Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-09-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.

THE WASHINGTON MoNuMENT-ITs DIMEN-
sroNs, AND PROGRESS OF THE work OF
| EREcTfoN-TuE HIGHEST STRUCTURE IN
THE woBLD-wHAT A VIEW FROM ITS
Tor pIscLosEs.
| WARRINGTON, d. c., Sept. 10, 1882.
The white, tall, plain shaft Of the Warh-
ingtou Monument is foot by foot daily
rising skyward, and i,s completion, in due
course Of time, is now insured. II is all
ready a landmark visible from any part Of
Washington, and the inhabitants, after a
generation OF ridicule, are beginning to be
proud of it. The Monument will, when
completed, be 800 feet high, exclusive Of
the II. foot foundation. The shaft alone
will thus be nearly so feet higher than any
structure ever erected by man. The walls
o, this enormous column win be l5 feet
thick at the base and Is inches at the top.
The base will be 55 feet square, outside
measurement, and the apex "a feet. The
work Of erection, which stood still so long
that the incomplete shaft was perennial
joke on the'city, was resumed with energy
and vgor in October, 1878, the first action
being to strengthen the foundation, which
had shown signs OF weakness. AT first, it
was found necessary TO undo former work,
and three layers Of stone, each 2 feet thick,
were removed. This brought the column
to height of $50 feet, and then 1t COM
menced once more to grow. This was on
the 7th day of August, 1880, and since then
it has gone steadily upward, until it has ut
present attained the height OF about 300
feet. 1t now affords the finest view that
can be Obtained in the city, excelling even
the celebrated outlook from the dome of
the Capitol. Already, on clear day, can
the Blue Ridge Mountains he seen, fifty
miles to the west. When il shall stand
completed, with height nearly double its
present, the prospect will be grand.
As stood upon it's top few days ago /
was impressed more than ever before with
the elegance Of the design OF the city Of
Washington. Streets and parks seemed so
tasiefully arranged and 70 beautifully Or
nuueItSu tiiut ~ OCChlitu W mC thht tlC
old sarcastic title OF "City of Magnificent
Design" Here was one reservation, the
Mall, commencing at the Capitol and
stretching westward to the river and thence
northward 10 Executive Avenue, embrace
ing the Capitol, Botanical Gardens, Smith.
sonian Institution, Agricultural Depart
ment, and Washington Monument in the
east and west line, and toward the north
the Treasury Department, Executive Man
sion, and that very handsome new build
ing In which the State, War, and Navy
Departments are located. All of these
buildings are elegant, and all are in differ
ent styles of architecture; and they are
beautifully set off by the bright green foli-
age above which they rise. Other parks
scattered tastefully over the city make re-
freshing rests for the eye, and the many
shnde-trees form delicate green fringe
which softens the hard. mathematical lines
| OF the squares. Down the river the view
is open to Fort Washington, fourteen
miles, where the Potomac bends to cares
the shores of Mount Vernon. Alexanuria,
five miles down, stands out with great
| clearness. Directly to the west, on the
| Virginia shore, CLEAN the white pillars Of
| Arlington, the former home of General
Robert E. Lee, now the great National
| Cemetery. At onr feet are spread the Pis-
catorial Grounds, where experimental fish
| breeding is carried on by the Government.
| The little wooden buildings surrounded by
small white fences, and the three diminu i.
! tive lakes, appear 80 delicate and toy lik e
that one feels as though lie is looking
through an inverted opera. glass, or from
the brow OF some high mountain into the
valley beneath. wish could elaborate
more upon the beautiful view which is
obtainable from the top of the Monument,
and trust that any reader who may come
to Washington after the work is completed
W i'll not fail to enjoy it.
Apart from It's unique character as an
parchitectural wonder, modern science pro.
ose 4 TO utilize the monument for the pub
lie benefit. The Signal Office expects to
have permanent station at its summit,
and its officers say that observations of the
air and atmospheric movements taken Mt
AN altitude of $50 feet will be of great val
ne. Observations are taken. of course, al
lar greater attitudes than this, but the
gradual slope OF even the most precipitouf
mountains and the presence of large mas
ses OF rock near the observatory create sur.
face currents, even on mountain heights
and interfere with the study of the phen.
omena OF the higher levels OF the atmos-
phere. 1t has often been proposed TO in
stitnte series of experiments BY means OF
captive balloons, but the expense of such
work prevented the plans being carried
out. AT the time of the Centennial il was
proposed to erect skeleton tower to the
height of 900 feet in Fairmount Park
Had this been done the signal officer
would have utilized the observatory for
/ the benefit of meteorological science, but
the tower stopped at 300 feet The sigma
officers say it would not be impracticabl,
to build a tower 1000 feet high, or even
higher, and that the erection OF such n
tower would be of great service. The
original design of the monument contem
plated feiglt OF 500 feet, but at meet
ing of the Commissioners two years ago
when il was decided TO resume work. j
WAS voted to make the monument th,
lOftiest structure in the world. The Com
missibners examined the heights Of all th'
, noted monuments, towers, pagodas, spires
buildings, and flag poles, and found that L
safely distance all rivalry a height OF 55'
! feet would be necessary. II was therefor,
determined to complete the shaft on thi
plan, and the drawings were modified Il
that end. What was the surprise an
qualification OF the Commissioners 10 fin
Q subsequently that the new proportions q
: the shaft ms now adopted were exnctl
those OF an Egyptian obelisk. SPor.