Engineers to rappel down Washington Monument

Structural engineers are preparing to rappel down the Washington Monument to check on damage caused by last month's earthquake.

Carol Johnson, a National Park Service spokeswoman, said Wednesday morning that a team was inside the monument and preparing to begin the work. The team of two women and two men will ascend and descend the monument simultaneously when they emerge from the interior of the monument. They will carry a digital camera, an iPad and a soft mallet for audio testing.

The inspection of the monument's exterior was delayed a day because of lightning. A team worked for hours Tuesday setting up equipment and creating a protective barrier around the monument's lightning rods. The engineers will be looking for cracks, chips and other damage caused by the 5.8-magnitude quake.