The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-11-26
UP THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
A Fearful Elevator Ride of Almost
-Four Hundred Feet, aud n Grand
Wow 10 Paw for ~.

IL one feels desire to sup full ON horrors
iu washington there Is no way In which success Is
certain aud 20 speedy ls an ascent ct the aj' feet
TO accident ot any Kind whatever has happened since
tho work begun, owing TO tie admirable precautions
that have been observed, the nero contemplation VI
tho dangers to I've avoided would give Gen. Washing.
ton himself N hc Wcro alive, tie cold Crccps u
must be remembered that the monument is already
among the highest structures IN the world whllo the
transportation ot the gigantic blocks OF stone to the
top is something which has noparac In this country
and has seldom been equalcd anywhere. Whether
tho ascent Is calculated to Inspire fear or not may he
Imagined from tho reply made by one OF the highest
officials In Washington TO the Inquiry 'Wcre you
were YOU not inst little frightened going upY'
g. Frightened was perfectly terrified - was the
hearty RESPONSE given with all the force OF emphasis.
ThG ascent Is made by tho elevator which runs
through the middle ot the great obellsk Tie cloya-
tor is mere open platform, which does not deserve
tho name of the aoviator, rs Mrs Gen, Gilnoty puts
it 10 is rather the tcrrhor Every time 10 goes mp "
carries from 1--WE TO ten tons oi stone aud the only
way for visitors to got to- tho top Is tn huddle around
the Immense mass VI stone an tho Misunderstanding
machine. The platform begins To move slowly Htd
hpotiuuSly upward, grinding aud crcaking ut every
inch ttom the enormous weight II liits. In halt a
minute the light OF day totally disappears, and ut
that moment the horrors OF the position suddenly
ewonp down upon nc. To be dangling hundreds OF
feet above chasm with only rope between fan
te the bottom with TO- UoO pounds VI stone Is enough
to appal any Imagination. Although the darkness
s blacknesS nCoucciyahe and the intense silence is
broken only Ivy the grooming VI the great mass feel
Ing It's way painfully upward vet the ttiEhttul abyss
appears to become ot itself both audible and visible
The last so feet VI balancing between heaven aud
earth Is like hanging between life and death Even
the elevator man gives up his heroic efforts to keen
up the courage VI the party.
At length light from the ton begins to appear aud
In minute or two pald party NJ pleasurc-soekors
steps out the platform ut the top nearly 400 feet
In the air. There Is an enormous iron structure run
ming through the middle Of the Ohelisk aud around
this tho stone Is blocked. Six feet added every
week la three OF twofuU blocks The structure
Is then six feet above the temporary PLATFORM which
IS thereupun raised aud the work VI bringing 1t siN
| tect above the level Is recommended. 4 Network
Ut rope IS securely fixed around the top of the shaft
extending several feet OIL to catch any unfortunate
/ man who might drop over--the workmen are cOm'
PEELED to he Oh the very edge In order To complete h
outer layer OF stone. young lady not long since, II
spirit Of bIVado threw herself Into this fe saVni
/ not. weak spot In the ropn would have sent he
nearly 400 feet to the earth contriyance like tn
rigging NJ ship Is on top OF the shaft, and the wlni
howls through u with enormous force. When q tie
or two Of stone Is laid the workmen protected In
measure from the violence of the wind but they nc
knowledge that when they are working on level I
! Is something terrible
II anything could repay one Tor the horrors of tn
ascent II would be the Wow after reaching the top
Even the most hardened sightseer must he enthu
shstlc at the great panorama spread ont before him
The vast Treasury building looks like a Lillputia
house. The plan Ut Washington becomes as well dc
fined as q checker board. Tho fun grandeur OF III
Capitol is then for the first time realized. When 1t
remembered that the Capitol Is OF almost the denti
cal dimensions Of the great pyramid aud OF st
Peters, being perhaps Few feet longer than either
1t may seem that has nothing to lose by looking
1t from any point Of elevation Everything else grow
minute from the top ot the monument, except til
white splendor Of the Capitol It seems to be
mountain instead OF a hill, aud amid the diminish
lug ot every other object the great white dome stand
grnudly out high that II looks rs though poised Il
air.
Is enough to kill any enthusiasm, however. But
Is by comparison with the ascent simply delightful
There Is mountain Of stone to make one fancy hot
It would ieeltU go to the bottom of the hideous ho
with it. 10 the simultaneous aud earnest assurance
male to the elevator man that nobody in the part
would ever do So any more, he gatdonicaly replied
can of EN- says that !''--Cor. ". \. sun.