New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-08
ASCENDING the W4SGNGToY NoyGHEyT
From ne TAiab,Ug Dlspatch.

From, The FittGblTg Dispatch.
The Washington Monument Is now getting 10 be
.. bio th;ue As the superintendent said, II IS not
Opeu for exhibition, but "A good many people arc
visiting it daily, and such as are bold enough 10
mount the elevator with its load OF granite and
marble are permitted to 90 up, 81 that 10 does not
interfere wI;h the wOrkmen. Looking up lron the
foot OF the monument, these WOrkmen. over thIeo
hundred feet above appear like 80 many lies GA tho
ceiling OF Il rOOfn-nUt bigger nor more dlstlnct,
Threading a passage among the piles OF hnishcd
stone I mounted to the elevated railway that runs
into the door OF the monument. lie door fronts up
the wall eastward toward the CapltOl, am looks
like AN embTasure in the fifteen feet OF soHd
masonry The little railway truck runs directly on
the elevator. On 1t granite block sever ieet
four inches long, three iett SIX ana nan lhches
wide and TWO feet thick. BY the side OF tins truck
of stone | take my stand on the elevator, the man
pulls the small cable. and mp We 90. Ihefc IS
nothing behind 10 prevent stepping OIL ana ialIInS
from this open platform, and freeze on TO the side
of that great granite block and wonder how would
look at the bottom Of the 3OOioot shalt with sueh
a rock on top OF me. The elevator man calmly
reads yellow backed novel by the single ray OK
yellow light which strikes his corner OF the elevator
from above. This IS reassurlng know
shouldn't want to be found dead with yellow
backed novel in my hand, and feel that the ele-
vator man must be very confident there Is 10
light save that which comes in at the top ana look
ing upward the Oriice appears IKE the top 9I I.
huge chimney. The four walls OF TINS chimney LOOK
damn and gloomy. and they give back the trembling
motion of the elevator playing between lts lour
iron stems with painful dstlnctness. There are
four other IRON stems several feet away, Just out
from us the starcases Of iron are attached. no
broad stairs rise in tenfoot lghtson the north and
sodth sides of the shaft, the east aud west sides
being connecting platforms The stairs are seven
feet wide above the old work and only five below.
For the thickness of the walls was lessened from
where the new work began, the size OF the wall
being increased thereby from twenty-five feet
square to thirty-one feet five and a half inches.
This was because Ut twas found that the walls were
unnecessarily thick. From the new work to the top
these walls rise with sharp perpendcolarlty. The
space between the elevator and the iron staireases
il about three feet and the donhle set OF iron tubing
il grded very strongly together. the inner facing
of tho walls is of alternate blocks Of marble and
granite. In this facing on the east and west sides.
above the platforms landings, will bee placed the
varons designs and stones presented this
country by foreign Governments. Those now set in
the older portion OF the masonry wore built in with
the walls. As we approach the top have tho
curiosity TO peep over the edge lust once. After
that | am trlile nervous and wonder II We VIII
ever get up Tie elevator man Is still absorbed IN
his yellow backed literature. Perhaps he Is read
of the duel the abduction and will forget TO stop
when we get TO the top. From that moment u
seems q long time TO me. The elevator man. after
being twice asked, says il IS but a seven minutes
trip. To me- IL seems twenty and step ont on the
platform TO the masonry with feeling Of intense
relief.