Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-11-09
UP THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT


Ifone desires to sup full on horrors
in Washington, there is no way in which
success is so certain and SO speedy as
an ascent of the 315 feet of the unfn-
ished Washington Monument. Al
though no accident of any kind what.
ever has happened since the work was
begun, owing to the admirable precau.
tons that have been observed, the
mere contemplation OF the DANGERS to
be avoided would give General Wash
iugton himself, il he were alive, the
cold creeps. 1t must be remembered
that the monument Is already among
the highest structures IN the world,
while the transportation Of the gigan-
tic blocks of stone to the top Is some.
thing which has no parallel in this
country and has seldom been equaled
anywhere. Whether the ascent i. cal.
culatcd to inspire fear or not may bc
imagined from the reply made by one
of the highest officials in Washington
to the inquiry: Were you-were you
not just a little frightened going upE
Enlightened | was perfectly terri.
fled ~ was the hearty response given
with all the force of emphasis.
The ascent is made by the elevator,
which runs through the middle of the
great obel!sk. This elevator Is mere
open platform, which does not deserve
the name Of the alleyiator, as Mrs. Gen.
Giltloryiput it; it is rather the terriiier.
Every time it goes up it carries from
five to ten tons Of stone, and the only
way for visitors to get to the top is To-
huddle around the immense mas, OF
stone on the diabolicaI looking ma.
chine. The platform begins to move
slowly and laboriously upward. grind.
ing aud crcakiug at every inch from
the enormous weight it liits. In half
Il minute the light ofday totally dI,ap-
pears, and at that moment the horrors
Of the position suddenly swoop down
upon one To be dangling hundred,
OF feet above a chasm wth only rope
between fall to the bottom with TO-
900 pounds OF stone Is enough TO ap-
pal any Imagination. Although the
darkness Is blacknc-- inconcclvabie
and the intense silence broken only
by the groauing Of the great mass
feeling It's way painfully upward, yet
the irlghtiul abyss appears to become
of itself both audible aud visible. The
last 80 feet Of balancing between
heaven aud earth is like hanging be-
tween lite and death. Even the elc-
vator man gives up his heroic Efforts
10 keep up the courage OF the party.
At length light from the top begins
to appear, and in minute or t~u n
pallid party of pleasure seekers step
out on the platform at the top, nearly
four hundred feet in the air. There
is an enormous iron structure running
through the middle oS the obeli-k and
around this the stone j. blocked Six
feet are added every week inthroe tiers
oftwo foot blocks. The structure j.
thcrcupon raised. and the work OF
bringing it six feet above the level il
recommended. \ net work of rope j.
securely fixed around the top OF the
shaft. extending several feet of, to
catch any unfortunate man who might
drop over--thc workmcn are COMPEL
cd t. hc on the very edge IN order to
complete the outer layer of stone.
y young lady not long since, in q spirit
OF brayado, threw herself into this life
saving net. 4 weak spot in the rope
would have sent her nearly four hun-
bred feet to the earth. 4 coutriyancc
like the rigging OF II ship is on top of
the shaft, aud the wind howl- through
it with enormous force. When a tier
or two Is laid the workmon are protec.
ted in "a measure from the violence Of
the wind. but they, acknowledge that
when they are working on level j.; il
something 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-.
thusastic at the great panorama spread
out before HIM. The vast Treasury
building looks ike Lilliputian house.
The plan Of Washington becomes a.
well defined as a chccker.board. The
full grandeur of the Capitol is then for
the first time realized. When It is re-
membered that the Capitol is Of almost
the identical dimensions of the great
pyramid and oi II. Peters being per.
haps few feet longer than either. it
may seem that it has nothing to lose
by looking at it from any point Of ele-
yatiou. Everything else grows minute
from the top of the monument except
the white splendor of the Capitol. 1t
seems to be on n mountain instead of q
hill, aud amid the diminishing of every
other object the great white dome
stands grandly out, SO high that il
looks as though poised in air.
A look at the elevator and propo-