Federal Government to Bury 900-Pound Time Capsule for 250 Years on July 4
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 2
Federal Government to Bury 900-Pound Time Capsule for 250 Years on July 4
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 2
Summary
July 4 will bring the burial of a 900-pound federal time capsule at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, holding objects and records from all 50 states and six territories until 2276.
NIST engineered the capsule to endure 250 years underground, sealing it in a cylinder topped by a 1,100-pound bell jar and placing it at least eight feet below ground.
State and territorial submissions range from Maine’s message etched on whalebone to Arizona’s copper ingot, shells and necklaces from the Northern Mariana Islands, and fabric from the Wright brothers’ original flight.
The project is part of the U.S. semiquincentennial effort, turning the nation’s 250th birthday into a curated record for Americans expected to open it a quarter-millennium from now.