a sort of cave into the mountain. 120 00:06:28,764 --> 00:06:31,056 Borglum-carter: Some of the drawings were that there would be 121 00:06:31,100 --> 00:06:34,142 a 12-foot entrance, and then there'd be a big room inside, 122 00:06:34,186 --> 00:06:35,936 and then he kind of enlarged that 123 00:06:35,979 --> 00:06:38,188 to a second big room, and then there was even talk 124 00:06:38,232 --> 00:06:40,816 of rooms underneath it. 125 00:06:40,859 --> 00:06:42,943 It was going to be something quite monumental-- 126 00:06:42,986 --> 00:06:44,861 pharaonic in scale, really. 127 00:06:44,905 --> 00:06:47,697 And the centerpiece of it was this hall of records, 128 00:06:47,741 --> 00:06:50,242 which would recount in very grandiose terms 129 00:06:50,285 --> 00:06:53,370 the first 150 years of american history. 130 00:06:55,624 --> 00:06:57,833 Shatner: According to surviving documents, 131 00:06:57,876 --> 00:07:02,629 borglum's hall of records was to be an 80-by-120-foot chamber 132 00:07:02,673 --> 00:07:05,132 deep within the granite mountain. 133 00:07:05,175 --> 00:07:08,844 Not unlike a similar chamber believed to be located 134 00:07:08,887 --> 00:07:11,179 beneath the paws of the sphinx in egypt. 135 00:07:12,599 --> 00:07:16,226 Inside, borglum imagined the busts of important 136 00:07:16,270 --> 00:07:20,063 american leaders and innovators would be put on display 137 00:07:20,107 --> 00:07:23,024 along with the united states' most sacred documents, 138 00:07:23,068 --> 00:07:26,236 including the original declaration of independence 139 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,114 and united states constitution. 140 00:07:29,158 --> 00:07:32,159 But while only a small fraction of the hall of records 141 00:07:32,202 --> 00:07:33,618 was ever built, 142 00:07:33,662 --> 00:07:37,247 one has to wonder, why did borglum think 143 00:07:37,291 --> 00:07:41,084 such a remotely located archive was necessary? 144 00:07:42,296 --> 00:07:44,379 Bracewell: Gutzon borglum had always believed 145 00:07:44,423 --> 00:07:47,340 that you couldn't leave this for future generations 146 00:07:47,384 --> 00:07:49,843 and civilizations without explaining 147 00:07:49,887 --> 00:07:52,053 what the meaning was and the message was 148 00:07:52,097 --> 00:07:54,014 of the mountain-- a massive sculpture 149 00:07:54,057 --> 00:07:57,267 as a memorial to the united states. 150 00:07:57,311 --> 00:08:00,437 Shatner: Gutzon borglum once lamented that 151 00:08:00,481 --> 00:08:05,066 each succeeding civilization forgets its predecessor. 152 00:08:05,110 --> 00:08:08,820 "civilizations," he said, "are ghouls." 153 00:08:11,116 --> 00:08:14,367 is it possible that he foresaw the eventual criticism 154 00:08:14,411 --> 00:08:18,038 that his work, along with his previous associations 155 00:08:18,081 --> 00:08:21,082 with white supremacist groups like the ku klux klan, 156 00:08:21,126 --> 00:08:22,834 would eventually receive? 157 00:08:26,507 --> 00:08:29,674 Borglum-carter: Well, the stone mountain project is kind of complicated. 158 00:08:29,718 --> 00:08:32,385 What it always comes back to is the ku klux klan. 159 00:08:32,429 --> 00:08:34,721 And certainly gutzon knew when he went down there 160 00:08:34,765 --> 00:08:36,973 that the klan met at stone mountain. 161 00:08:37,017 --> 00:08:41,561 And he knew that the backers were sympathizers. 162 00:08:41,605 --> 00:08:44,397 Perrottet: He fell in with a bad crowd as the klan was reviving 163 00:08:44,441 --> 00:08:46,983 in the early '20s, and especially in georgia. 164 00:08:47,027 --> 00:08:48,735 It was very bad judgment. 165 00:08:48,779 --> 00:08:51,863 And what happened in the end is he fell out with the klan. 166 00:08:51,907 --> 00:08:53,865 He fell out with all the people who were funding him. 167 00:08:53,909 --> 00:08:56,159 And he just threw the whole thing aside. 168 00:08:56,203 --> 00:09:00,580 Shatner: Perhaps borglum believed that by enshrining the nation's 169 00:09:00,624 --> 00:09:03,625 founding documents in a stone vault, 170 00:09:03,669 --> 00:09:07,420 he could protect not only his greatest work of art 171 00:09:07,464 --> 00:09:09,339 but his own reputation. 172 00:09:10,676 --> 00:09:13,760 Unfortunately, we may never know the truth. 173 00:09:13,804 --> 00:09:17,222 Gutzon borglum passed away in 1941, 174 00:09:17,266 --> 00:09:20,183 before his original design for mount rushmore 175 00:09:20,227 --> 00:09:22,936 and the hall of records could be completed. 176 00:09:22,980 --> 00:09:26,273 It's a story similar 177 00:09:26,316 --> 00:09:29,609 to the true purpose behind another famous u.S. Monument 178 00:09:29,653 --> 00:09:33,363 not only associated with dead american presidents 179 00:09:33,407 --> 00:09:36,199 but with those who lived there. 180 00:09:46,795 --> 00:09:49,838 Marshatner:M: Two while staying atther in a temporary residencedge 181 00:09:49,881 --> 00:09:53,675 known as the president's house on 190 high street, 182 00:09:53,719 --> 00:09:56,177 george washington meets with the commissioners 183 00:09:56,263 --> 00:09:59,055 of the newly established district of columbia 184 00:09:59,141 --> 00:10:01,182 to announce the winner of an important 185 00:10:01,226 --> 00:10:02,934 architectural design contest. 186 00:10:02,978 --> 00:10:07,314 The chosen plan by irish architect james hoban 187 00:10:07,357 --> 00:10:10,859 was selected from dozens of submissions, 188 00:10:10,902 --> 00:10:13,653 all vying to design what was to be 189 00:10:13,697 --> 00:10:15,614 the president's permanent home. 190 00:10:17,242 --> 00:10:19,367 William seale: George washington liked architecture. 191 00:10:19,453 --> 00:10:22,412 He was very interested in houses, symbolism. 192 00:10:23,498 --> 00:10:25,332 And the white house is an iconic symbol 193 00:10:25,375 --> 00:10:28,335 of the presidency all over the world today. 194 00:10:29,588 --> 00:10:33,214 Everything about the white house is george washington's idea. 195 00:10:33,258 --> 00:10:36,092 It was really his vision for the city, 196 00:10:36,178 --> 00:10:38,386 for the scale of the building, 197 00:10:38,430 --> 00:10:41,723 for the necessity of it being built with stone in a time 198 00:10:41,767 --> 00:10:44,059 when there were no stonecutters in washington. 199 00:10:46,897 --> 00:10:50,440 Shatner: Starting construction in 1792, 200 00:10:50,525 --> 00:10:52,817 the president's palace, as it was then called, 201 00:10:52,861 --> 00:10:55,487 took eight years to complete, at the then cost 202 00:10:55,530 --> 00:10:59,407 of approximately $230,000. 203 00:10:59,493 --> 00:11:03,662 A relatively modest sum, even in those days. 204 00:11:06,958 --> 00:11:08,917 After british troops set fire to the structure 205 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:10,585 during the war of 1812... 206 00:11:13,799 --> 00:11:16,925 ...Numerous renovations and additions expanded 207 00:11:16,968 --> 00:11:20,804 the original two-story building to include colonnades 208 00:11:20,889 --> 00:11:23,139 connecting the east and the west wings, 209 00:11:23,225 --> 00:11:25,308 as well as the north and south porticos. 210 00:11:27,229 --> 00:11:30,105 According to the official tour, the white house 211 00:11:30,190 --> 00:11:35,193 as we know it today contains a staggering 132 rooms... 212 00:11:36,279 --> 00:11:39,447 ...Including 16 family and guest rooms 213 00:11:39,491 --> 00:11:41,700 and 35 bathrooms. 214 00:11:43,453 --> 00:11:47,622 55,000 square feet in all, located on 18 acres 215 00:11:47,666 --> 00:11:52,627 in the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world. 216 00:11:52,671 --> 00:11:56,339 Presidents years ago would entertain everyday people 217 00:11:56,425 --> 00:11:57,924 who could just walk to the white house, 218 00:11:57,968 --> 00:12:00,385 get in and talk to the president. 219 00:12:00,429 --> 00:12:02,137 The white house used to be thought of 220 00:12:02,180 --> 00:12:03,596 as the people's house. 221 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:05,473 There are very few areas in the white house 222 00:12:05,517 --> 00:12:07,308 that the president can be truly private. 223 00:12:07,352 --> 00:12:12,021 Presidents are living a very abnormal existence. 224 00:12:12,107 --> 00:12:15,608 So you wonder how they get some sense of normalcy, 225 00:12:15,652 --> 00:12:17,902 which you don't get in the white house. 226 00:12:19,531 --> 00:12:20,947 Shatner: For more than two centuries, 227 00:12:20,991 --> 00:12:23,908 the white house has served as the primary residence 228 00:12:23,952 --> 00:12:26,786 of every president of the united states. 229 00:12:26,830 --> 00:12:32,000 But 1600 pennsylvania avenue is more than simply the home 230 00:12:32,043 --> 00:12:34,294 of the president and first family. 231 00:12:34,337 --> 00:12:38,256 It is also the headquarters of the executive branch itself. 232 00:12:40,969 --> 00:12:43,303 Which have led many to ask: 233 00:12:43,346 --> 00:12:45,013 Is there more about the white house 234 00:12:45,098 --> 00:12:49,642 that we don't know, hiding behind its austere facade? 235 00:12:49,686 --> 00:12:54,189 Experts have long suspected that top secret tunnels exist 236 00:12:54,232 --> 00:12:57,525 beneath the white house, enabling the president to travel 237 00:12:57,569 --> 00:13:00,612 throughout the city entirely unseen. 238 00:13:02,657 --> 00:13:05,825 I was very surprised to learn the quick routes 239 00:13:05,869 --> 00:13:08,745 that needed to be taken in case of an emergency. 240 00:13:09,831 --> 00:13:12,582 And not something that I can discuss, 241 00:13:12,667 --> 00:13:14,542 but there are ways that the president can be moved 242 00:13:14,586 --> 00:13:16,544 from point a to point b very quickly 243 00:13:16,588 --> 00:13:18,171 in an emergency situation. 244 00:13:18,215 --> 00:13:20,673 Shatner: According to historians, 245 00:13:20,717 --> 00:13:23,218 many of the rumors surrounding such tunnels 246 00:13:23,303 --> 00:13:25,720 and other classified security features 247 00:13:25,764 --> 00:13:29,015 originated during president harry truman's administration 248 00:13:29,059 --> 00:13:30,975 in the 1940s, 249 00:13:31,019 --> 00:13:34,395 after numerous structural issues were discovered 250 00:13:34,481 --> 00:13:36,689 throughout the residence. 251 00:13:36,733 --> 00:13:40,777 Whitcomb: The white house had nicknames like a "public shabby house." 252 00:13:40,862 --> 00:13:43,738 there was lots of derogatory terms about it over the years 253 00:13:43,782 --> 00:13:46,574 because it would fall in and out of disrepair 254 00:13:46,618 --> 00:13:50,161 depending on how popular the president was with congress. 255 00:13:51,790 --> 00:13:53,206 Seale: And so, 256 00:13:53,250 --> 00:13:56,876 the white house, by the time president truman was there, 257 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,712 was like a hamburger someone had sat on. 258 00:13:59,756 --> 00:14:02,423 All the levels were just squashed. 259 00:14:02,467 --> 00:14:05,260 And the corps of engineers had been yelling about this 260 00:14:05,303 --> 00:14:06,594 for a long time. 261 00:14:06,638 --> 00:14:10,557 Shatner: Between 1949 and 1952, 262 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:13,768 a drastic renovation was authorized by congress. 263 00:14:13,812 --> 00:14:16,938 Engineers replaced the wooden subframe 264 00:14:16,982 --> 00:14:19,732 with state-of-the-art steel beams 265 00:14:19,776 --> 00:14:23,403 and rebuilt the inside from scratch using modern materials, 266 00:14:23,446 --> 00:14:28,616 leaving only the iconic sandstone exterior intact. 267 00:14:28,660 --> 00:14:32,245 The white house is a facility that's-- we call it hardened. 268 00:14:32,289 --> 00:14:35,123 A facility that's actually built to withstand 269 00:14:35,166 --> 00:14:37,458 someone shooting a rifle, 270 00:14:37,502 --> 00:14:39,627 someone bringing any kind of explosive, 271 00:14:39,671 --> 00:14:43,464 or any kind of threat to the building. 272 00:14:43,508 --> 00:14:46,134 You want to be able to protect the people inside the building. 273 00:14:46,177 --> 00:14:49,345 Shatner: As a result, some historians have questioned: 274 00:14:49,431 --> 00:14:53,141 Should the modern white house be considered a residence 275 00:14:53,184 --> 00:14:55,101 or a fortress? 276 00:14:56,354 --> 00:14:59,814 Ron kessler: The white house grounds are protected 277 00:14:59,858 --> 00:15:04,444 by a complete array of sensors that detect heat, motion. 278 00:15:04,487 --> 00:15:08,448 If anything is detected, the secret service comes running. 279 00:15:08,491 --> 00:15:10,617 Brad patterson: It was realized you really needed 280 00:15:10,660 --> 00:15:13,703 some kind of a military facility there in the white house. 281 00:15:13,788 --> 00:15:16,831 And so the situation room was established 282 00:15:16,875 --> 00:15:18,958 in the west wing of the white house. 283 00:15:19,002 --> 00:15:21,294 It has an international top secret, 284 00:15:21,338 --> 00:15:23,671 secure teleconference system 285 00:15:23,715 --> 00:15:28,718 so the president can engage in face-to-face conversations 286 00:15:28,803 --> 00:15:31,012 with other leaders of the world. 287 00:15:31,056 --> 00:15:33,723 There's the famous picture in the situation room 288 00:15:33,808 --> 00:15:36,476 of president obama and secretary clinton 289 00:15:36,519 --> 00:15:41,314 and the staff during the mission that went after osama bin laden. 290 00:15:41,358 --> 00:15:44,525 The capability certainly exists, within the situation room, 291 00:15:44,569 --> 00:15:46,694 to watch live broadcasts. 292 00:15:49,532 --> 00:15:51,532 Shatner: As a matter of national security, 293 00:15:51,576 --> 00:15:54,202 the members of the white house staff are under strict orders 294 00:15:54,245 --> 00:15:56,829 not to reveal the full extent 295 00:15:56,873 --> 00:15:59,248 of the building's defense infrastructure. 296 00:16:00,335 --> 00:16:02,418 However, it has been acknowledged 297 00:16:02,504 --> 00:16:04,587 that in addition to the situation room, 298 00:16:04,673 --> 00:16:06,923 the white house also contains a bunker-like structure 299 00:16:07,008 --> 00:16:08,716 beneath the east wing 300 00:16:08,802 --> 00:16:12,261 known as the presidential emergency operations center, 301 00:16:12,347 --> 00:16:14,555 or peoc, 302 00:16:14,599 --> 00:16:18,017 to protect the president in case of direct attack. 303 00:16:18,061 --> 00:16:21,562 But could the white house's military capabilities 304 00:16:21,606 --> 00:16:24,691 go even further than that? 305 00:16:24,734 --> 00:16:27,735 Let's just say that, yes, the white house is capable 306 00:16:27,779 --> 00:16:30,071 of thwarting an attack. 307 00:16:30,115 --> 00:16:33,199 For instance, if you remember frank corder, 308 00:16:33,243 --> 00:16:36,411 the individual who flew the airplane onto the south lawn 309 00:16:36,454 --> 00:16:39,247 and that crashed into the white house itself. 310 00:16:39,290 --> 00:16:42,750 Shatner: On September 12, 1994, 311 00:16:42,836 --> 00:16:45,420 frank eugene corder, a 38-year-old army veteran 312 00:16:45,463 --> 00:16:47,588 suffering from depression, 313 00:16:47,632 --> 00:16:51,426 flew a small airplane directly at the white house 314 00:16:51,511 --> 00:16:54,429 in what is believed to have been an assassination attempt 315 00:16:54,472 --> 00:16:56,597 on president bill clinton. 316 00:16:58,101 --> 00:16:59,976 Although the official record states 317 00:17:00,061 --> 00:17:03,229 that corder's plane crashed before it reached its target, 318 00:17:03,273 --> 00:17:08,568 many believe it was, in fact, shot down. 319 00:17:08,611 --> 00:17:09,944 Basham: People just assumed 320 00:17:09,988 --> 00:17:11,904 that the white house had 321 00:17:11,948 --> 00:17:14,949 all of those defense mechanisms in place, 322 00:17:14,993 --> 00:17:18,119 and when this cessna flew into the white house, 323 00:17:18,163 --> 00:17:21,080 and fortunately they prevented any penetration 324 00:17:21,124 --> 00:17:24,125 into the interior of the white house itself. 325 00:17:24,169 --> 00:17:29,589 So, I think that demonstrates that-that, that it does exist. 326 00:17:29,632 --> 00:17:32,800 Shatner: Is the white house a full-fledged battle station, 327 00:17:32,844 --> 00:17:35,178 protected by antiaircraft missiles 328 00:17:35,263 --> 00:17:37,472 and other covert armaments? 329 00:17:37,515 --> 00:17:40,683 And if so, what about the other prominent structures 330 00:17:40,769 --> 00:17:44,270 located in our nation's capital? 331 00:17:44,314 --> 00:17:49,317 May they also be hiding secrets in plain sight? 332 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:52,153 There are many who believe that the answer lies 333 00:17:52,197 --> 00:17:55,114 just a few yards away within the very heart 334 00:17:55,158 --> 00:17:56,991 of the capitol dome. 335 00:18:08,129 --> 00:18:10,922 Akram elias: Gstands what is perhapsd the single greatest monument 336 00:18:10,965 --> 00:18:12,965 to democracy in the world, 337 00:18:13,009 --> 00:18:16,260 the united states capitol building. 338 00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:19,305 The iconic dome at the center is flanked 339 00:18:19,349 --> 00:18:21,641 by two nearly identical wings. 340 00:18:21,684 --> 00:18:23,935 The north, which houses the senate, 341 00:18:23,978 --> 00:18:27,605 and the south, which houses the house of representatives. 342 00:18:27,649 --> 00:18:30,733 The vast sandstone-clad structure contains 343 00:18:30,777 --> 00:18:36,572 some 600 rooms and covers approximately four acres. 344 00:18:36,616 --> 00:18:39,075 It's designed to radiate power. 345 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:41,494 And as one stands here, one can feel themselves 346 00:18:41,538 --> 00:18:43,538 just being lifted up by its presence. 347 00:18:43,581 --> 00:18:46,499 And it was designed to be that way. 348 00:18:46,543 --> 00:18:48,501 Shatner: As with the white house, 349 00:18:48,545 --> 00:18:52,672 the cornerstone ceremony was presided over by freemasons. 350 00:18:52,715 --> 00:18:57,009 At 10:00 a.M. On September 18, 1793, 351 00:18:57,053 --> 00:19:00,638 crowds gathered to watch george washington 352 00:19:00,682 --> 00:19:03,850 carefully anoint a massive stone block 353 00:19:03,893 --> 00:19:06,561 with corn, oil and wine. 354 00:19:06,604 --> 00:19:09,355 He then struck it three times with a gavel 355 00:19:09,399 --> 00:19:11,732 to announce the laying of the cornerstone... 356 00:19:13,736 --> 00:19:15,611 ...For the building intended to become 357 00:19:15,655 --> 00:19:19,365 the heart of america's new democracy. 358 00:19:19,409 --> 00:19:23,369 When freemasons conduct such a ceremony, 359 00:19:23,413 --> 00:19:25,538 they're basically sending a message 360 00:19:25,582 --> 00:19:29,250 to the people who are going to work out of that edifice 361 00:19:29,294 --> 00:19:34,255 that their main mission is not to rule over people. 362 00:19:34,299 --> 00:19:36,966 George washington wanted to send that powerful message, 363 00:19:37,010 --> 00:19:41,846 "this is the symbol of this new american republic." 364 00:19:43,558 --> 00:19:46,684 shatner: Seven years after construction on the capitol began, 365 00:19:46,728 --> 00:19:49,729 the united states congress held its first session 366 00:19:49,772 --> 00:19:52,190 on November 17, 1800. 367 00:19:53,234 --> 00:19:54,609 As the number of states 368 00:19:54,652 --> 00:19:57,904 admitted to the nation grew over the next 50 years, 369 00:19:57,947 --> 00:19:59,655 the design of the original buildings 370 00:19:59,699 --> 00:20:02,533 continued to expand in order to accommodate 371 00:20:02,577 --> 00:20:05,995 the increasing number of legislators in congress. 372 00:20:06,039 --> 00:20:08,623 But there is one fact about the capitol dome 373 00:20:08,666 --> 00:20:10,625 that is less well-known, 374 00:20:10,668 --> 00:20:13,836 and it's not about what lies on top of the building 375 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,756 but what lies deep below. 376 00:20:16,799 --> 00:20:18,633 Henry: Beneath that is what's called 377 00:20:18,676 --> 00:20:20,259 the crypt. 378 00:20:20,303 --> 00:20:22,553 This is fascinating because civic buildings 379 00:20:22,597 --> 00:20:23,971 are not supposed to have crypts. 380 00:20:24,015 --> 00:20:27,600 Churches have crypts. Cemeteries have crypts. 381 00:20:27,644 --> 00:20:30,436 But the u.S. Capitol has a crypt. Why? 382 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,397 Shatner: A crypt? 383 00:20:33,441 --> 00:20:35,066 According to historians, the crypt 384 00:20:35,109 --> 00:20:37,193 below the capitol dome's rotunda was intended 385 00:20:37,237 --> 00:20:40,363 to be the burial place for george washington, 386 00:20:40,406 --> 00:20:43,950 similar to the burial places of english kings 387 00:20:43,993 --> 00:20:46,661 beneath the floors of the british cathedrals. 388 00:20:46,704 --> 00:20:49,622 However, by the time the construction 389 00:20:49,666 --> 00:20:52,625 of the crypt was completed in 1827, 390 00:20:52,669 --> 00:20:56,128 washington, who strongly rejected any notion 391 00:20:56,172 --> 00:20:58,172 that he should be regarded as a king, 392 00:20:58,216 --> 00:21:02,426 had already been buried at his home in mount vernon. 393 00:21:02,470 --> 00:21:05,680 Washington's family, out of respect for his wishes, 394 00:21:05,723 --> 00:21:08,766 now refused to move his body to washington. 395 00:21:08,810 --> 00:21:12,228 But even though the crypt beneath the capitol is empty, 396 00:21:12,272 --> 00:21:15,856 george washington's presence can still be felt 397 00:21:15,900 --> 00:21:18,484 all over the capitol. 398 00:21:18,528 --> 00:21:21,112 Elias: One of the most fascinating parts of the capitol 399 00:21:21,155 --> 00:21:22,863 is the rotunda, which is at the heart; 400 00:21:22,907 --> 00:21:24,198 it's a circle. 401 00:21:24,242 --> 00:21:28,536 And if you look above, you see a beautiful painting 402 00:21:28,579 --> 00:21:31,831 of the apotheosis of george washington. 403 00:21:31,874 --> 00:21:35,167 It's an enormous painting that depicts washington 404 00:21:35,211 --> 00:21:38,170 as you would see a god depicted. 405 00:21:38,214 --> 00:21:41,590 He sits in a setting of clouds 406 00:21:41,634 --> 00:21:46,304 with what look like angels immediately surrounding him. 407 00:21:46,347 --> 00:21:48,306 The apotheosis of george washington 408 00:21:48,349 --> 00:21:52,059 was completed by constantino brumidi in 1865. 409 00:21:52,103 --> 00:21:54,145 The word "apotheosis" is a greek word 410 00:21:54,188 --> 00:21:56,897 that means to deify; to raise from a man 411 00:21:56,941 --> 00:22:00,860 to a god-man, or to achieve glory. 412 00:22:00,903 --> 00:22:04,530 And when one achieves glory, one glows rays, 413 00:22:04,574 --> 00:22:06,365 just like the gods. 414 00:22:06,409 --> 00:22:09,285 Who's buried in washington's tomb? 415 00:22:09,329 --> 00:22:10,870 Nobody. 416 00:22:10,913 --> 00:22:13,039 Because he's up on the ceiling. 417 00:22:13,082 --> 00:22:15,499 He's raised himself from the tomb, 418 00:22:15,543 --> 00:22:19,086 gone up through the rotunda and up through the sun gate 419 00:22:19,130 --> 00:22:21,088 that leads to heaven. 420 00:22:21,132 --> 00:22:23,257 He is a deity. 421 00:22:25,511 --> 00:22:28,804 Shatner: Could the apotheosis of washington be a clue 422 00:22:28,848 --> 00:22:31,724 that america's founding fathers actually intended 423 00:22:31,768 --> 00:22:35,978 the united states be built upon not only the laws of man 424 00:22:36,022 --> 00:22:41,442 but also divine forces beyond our understanding? 425 00:22:41,486 --> 00:22:43,235 Perhaps. 426 00:22:43,279 --> 00:22:46,947 But the story of the capitol building becomes even stranger 427 00:22:46,991 --> 00:22:51,702 when you consider what stands atop the iconic dome. 428 00:22:51,746 --> 00:22:53,621 The freedom statue on top of the capitol 429 00:22:53,664 --> 00:22:58,292 is a 19 1/2-foot-tall statue of an iroquois goddess 430 00:22:58,336 --> 00:23:01,295 who actually is morphing into an eagle. 431 00:23:02,715 --> 00:23:05,674 This is very important because the ancient gods 432 00:23:05,718 --> 00:23:07,593 were portrayed as eagle-headed. 433 00:23:07,637 --> 00:23:10,346 Nimrod was taken into the heavens by eagles. 434 00:23:10,390 --> 00:23:12,306 So was zeus. 435 00:23:12,350 --> 00:23:17,353 And also with the legends of the iroquois native americans. 436 00:23:19,023 --> 00:23:25,403 The iroquois creation story of sky woman, uh, is basically: 437 00:23:25,446 --> 00:23:29,573 Before earth really became what it is today, 438 00:23:29,617 --> 00:23:32,576 there were beings that were similar to us 439 00:23:32,620 --> 00:23:34,537 living in the sky. 440 00:23:34,580 --> 00:23:38,374 One day, a young woman, sky woman, became pregnant. 441 00:23:38,418 --> 00:23:42,503 She is to go down to the world below. 442 00:23:42,547 --> 00:23:47,508 And so this extraterrestrial that lived in the sky-- 443 00:23:47,552 --> 00:23:51,762 she comes down and then the human race begins. 444 00:23:54,308 --> 00:23:57,309 Shatner: An extraterrestrial that came down to earth 445 00:23:57,353 --> 00:24:00,729 from the sky? 446 00:24:00,773 --> 00:24:04,066 But if so, how did this figure from iroquois mythology 447 00:24:04,110 --> 00:24:07,445 come to be standing atop america's capitol building? 448 00:24:09,115 --> 00:24:12,241 At the debate on the declaration of independence, 449 00:24:12,285 --> 00:24:15,995 the iroquois chiefs were specifically invited. 450 00:24:16,038 --> 00:24:20,875 And over 40 of them came to philadelphia 451 00:24:20,918 --> 00:24:23,544 in may of 1776. 452 00:24:23,588 --> 00:24:26,881 And they stayed there on through the debating 453 00:24:26,924 --> 00:24:30,926 and passage of the declaration of independence. 454 00:24:30,970 --> 00:24:34,221 Their presence was so important because 455 00:24:34,265 --> 00:24:37,600 if half your economy is trading with native americans, 456 00:24:37,643 --> 00:24:40,227 then you have to learn about how the community, 457 00:24:40,271 --> 00:24:41,437 their government runs, 458 00:24:41,481 --> 00:24:44,773 you have to learn about the culture. 459 00:24:44,817 --> 00:24:47,151 Benjamin franklin, in particular, 460 00:24:47,195 --> 00:24:50,529 was deeply interested in the star legends and star lore 461 00:24:50,573 --> 00:24:52,448 of the iroquois confederacy. 462 00:24:52,492 --> 00:24:55,117 So when we add all this together, it looks like 463 00:24:55,161 --> 00:24:57,036 the freedom statue is being referenced here 464 00:24:57,079 --> 00:24:58,621 as a star being. 465 00:24:59,999 --> 00:25:02,917 Shatner: An empty crypt beneath the rotunda. 466 00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:06,837 George washington portrayed as a god. 467 00:25:06,881 --> 00:25:10,633 And a statue of an iroquois star goddess. 468 00:25:10,676 --> 00:25:13,719 Might the united states capitol building reveal that 469 00:25:13,763 --> 00:25:15,554 america's most important monuments serve 470 00:25:15,598 --> 00:25:18,474 not just an architectural purpose 471 00:25:18,518 --> 00:25:21,310 but also a spiritual one? 472 00:25:21,354 --> 00:25:25,731 Many believe the answer is yes, and suggest that for the proof, 473 00:25:25,775 --> 00:25:30,277 we need only look to one of our most iconic national monuments: 474 00:25:30,321 --> 00:25:36,116 A giant stone obelisk whose history is as fascinating 475 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,869 as the u.S. President for whom it was named. 476 00:25:49,173 --> 00:25:51,131 Shatner: Iafter an extensivee three-year renovation, 477 00:25:51,175 --> 00:25:53,842 including significant security enhancements 478 00:25:53,886 --> 00:25:57,346 to make it nearly invulnerable to terrorist attacks, 479 00:25:57,390 --> 00:26:00,558 the washington monument, a towering memorial 480 00:26:00,601 --> 00:26:02,768 dedicated to america's first president, 481 00:26:02,812 --> 00:26:06,355 finally reopens to an eager public. 482 00:26:06,399 --> 00:26:10,067 The washington monument is such an important place 483 00:26:10,111 --> 00:26:13,696 in the american narrative because of what it represents. 484 00:26:15,074 --> 00:26:18,200 It represents george washington himself 485 00:26:18,244 --> 00:26:22,705 and his important position in the building of our nation. 486 00:26:22,748 --> 00:26:25,457 It is a ray of light descending from the heavens, 487 00:26:25,501 --> 00:26:26,792 or inspiration itself, 488 00:26:26,836 --> 00:26:29,169 just as he was that to the young nation. 489 00:26:31,465 --> 00:26:33,424 Shatner: First unveiled in 1884, 490 00:26:33,467 --> 00:26:36,885 and standing 555 feet tall, 491 00:26:36,929 --> 00:26:38,929 the washington monument is not only 492 00:26:38,973 --> 00:26:41,181 the tallest structure in washington, d.C., 493 00:26:41,225 --> 00:26:45,561 but the tallest stone structure in the world. 494 00:26:45,605 --> 00:26:48,063 It is a feat made even more incredible 495 00:26:48,107 --> 00:26:52,151 by the fact that the 36,491 blocks 496 00:26:52,194 --> 00:26:54,570 of marbled granite and bluestone gneiss 497 00:26:54,614 --> 00:26:56,697 that comprise the washington monument 498 00:26:56,741 --> 00:26:59,825 are only held together by gravity and friction, 499 00:26:59,869 --> 00:27:03,329 without any mortar whatsoever. 500 00:27:03,372 --> 00:27:05,664 Most people look at the washington monument 501 00:27:05,708 --> 00:27:08,584 and they see a huge obelisk, 502 00:27:08,628 --> 00:27:11,003 but I doubt that very many people at all 503 00:27:11,047 --> 00:27:14,340 know every stone in the monument is unique. 504 00:27:14,383 --> 00:27:16,800 Every stone has its own story, 505 00:27:16,844 --> 00:27:18,927 and they all have secrets. 506 00:27:20,139 --> 00:27:23,098 Shatner: Secrets? In the stones? 507 00:27:23,142 --> 00:27:25,934 Most who visit the washington monument 508 00:27:25,978 --> 00:27:28,604 immediately notice a slight variation 509 00:27:28,648 --> 00:27:30,731 in the color of the stone facade, 510 00:27:30,775 --> 00:27:34,193 indicating the towering spire likely underwent 511 00:27:34,236 --> 00:27:37,446 a troubled period during its construction. 512 00:27:37,490 --> 00:27:41,533 The monument's origins date back to 1833, 513 00:27:41,577 --> 00:27:43,535 when a group of citizens called 514 00:27:43,579 --> 00:27:46,413 the washington national monument society 515 00:27:46,457 --> 00:27:48,123 took charge of the project 516 00:27:48,167 --> 00:27:52,211 and selected a design by architect robert mills. 517 00:27:52,254 --> 00:27:55,756 Berger: Robert mills' original design for a washington monument 518 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:58,842 was that of a 600-foot shaft, 519 00:27:58,886 --> 00:28:02,137 a obelisk with a much flatter pyramidion 520 00:28:02,181 --> 00:28:04,390 than that which now bedecks the washington monument 521 00:28:04,433 --> 00:28:06,392 we all know. 522 00:28:06,435 --> 00:28:08,352 And it would have a colonnade surrounding 523 00:28:08,396 --> 00:28:12,064 the washington monument's central shaft of statuary 524 00:28:12,108 --> 00:28:15,442 of the founding fathers that supported george washington 525 00:28:15,486 --> 00:28:17,486 in the building of the nation. 526 00:28:17,530 --> 00:28:20,447 Shatner: On July 4, 1848, 527 00:28:20,491 --> 00:28:22,491 thousands of people gathered on the hillside 528 00:28:22,535 --> 00:28:24,993 just south of the white house to commemorate 529 00:28:25,037 --> 00:28:27,871 the long-awaited start of construction 530 00:28:27,915 --> 00:28:29,748 on the washington monument. 531 00:28:29,792 --> 00:28:32,793 What they witnessed wasn't merely the laying 532 00:28:32,837 --> 00:28:35,003 of the ceremonial cornerstone 533 00:28:35,047 --> 00:28:38,674 but an elaborate freemason ritual. 534 00:28:38,718 --> 00:28:41,218 Berger: The freemasons were very instrumental 535 00:28:41,262 --> 00:28:42,553 in the building of the washington monument 536 00:28:42,596 --> 00:28:44,304 because, of course, the subject matter 537 00:28:44,348 --> 00:28:46,849 that the monument honors-- george washington himself-- 538 00:28:46,892 --> 00:28:50,269 being a very prominent freemason. 539 00:28:50,312 --> 00:28:54,606 They wore george washington's sash. 540 00:28:54,650 --> 00:28:57,401 They wore his apron. 541 00:28:57,445 --> 00:29:00,571 -And they had his gavel. -(gavel bangs) 542 00:29:00,614 --> 00:29:05,701 you were identifying with the father of our country. 543 00:29:05,745 --> 00:29:07,119 And then, of course, a few years later, 544 00:29:07,163 --> 00:29:09,288 the civil war intervened, and that led to 545 00:29:09,331 --> 00:29:11,582 enormous delays in constructing the monument. 546 00:29:11,625 --> 00:29:13,917 After a lot of delay, 547 00:29:13,961 --> 00:29:16,003 the construction of the washington monument 548 00:29:16,046 --> 00:29:17,838 is jump-started again. 549 00:29:18,966 --> 00:29:20,591 Shatner: When construction resumes, 550 00:29:20,634 --> 00:29:22,342 the stones used to complete the monument 551 00:29:22,386 --> 00:29:24,094 came from a different quarry. 552 00:29:24,138 --> 00:29:26,889 This explains why there is a visible difference 553 00:29:26,932 --> 00:29:29,224 in the color of the stones today. 554 00:29:29,268 --> 00:29:32,561 Also different is the final design. 555 00:29:32,605 --> 00:29:35,481 Mills's grandiose vision for the washington monument 556 00:29:35,524 --> 00:29:37,274 was replaced by a simpler 557 00:29:37,318 --> 00:29:40,235 and perhaps even more striking design-- 558 00:29:40,279 --> 00:29:44,114 a single, towering obelisk. 559 00:29:44,158 --> 00:29:46,658 But what could have inspired the use of a symbol 560 00:29:46,702 --> 00:29:51,330 from ancient egypt to honor the most venerated 561 00:29:51,373 --> 00:29:53,874 of american presidents? 562 00:29:53,918 --> 00:29:57,503 Elias: It is no coincidence that obelisks are used 563 00:29:57,546 --> 00:30:00,297 as symbols in the rituals of freemasonry. 564 00:30:00,341 --> 00:30:02,591 The egyptians were great builders. 565 00:30:02,635 --> 00:30:04,676 And here, we're not talking anymore only about 566 00:30:04,720 --> 00:30:06,345 building structures, physical structures. 567 00:30:06,388 --> 00:30:09,223 We're talking about creating, also, a link 568 00:30:09,266 --> 00:30:11,975 between the physical earth, where we live, 569 00:30:12,019 --> 00:30:15,437 and what is happening in the universe around us. 570 00:30:15,481 --> 00:30:19,650 The language of freemasonry is a language of symbols. 571 00:30:19,693 --> 00:30:21,443 And there is a fundamental reason for that. 572 00:30:21,487 --> 00:30:26,156 By using a language of symbols, you can talk about ideas 573 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:30,661 that free the mind with some form of safety. 574 00:30:30,704 --> 00:30:33,872 Hieronimus: There are important symbols 575 00:30:33,916 --> 00:30:36,583 within the washington monument. 576 00:30:36,627 --> 00:30:38,794 When you get in the elevator and you go up, 577 00:30:38,838 --> 00:30:41,713 above one of the elevator doors 578 00:30:41,757 --> 00:30:46,677 is a winged disc with a six-pointed star 579 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:49,513 in that disc. 580 00:30:49,557 --> 00:30:53,517 That winged disc goes back to egyptian mythologies 581 00:30:53,561 --> 00:30:57,980 and indicated elevation of consciousness. 582 00:30:58,023 --> 00:31:00,357 We're getting in this elevator, moving into 583 00:31:00,401 --> 00:31:03,443 the higher spiritual dimensions, 584 00:31:03,487 --> 00:31:06,029 with the six-pointed star in the middle! 585 00:31:07,908 --> 00:31:11,326 Berger: The aluminum tip on top of the washington monument 586 00:31:11,370 --> 00:31:14,538 was placed there December 6, 1884 587 00:31:14,582 --> 00:31:17,583 upon the completion of this structure as a crowning act. 588 00:31:17,626 --> 00:31:20,460 Engraved upon it, two words: 589 00:31:20,504 --> 00:31:23,547 "laus deo," or "praise be to god," 590 00:31:23,591 --> 00:31:25,215 facing to the east. 591 00:31:25,259 --> 00:31:27,759 And as those two words face to the east, 592 00:31:27,803 --> 00:31:31,889 the sun rises but never sets upon those words. 593 00:31:33,893 --> 00:31:35,767 Is the washington monument 594 00:31:35,811 --> 00:31:38,896 a glorious memorial to a great man? 595 00:31:38,939 --> 00:31:42,900 Or is it also a tribute to the role freemasonry played 596 00:31:42,943 --> 00:31:46,278 in the founding of the united states? 597 00:31:46,322 --> 00:31:49,781 There are many who believe that both things are true, 598 00:31:49,825 --> 00:31:51,783 and that the mystery of america's obsession 599 00:31:51,827 --> 00:31:53,869 with tall buildings can best be answered 600 00:31:53,913 --> 00:31:56,079 by examining the story of a building 601 00:31:56,123 --> 00:31:58,665 that, while no longer the world's tallest, 602 00:31:58,709 --> 00:32:01,668 is still one of its most famous, 603 00:32:01,712 --> 00:32:04,880 the empire state building. 604 00:32:13,057 --> 00:32:14,848 Shatner: After four years the eof construction,d 605 00:32:14,934 --> 00:32:16,808 the empire state building's remodeled 606 00:32:16,852 --> 00:32:21,647 102nd floor observatory is finally revealed to the public. 607 00:32:21,690 --> 00:32:25,651 Costing a staggering $165 million, 608 00:32:25,694 --> 00:32:29,821 the renovation also includes a 10,000-square-foot museum 609 00:32:29,865 --> 00:32:32,532 and an all-new observation deck, 610 00:32:32,576 --> 00:32:37,120 offering visitors a 360-degree view from atop the building, 611 00:32:37,164 --> 00:32:41,917 one that has often been called the eighth wonder of the world. 612 00:32:42,962 --> 00:32:44,711 The empire state building, 613 00:32:44,755 --> 00:32:48,048 almost more than any other building, represents new york. 614 00:32:48,092 --> 00:32:51,927 Great look, a great presence. 615 00:32:52,012 --> 00:32:53,845 It's called the "it factor." 616 00:32:53,889 --> 00:32:56,890 people have it, buildings have it, 617 00:32:56,934 --> 00:32:59,393 and the empire state building has the it factor. 618 00:32:59,436 --> 00:33:05,816 Shatner: Designated a national historic landmark in 1986, 619 00:33:05,859 --> 00:33:08,151 many consider the empire state building to be not only 620 00:33:08,195 --> 00:33:10,904 the most recognizable building in new york city 621 00:33:10,948 --> 00:33:13,532 but also the entire world. 622 00:33:13,575 --> 00:33:17,661 Over 20,000 people arrive to work here every day, 623 00:33:17,705 --> 00:33:20,664 taking one of the 73 elevators to offices 624 00:33:20,708 --> 00:33:24,292 located across 103 floors, 625 00:33:24,378 --> 00:33:29,089 nearly 2.7 million square feet of office space in all. 626 00:33:29,133 --> 00:33:33,051 In fact, the 1,454-foot building is so large, 627 00:33:33,095 --> 00:33:36,596 it was even given its own zip code. 628 00:33:38,434 --> 00:33:40,475 Originally designed to be a symbol 629 00:33:40,561 --> 00:33:44,229 of america's indomitable spirit and ingenuity, 630 00:33:44,273 --> 00:33:46,565 until 1972 the empire state building 631 00:33:46,608 --> 00:33:51,945 enjoyed its unique status as the world's tallest building. 632 00:33:52,031 --> 00:33:55,323 The empire state building was scheduled to be a thousand feet. 633 00:33:55,409 --> 00:33:58,326 The chrysler building was 1,046. 634 00:33:58,412 --> 00:34:00,120 So they determined that they would ensure 635 00:34:00,205 --> 00:34:03,457 that they would be the world's tallest building 636 00:34:03,500 --> 00:34:08,920 by adding a 200-foot-high mast atop the building. 637 00:34:08,964 --> 00:34:12,799 You could almost call it the race of the titans. 638 00:34:12,843 --> 00:34:17,095 The idea for the world's tallest tower always gains attention. 639 00:34:17,139 --> 00:34:20,182 And there is a certain kind of status that's given 640 00:34:20,267 --> 00:34:22,976 to any building that's going to break a record, 641 00:34:23,062 --> 00:34:25,062 because it certainly is a signal achievement. 642 00:34:26,106 --> 00:34:27,606 Shatner: As anticipated, 643 00:34:27,649 --> 00:34:29,441 when the empire state building finally opened 644 00:34:29,485 --> 00:34:33,820 on may 1, 1931, its coveted status 645 00:34:33,906 --> 00:34:35,697 as the tallest building in the world 646 00:34:35,783 --> 00:34:38,617 brought it international renown. 647 00:34:38,660 --> 00:34:42,287 But why construct a building to tower 648 00:34:42,331 --> 00:34:44,831 more than a thousand feet above the earth? 649 00:34:44,917 --> 00:34:47,501 If monuments like the capitol building 650 00:34:47,544 --> 00:34:50,045 and the washington monument are meant to symbolize 651 00:34:50,130 --> 00:34:52,923 a connection to something greater than ourselves, 652 00:34:52,966 --> 00:34:55,675 could the empire state building be an attempt 653 00:34:55,761 --> 00:35:00,722 to literally ascend from the earth and touch the heavens? 654 00:35:02,351 --> 00:35:03,892 Willis: The thrill of being at the top 655 00:35:03,977 --> 00:35:05,519 of the empire state building 656 00:35:05,562 --> 00:35:08,855 is, is really to-to be above it all. 657 00:35:08,899 --> 00:35:10,649 To look out to the harbor 658 00:35:10,692 --> 00:35:16,154 and have the, the thrill of nearly infinite vision. 659 00:35:16,198 --> 00:35:18,698 There are many historical paradigms 660 00:35:18,742 --> 00:35:21,952 to summarize the achievements through the ages. 661 00:35:21,995 --> 00:35:24,913 For the romans it might be the pantheon, 662 00:35:24,998 --> 00:35:28,041 for the greeks it might be the parthenon, 663 00:35:28,085 --> 00:35:31,169 but the empire state building summarizes the idea 664 00:35:31,213 --> 00:35:36,508 about what america wanted to be in the 20th century. 665 00:35:36,552 --> 00:35:38,885 Shatner: According to historians, 666 00:35:38,929 --> 00:35:41,847 the romantic notion of being above it all 667 00:35:41,890 --> 00:35:43,890 was taken to the extreme 668 00:35:43,976 --> 00:35:47,060 when the empire state building first opened. 669 00:35:48,147 --> 00:35:49,604 Willis: The stock market was going up, 670 00:35:49,690 --> 00:35:52,607 real estate investment was rampant. 671 00:35:52,693 --> 00:35:55,569 They needed to have some extra measure of modernity 672 00:35:55,612 --> 00:36:00,407 that signaled that this building not just stood above the rest 673 00:36:00,450 --> 00:36:03,743 but participated in this upper stratum 674 00:36:03,787 --> 00:36:05,745 of the-the world of business. 675 00:36:05,789 --> 00:36:09,374 So they imagined that they would add a docking station 676 00:36:09,418 --> 00:36:13,003 for dirigibles, for the zeppelins. 677 00:36:14,965 --> 00:36:17,299 Shatner: A dirigible docking station? 678 00:36:17,384 --> 00:36:20,427 Is it possible that the empire state building, 679 00:36:20,512 --> 00:36:22,429 hailed as a symbol of america's 680 00:36:22,472 --> 00:36:24,139 can-do attitude and industrial might, 681 00:36:24,224 --> 00:36:29,019 was actually envisioned to be the world's tallest airport? 682 00:36:31,064 --> 00:36:34,441 Tauranac: They said, "we will drag it into the building, 683 00:36:34,484 --> 00:36:35,984 crank it down." 684 00:36:36,028 --> 00:36:41,406 the dirigible can be moored to the top of the mooring mast. 685 00:36:41,450 --> 00:36:44,284 A gangplank can be dropped to the 103rd floor 686 00:36:44,328 --> 00:36:49,247 where there was a platform that ringed to the building. 687 00:36:49,291 --> 00:36:53,793 And the passengers can de-dirigible 688 00:36:53,837 --> 00:37:00,300 down the gangplank 1,250 feet in the air. 689 00:37:00,344 --> 00:37:03,887 It was the looniest building scheme since the tower of babel. 690 00:37:05,057 --> 00:37:06,473 Shatner: The first test 691 00:37:06,516 --> 00:37:09,267 of the empire state building's docking station 692 00:37:09,311 --> 00:37:10,936 was a massive failure. 693 00:37:10,979 --> 00:37:14,022 Although workers managed to pass a mailbag 694 00:37:14,107 --> 00:37:17,234 over from the top of the tower, the tethered airship was rocked 695 00:37:17,277 --> 00:37:21,780 by high winds while attempting to dock. 696 00:37:21,823 --> 00:37:25,325 After the hindenburg disaster in 1937, 697 00:37:25,369 --> 00:37:27,994 the notion of commercial dirigible travel 698 00:37:28,038 --> 00:37:30,372 was abandoned altogether. 699 00:37:30,457 --> 00:37:33,625 A fate that fortunately would not befall 700 00:37:33,669 --> 00:37:35,835 another great american monument, 701 00:37:35,879 --> 00:37:38,672 one that thousands of people travel across every day, 702 00:37:38,715 --> 00:37:41,007 despite the possibility 703 00:37:41,051 --> 00:37:43,385 of catastrophic structural collapse. 704 00:37:54,356 --> 00:37:58,275 In celebration of its 50th anniversary, 705 00:37:58,318 --> 00:38:00,193 hundreds of thousands of people gather 706 00:38:00,279 --> 00:38:04,197 to walk across one of america's greatest monuments, 707 00:38:04,241 --> 00:38:07,033 the golden gate bridge. 708 00:38:07,119 --> 00:38:10,453 Designed by engineer leon moisseiff, 709 00:38:10,497 --> 00:38:15,417 the 887,000-ton bridge measures 1.7 miles across 710 00:38:15,460 --> 00:38:17,502 and is suspended by two main cables, 711 00:38:17,546 --> 00:38:23,633 each 7,659 feet long and over three feet in diameter. 712 00:38:23,677 --> 00:38:26,553 And although more than 100,000 vehicles 713 00:38:26,638 --> 00:38:29,556 commute across the bridge every day, 714 00:38:29,599 --> 00:38:34,227 on this day it begins to groan and sag 715 00:38:34,271 --> 00:38:39,316 under the load of 300,000 people on it at once. 716 00:38:40,360 --> 00:38:42,235 There was a weeklong fiesta. 717 00:38:42,321 --> 00:38:46,072 Schools closed, parades, bands. 718 00:38:46,116 --> 00:38:48,283 It was just everyone in san francisco, 719 00:38:48,327 --> 00:38:50,118 marin county, and the counties to the north 720 00:38:50,162 --> 00:38:53,246 came to celebrate the opening of this bridge. 721 00:38:53,290 --> 00:38:55,707 Two crowds, one from the north and one to the south 722 00:38:55,792 --> 00:38:57,751 came together in the middle of the bridge 723 00:38:57,836 --> 00:39:00,754 with no place to go and it got to be a crush loading. 724 00:39:00,797 --> 00:39:02,839 There were so many people on the bridge 725 00:39:02,883 --> 00:39:04,257 that that vertical curve of the bridge 726 00:39:04,343 --> 00:39:05,800 was flattened, straight out, 727 00:39:05,844 --> 00:39:08,720 deflected something on the order of 20 feet. 728 00:39:08,764 --> 00:39:10,513 The bridge was swarmed with people, 729 00:39:10,557 --> 00:39:13,683 and it was probably the biggest load the bridge has ever seen. 730 00:39:15,645 --> 00:39:19,189 Shatner: As sudden winds cause the bridge to sway, 731 00:39:19,232 --> 00:39:23,109 the pedestrians begin to panic, fearing the span will collapse. 732 00:39:23,195 --> 00:39:25,320 Their fears are heightened by the fact 733 00:39:25,364 --> 00:39:28,573 that a similar leon moisseiff-designed bridge 734 00:39:28,617 --> 00:39:33,244 collapsed in tacoma, washington nearly 50 years earlier. 735 00:39:33,288 --> 00:39:35,914 Moisseiff's ambition was to make bridges 736 00:39:35,957 --> 00:39:39,709 higher, longer and lighter. 737 00:39:39,753 --> 00:39:42,253 But in the case of the tacoma bridge, 738 00:39:42,297 --> 00:39:44,464 he made it too aerodynamic. 739 00:39:44,508 --> 00:39:46,091 (wind blowing) 740 00:39:46,134 --> 00:39:49,719 so the bridge began to move with the winds, 741 00:39:49,763 --> 00:39:54,224 and it set up a process in which the, the bridge collapsed. 742 00:40:01,191 --> 00:40:03,316 Shatner: Fortunately, the golden gate bridge 743 00:40:03,402 --> 00:40:05,652 did not share the fate of the tacoma bridge, 744 00:40:05,737 --> 00:40:09,697 and the massive crowd escaped unscathed, 745 00:40:09,741 --> 00:40:11,783 although authorities no longer permit 746 00:40:11,827 --> 00:40:14,494 mass gatherings on the bridge. 747 00:40:14,579 --> 00:40:16,663 It was a rather frightening moment 748 00:40:16,748 --> 00:40:18,331 with what could have been 749 00:40:18,417 --> 00:40:21,418 the greatest civil engineering disaster 750 00:40:21,461 --> 00:40:24,379 in the history of the human race. 751 00:40:24,423 --> 00:40:28,007 Fortunately, retrofitting that had been recently accomplished 752 00:40:28,093 --> 00:40:31,052 enabled the bridge to go through that difficulty. 753 00:40:32,097 --> 00:40:34,264 Shatner: But if the tacoma bridge suffered 754 00:40:34,307 --> 00:40:37,434 a catastrophic collapse, what made the builders 755 00:40:37,477 --> 00:40:39,102 of the golden gate bridge think they could build 756 00:40:39,146 --> 00:40:41,521 an even longer and more ambitious bridge 757 00:40:41,606 --> 00:40:45,525 and yet not suffer a similar fate? 758 00:40:45,610 --> 00:40:48,486 Particularly when no one at the time 759 00:40:48,530 --> 00:40:54,868 had ever built a suspension bridge anywhere near its size? 760 00:40:54,911 --> 00:40:57,454 Moisseiff's key contribution was the towers. 761 00:40:57,497 --> 00:40:59,873 He took the towers higher and higher 762 00:40:59,958 --> 00:41:02,417 than previously anybody thought could be done. 763 00:41:02,461 --> 00:41:05,837 And that allowed the bridge to spin suspension cables 764 00:41:05,922 --> 00:41:07,922 over a greater distance, 765 00:41:07,966 --> 00:41:10,967 which allowed the golden gate strait to be spanned. 766 00:41:12,179 --> 00:41:14,512 When we look at the success of the golden gate bridge, 767 00:41:14,556 --> 00:41:17,223 the beauty of it suggests to us 768 00:41:17,267 --> 00:41:19,642 the whole sort of mystery of the cosmos, 769 00:41:19,686 --> 00:41:22,687 or creation, of time, 770 00:41:22,731 --> 00:41:25,231 of human enterprise, human ingenuity, 771 00:41:25,317 --> 00:41:27,317 and, really, engineering as a pursuit 772 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:29,652 of human beings across time. 773 00:41:32,157 --> 00:41:35,408 It's hard to look at america's monuments 774 00:41:35,494 --> 00:41:37,702 and not feel a sense of wonder. 775 00:41:37,746 --> 00:41:40,830 They serve to remind us that while they may last 776 00:41:40,874 --> 00:41:45,752 for centuries, we only serve as their temporary caretakers. 777 00:41:45,837 --> 00:41:48,421 And despite their groundbreaking engineering 778 00:41:48,507 --> 00:41:50,715 and fascinating histories, 779 00:41:50,759 --> 00:41:54,427 there is much about them that is a mystery. 780 00:41:54,471 --> 00:41:58,890 A mystery that guarantees that they will remain 781 00:41:58,934 --> 00:42:01,726 unexplained. 782 00:42:01,811 --> 00:42:06,273 Captioning provided by a+e networks