US | Washington Monument More Cracks Found in Washington Monument DC landmark to remain closed indefinitely By Rob Quinn Posted Aug 25, 2011 2:18 AM CDT Updated Aug 25, 2011 5:47 AM CDT Copied The top of the Washington Monument is seen in Washington, yesterday as it remains closed after Tuesday's earthquake. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) Further inspection has revealed even more cracks in the top portion of the Washington Monument, which was damaged by this week's 5.9 magnitude earthquake. Engineers discovered the cracks during a day-long inspection of the interior of the monument, AP reports. A 4-inch crack was discovered during an inspection of the exterior by helicopter soon after the quake, which also damaged the National Cathedral. The 555 foot-tall monument—the world's tallest stone structure—will remain closed to visitors indefinitely while engineers figure out how badly it has been damaged. Visitors at the site yesterday said they were relieved the monument survived the quake. "People may say the monument is broken like our political system,” one visitor tells the New York Times. “But the fact is, it’s still standing and so are we." Read These Next Updated list of free days at national parks is raising some eyebrows. An incredible hush-hush effort saw 55 cartel bosses brought to the US. South Africa's weekend arrived with a grim start. Sydney Sweeney wants to put that jeans controversy to rest. Report an error