National Republican., 1883-07-17
THE BIG MONUMENT.
The Baltimore Quarryman the Only Bidder for
the Marble Contract
How the Structure Looks Whom Viewed
from the Upper End.

Yesterday at noon bids were opened at the |
Office of Col. Casey for furnishing 1900 cubic |
feet of white marble for the Washington |.
monument. There was but one bidder, Hugh |
Ssson, 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 furnish the stone |
for 81 20 per cubic foot. The failure of this !
company to fill the contract nocessitatod the |
reimbursement.
A visit to the monument grounds yesterday |
showed everything quiet except u few stone
cutters nj work. How long do you think |
before you will resume work?' asked the |
reporter of Supt. Mclaughlin.
"The Lord only knows" was tho reply. |
1--WE calculated TO do vt 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 n shaft 44O
feet high
"'The bids were opened to-day, and wont
you soon he able 10 resume"
:" hope so. Thorc was never any delay
when Mr.. Sisson was furnishing tho stone.
You see we 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 tho work without any delay. Had there
been that much ahead last spring we would
still be working Have you ever been on top
OF tho monument?'
Tho reporter confessed that he had not, and
in response to tho invitation of the superin-
tcudcnt to make the ascent, both were soon
seated in the elevator, which Just fits into
the iron framework to which the stairway is
attached. The laborers employed at the
monument are alone permitted TO use this
stairway and it is hardly likely that visitors
would care to make the exertion of climbing
40 fppt of stoirw!ly
How long does it take the men to go up
the stairsY'
About fifteen minutes. They get used to
1t aud don't seem to mind it,"
That which is most noticeable in the
ascent is the difference in tho work
manship of the old portion of the
monument and that which has been
more recently built. In the former the
stones are irrogula- in form, and seem to
have been laid haphaHard but with plenty of
mortar Some OF the stones given by the
different states were noticed, particularly
those sent by Delaware and Maine. In the
new portion the blocks are symmctrcally cut,
are uniform in size, and are carefully laid.
During portion of the ascent it is as dark
as Ercbus, but as the top is ueared 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 n 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 sucn is not the
fact, for the area of the top at the present al
titude is about forty feet square, and the
effect in look ing down Is about the same as
from any high building. True the hot
houses in the agricultural grounds look about
three inches from the ground, and the tower
of the bureau of engraving and printing
house; but then things don't look so small as
one would imagine. The real effect of the
height Is experienced when you look off and
see the foot hills Of the Blue Ridge noun
tains, Sugar Loaf mountain, Alexandria, and
farther down the river, ,l,.
docs the wind ever interfere with work
ing up here?" asked the reporter.
NO, we have never been Obliged to suspend
work on account of tho wind. Sometimes
when heavy gust comes suddenly up, the
men viii wait for awhile, but no real incon-
veniencc has over been experienced"
81 wonder what effect cyclone would have
,upon the monument"
Probably not any. The weight is too
great. You must remember this structure
weighs now about 10000 tons, and there are
several more thousand tons to add to it yet"
" / should think this would be Il good place
to watch storms as they are coming up; you
could see them so long before they reached
here"
Yes, you can see storm long ways off,
but then we never pay any special attention
to them"
as there ever any vibration of the monu-
ment felt during high wind?"
"Not particle. The foundation is too
solid There are twenty-five feet of concrete
foundation, and there is not much chance for
vibration"
Has there been much settlemcnt?"
From the time we commenced to under
pin the old foundation, which was about
eight feet deep, there has been settlement
of about three inches; but the most of this
was while we were deepening the founda'
ton"
1.-THE workmen have no fear up heroW
Lord bless you, no. We only use eleven
men up here. however. That's all we cal
comfortably work"
"How many stonecutters do you employ p
well, We have shed room for i2J, ana have
had that number"
How thick are tho walls at this pointW
"A little over live feet
AS the elevator reached the bottom and the
superintendent and reporter stepped OF, tht
former remarked, That's the last trip thC
elevator will make until we commence work
again"