Brookings County sentinel. (Brookings, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1890, 1882-11-16
TIE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.

TIE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
An Appalling Sensation PrOauced By
the Upward Ride Of 100 Feet
Ihronsh the shaft--Thc View From
tFrom the New York SUM-
If one feels desire to SUP full on
horrors in Washington, there is no way
in which success is so certain and go
speedy an an assent of the 375 feet of
the unfinished Washington Monument.
Although no accident Of any kind what
ever has happened since the work was
begun, owing to the admirable precau.
tions which have been observed, the
mere contemplation OF the dangers to be
avoided would give Gen. Washington
himself, if he were alive, the cold creeps.
II must be remembered that the monu-
ment is already among the highest struc-
lures in the world, while the transporta-
tion Of the gigantic blocks OF stone TO
the top is something which has no paral-
lei in this country and has seldom been
equaled anywhere. Whether the ascent
is calculated to inspire fear or not may
be imagined from the reply msde by one
of the highest officials in Washington to
the inquiry. "Were you--were you
not just little frightened going upT
Frightened / was perfectly terri
fiedf" was the hearty response given
with all the force of emphasis.
The ascent is mainly by the elevator,
which runs through the middle OF the
great obelisk. This elevator is mere
open platform, which does not deserve
the name of the alleviator, as Mrs. Gen.
Giltiory puts it; it Is rather the terrifer.
Every time it goes up it carries from five
to ten tons Of stone, and the only way
around the immense mass of stone on
the diabolical looking machine. The
platform begins to move slowly and
laboriously upward, grinding and creak-
ing at every inch from the heavy weight
it lifts. In half a minute the light OF
the day totally disappears, and at that
moment the horrors Of the position sud
denly swoop down upon one. To be
dangling hundreds Of feet above q
chasm, with only rope between fall
to the bottom with 10000 pounds Of
stone, is enough TO appal any magma
ton. Although the darkness is black
ness iuconceivable, and the intense
silence broken only by the groaning of
the great mass feeling its way painfully
upward, yet the frightful abyss appears
to become OF itself both audible and
visible. The last 150 feet Of balancing
between heaven and earth is hike hang
ing between life and death. Even the
elevator man gives up bis heroic efforts
to keep up the courage OF the party.
At length light from the top begins to
appear, and III a minute or two a pallid
party Of pleasure seekers step out Oh the
platform at the top, nearly 400 feet in
the air. There Is an enormous iron
structure running through the middle Of
the obelisk, and around this the stone Is
blocked. Six feet are added every wee
in the three tiers Of two foot blocks.
The structure is then six feet above the
temporary platform, which is thereupOn
raised, and the work Of bringing it six
feet above the level is recommended. \
| network Of rope is securely fixed sfOund
the top OF the staff, extending several
feet off, to catch any unfortunate man
who might drop oyer-the workmen are
compelled to I've on the very edge III
order to complete the outer layer Ct
stone. A young lady not long since, in
| a spirit Of brayado, threw herself into
this hfe-saving net. A weak spot in the
net would have sent her nearly 400 feet
| to the earth. A contIivance like the rig
ging of a ship, is on the top Of the shaft,
and the wind howls through it with
enormous force. When tier or two OF
stone is laid the workmen are protected,
In measure, from the violence Of the
Wind, but they acknowledge that when
they are working on a level it is some.
thing terrific.
If anything could repay one for the
| horrors of the ascent it would be the
view after reaching the top. Even the
most hardened sight-seer must be en-
thusiastic at the great panorama spread
out before him. The vast treasury
building looks like Lilliputian house.
defined AZ a ehecker-board. The full
grandeur of the capital is then for the
first time realized. When it is remem
bered that the capitol is Of almost the
identical dimensions of the great pyra.
mid and Of st. Peters, being perhaps q
few feet longer than either, it may seen
that it has nothing to lose 10y looking al
it from any point Of elevation. Every
thing else grows minute from the top ol
the monument, except the white splen'
dor OF the capitol. 1t seems to be on d
mountain instead Of a hill, and amid the
diminishing of every other object, the
great white dome stands proudly out, SC
high that 1t looks as though poised il
air.
A look at the elevator and a PROPOSE
ton to descend is enough TO kill any en-
thusias;n, however. But it is by com
parison with the ascent simply delight
full. There is no mountain of stone tC
make one fancy how it would feel to &c
to the bottom of the hideous hole Will
it To the simultaneous and earliest as
urancess made to the elevator man thai
nobody in the party would ever do sc
any more, he ssrdonically replied: "Al