Posted on: Friday, December 17, 2004

State seals to get safety check

Associated Press

The huge, bronze state seals hanging in the state Capitol will get safety checks this weekend.

The two seals, each 15 feet in diameter and weighing 7,500 pounds, are suspended by chains 60 feet above the entrances to the Capitol.

State engineers will put up scaffolding this weekend to climb up and check the structural integrity of the chains. Ralph Morita, of the Department of Accounting and General Services planning division, said there has been some concern following recent high winds whipping through the open parts of the building.

DAGS director Russ Saito said the chains will be checked to see if any of the links are weakening. State workers also will look at the bolts that anchor the seals.

Saito recalled that a lower chain link on one of the seals broke more than a decade ago.