Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-08-23
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
How the Structure Looks When Viewed
From the Upper End.

How the Structure Looks When Viewed
From the Upper End.
National Republican,
Yesterday at noon bids were opened at the
office Of Colonel Casey for furnishing $4,000
cubic feet of white marble for the Washing
ton monument There was but one bidder,
Hugh Sisson of Baltimore, and his proposal
was $3.50 per cubic foot, which is the price
paid him up to the time the Lee Marble
Company of Massachusetts agreed to furn-
ish the stone for $1.29 per cubic foot. The
failure Of this company to fill the contract
necessitated the reimbursement.
A visit to the monument grounds yester-
day showed everything quiet except few
stone-cutters at work. How long will it be
before you can resume work." asked the
reporter of Superintendent Mclaughlin.
"The Lord only knows" was the reply.
"We calculated to do at least hundred feet
this season, but we have only done thirty.
Had the stone been regularly furnished we
would have had no delay, and would have
shown at the end of the season shaft 44O
feet high"
"The bids were opened to-day, won't you
soon be able to resume"
II hope So There was never any delay
when Mr.. Sisson was furnishing the stone.
You see he ought to have about thirty feet
cut ahead to begin on in the spring, and
then if the stone is regularly furnished we
can go on with the work without ny.delay.
Had there been that much ahead last
Spring, we would still be working. Have
you ever been on top Of the monument?"
The reporter confessed that he had not,
nd IN fha fofi ~ ho
perintendent to make the ascent, both were
soon seated in the elevator, which just fits
into the iron framework to which the stair
way is attached The laborers employed at
the monument are alone permitted to use
this stairway, and it is not likely that visi-
itors would care for the task of climbing $40
feet Of stairway.
How long does it usually take the men to
60 up the stairs?"
about fifteen minutes. They get used to
it and don't seem to mind it,"
That which is most noticeable in the as
cent is the difference in the workmanship OF
the old portion of the monument and that
which has been more recently built. In the
former the stones are irregular in form, and
seem to have been laid haphazard, but with
plenty of martar. Some of the stones given
by the different States were noticed, partic-
ularly those of Delaware and Maine. In
the new portions the blocks are symmetr-
cally cut, are uniform in size, and are care
fully cut. During portion OF the ascent it
is as dark as Erebus, but as the top is
neared the light of course increases until,
when the elevator stops, the visitor finds
himself at an altitude of $40 feet, and under
the full force of a July sun.
The feeling at the top of the monument is
very different from what one would imagine
who has never made the ascent. 1t is sup
posed that'one is Immediately impressed
with the vast height reached but such is
not the fact, for the area of the top at the
present altitude is about forty feet square,
and the effect in looking down is about the
same as from any high building. True, the
hot-hOuses at the agricultural grounds look
about three inches from the ground, and the
tower Of the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing seems about like a chimney of
two-story house but then, things don't look
as small as one would imagine. The real
effect of the height is experienced when you
look off and see the foothills of the Blue
Ridge Mountains, Sugar-Loaf Mountains,
Alexandria and further down the river.
Does the wind ever interfere with work
ing up here?" asked the reporter.
No; we have never been obliged to sus-
pend work on account of the wind. Some
times when heavy gust comes suddenly
up, the men will wait for while, but
no real inconvenience has ever been exper-
fenced"
II wonder what effect cyclone would
have upon the monuments
Probably not any. The weight is too
great. You must remember that this struc-
ture weighs now about 10000 tons, and there
are several more thousand tons to add to it
yet"
II should think this would be agood place
to watch storms as they are coming up; you
could see them such long time before they
reached here"
"Yes, you can see storm long way off,
to them"
rs there any vibration of the monument
felt during high wind?"
mot a particle. The foundation is too
solid. There are % feet of concrete founda-
ton and there is not much chance for vibra-
tion."
"Has there been much settlement ?"
From the time we commenced to under
pm tuO OIu louAuoGIOu, WlllCu was
eight feet deep, there has been a settlement
Of about two inches, but the most of this
was while we were deepening the founda-
ton"
'The workmen have no fear up here ?"
Lord bless you, no. We only use eleven
men up here, however. That is all we can
comfortably work"
about how many stone cutters do you
employ 2"
"Well, we have room for 12O and have had
hat number.
How thick are the walls at this point ?"
"a little over five feet"
AS the elevator reached the bottom and
he superintendent and reporter stepped off,
he former remarked
That's the last trip the elevator will make
Until we commence work again"
EnOugh's Enough.
Bill Nyel
Every million dollars man accumulate
.fter he has competency is weight upon
lis brain. He does not enjoy the money and
lobody else can. What does it profit man