Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1883-01-04
Within Thy gracious lighta naked tree.
Work on The Washington Monu-
Hent.
Washington Cor. N Y Sun.

~
Hent.
Washington Cor. N Y San.
A cluster OF bees seemed to have
lit this morning on the summit of tae
2tall, plain, white shaft OF the Wash
ington Monument. These, to a clear
sr view, were seen to be busy human
laborers, who, after summer Of rest,
we're again at work placing tier on
tier Of marble on what is already ooe
of the tallest and what is to be the
sallest artificial elevation in the worlT.
To day the workmen were laying the
blocks which make the height 292
feet. The stones are each two feet
in perpendicular diameter and three
tiers can be laid each week. The
monument will, th refore, be raised
about foot higher every day for the
next two month";. The plan is to
build at least Fifty additional feet be-
s,Ee cold weather.
The work proceeds very quietly
and scientifically. The ldasons are
evidently skilled at Their craft. The
blocks are cut at the bass Of the col
-nmn, and carried to the summit in
strong elevator, which slides up and
down the. great dark funnel which
extends in one smooth abyss from the
almmit to the ground. The elevator
is worked by a steam.engine in an
adjacent building, and seems to be
provided with every appliance to in
aare safety. It is probably, even DOW,
the highest elevator in existence out
side of minin,y at:afts, and as it con-
aists3 of "a simple platform the trip is
not an agreeable one to a nervous
person. The winding staircase ls,
however, not an Improvement IN this
respect on the hoist. Not to speak
Of the fatigue OF mounting and de.
scendipg 500 steps, the stairs look
fragile if. they are not, and the
glimpses of light one catches in the
prevailing obscurity are-not reassur
ing, as they disclos, the fatal depths
;-A-~--h;.-h- -h~--e,aa-te- rreeiFi."se !
By false step.
The view from the sumait IS gu
perb. and the effect is heightened by
coming upon it suddenly. The alb
sence of any object to break the
height of the lookout also adds to the
impression. One seems suspended in
the clouds, while the capital, in all
it's beauty, lies far below him. The
elevation is already greater tban tie
highest point on the dome Of the
Capitol to which a visitor can ascend,
and the situation of the monumen; is
more favorable than that Of the Capi
tol for view of the city.
The masons are too busy to feast
sheir eyes with the scenery. They
are rolling the great blocks Of marble
into position. and fastening them se
curely ana properly with plumb line,
mallet and cement. 1t is exciting to
watch g laborer stand on the newly
placed block, and swinging tbs huge
wooden mallet over the edge Of the
precipice. pound the stone into its ex-
act position. Were it not for the net
ting, this step in the work would be
hazardous in the extreme, and ss II
is good nerves are necessary.
This horizontal netting is one OF
the important features of the work.
1t is made of strong rope, and is
stretched out from and surrounding
the sides OF the shaft 70 distance OF
nearly ten feet. To afford greater
security, it is bent slightly upwa,d
fror. the horizontal. go as TO throw
backward toward the stonewcrk any
weight falling upon its surface, TIE
net has already saved one life, ard
It's value ae the monument reaches
still more giddy heights than that
now attained will constantly increase
Apart from its chief usefulness in al
fording protection to the masons, it
helps them in their work by taking
away from them the sense of constant
danger and the necessity Of working
With cautious slowness. At times the
wind sweeps over the summit with
terrific force.
do you see .sst young man yon-
der?"' said the master mason, roint-
ingto. q laborer who stood pulling at
ropes few steps distant. He was
WORKING on the edge one windy day,
much as YOU see him now, when the
wind caught him right cf, his feet
and flung him over the brink of the
monument. He landed in the net.
held on, and so was saved"
THAT was a pretty close call,
said one Of the party Of visitors to
the young man. He was sitting on
the outer edge Of the landing, with
his legs hanging down over the esmoO'h
surface of the precip:ce. He smiled
pleasantly and nodded assent.
"What did you think Of" asked
another Of the party, "as you lost
your foothold and fell?"
We'll. said the quiet young man,
"I remembered that the netting was
under me. ! fell about aix feet be
fore / struck. You see, we don't
move up the net till We build a6ont
eight or ten feet Of wall. W hen