Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-02-07
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
The Most Prominent Object in the
District of COlumbia-.A Journal.
lists Impressions of the
Marble Column.
LSt. Louis Globe Democrat.

lists Impressions of the
Marble Column.
[St. Louis Globe Democrat
The most prominent object in the Dis
trlct of Columbia, from every point of
view, is the Washington Monument which
has gone skyward at a great rate since
Spring, and stands now as the ugliest thing
for money human hands could design
This exaggerated chimney of white marble,
rearing itself solitary on the banks of the
Potomac, yesterday attained a height of
416 feet, and when the work ceases for the
season at the end of this week. the last
course of stone will be 41O feet from the
ground. Since Congress took the unfin-
lshed shaft in hand and raised it by annual
appropriations to its present height the
monument has been steadily becoming an
object of greater interest to sight-seers.
and groups Of them visit it every day in
the year. The gaunt column of marble
does not convey any impression to the
mind but that of SURPRISING and unnec-
essary height. 1t teaches no lesson. it
expresses no symbol, and stands for moth
ing but SO much stone and marble and
careful workmanship virtually thrown into
the air. With neither beauty, nor utility
to recommend it, it fails to impress one
with any character or expression of its
own. The spire Of the Strasburg Cathe-
dral, to rival which in height seemed the
sole object of building this monument to
the proposed level, has certain majesty
and impressiveness to if. The airy spire
that bears the holy cross and the chime of
bells has some rational excuse for being,
and the great cathedral walls at its base
give balance and proportion to the soar
ing tower. If tho Washington Monument
were to be lighthouse, shot tower, a
| bell tower, or even a factory chimney, it
would appeal to one and impress one more
than it does now by emptiness and useless
ness.
While the work is in progress an eleva-
tor makes constant trips during the day,
carrying up the huge blocks of marble and
granite and the iron framework for the
stairway. The ambitious visitor reaches
the top Of the monument now by elevator,
although the iron stairway of 700 steps has
been built in as the stones were laid
When the monument reaches its intended
height of 500 feet there will be 912 steps to
climb to reach the top, and doubtless there
will be sight-seers rash enough to attempt
the feat. The ascent is not a pleasant
experience now, and one is shrouded in
black darkness for eight mortal minutes
while the elevator slowly creeps up the 406
feet to the top Entering at the base of
| the column through an arch in the marble
walls that are fifteen feet thick at that
point, only speck OF light shows at the
top of the long black shaft. Two hOcN>
of marble are run on the platform elevator,
and the visitors are then permitted to dis
pose themselves around them. There is
no railing to keep one from falling off this
platform, and in the darkness of the shaft
there is sense Of space about one that
makes foothold on the moving platform
seem very insecure. The bravest person
will become aware of his nerves on this
trip in the dark, and dizziness, faintness
and even a kind Of sea sickness beset some
of the adventurous.
GOING DOWN 4 NINE
in a cage or bucket is much more com
Portable proceeding, and the burst of day
light and the noise of the workmen's
chisels that reaches one when near the top
are tie most cheerful vision and music.
From that dizzy point, up above the
world SO high, the city and the surround
ing country are spread beneath one like
map, and one sees miles beyond the fur
tbest horizon commanded by all the other
lofty points of vantage about the District
The wall of the Blue Ridge Mountains
bars the western sky, and on the other side
are the rolling and wooded counties of
Virginia and Maryland and the winding
of the broad Potomac and its branches
The city lies like a toy world beneath one,
thick clusters of red brick houses broken
b.yt b. ctr oh Of Ii. RI
dotted with the white marble and granite
building belonging to the government
The improvements on the river front, as
seen from above, give an outline of the
great work projected, and the Ieclaiming
of these malarial flats is progressing rap
idly A sea wall stretches from the OBJ
servatory point almost TO the Arsenal
point and behind it the flats are being
filled in with the mud dredged from the |
river channel and brought from excava-
tions on the newly graded streets in the |
city. All of this reclaimed land is to be |
converted into a public park, and when |
laid out with trees and flower beds, drives |
and walks, will be the largest park in the |
city, and one of the most attractive pleas
ure grounds. The river park will double
the extent of the public reservation that
now lies between the White House and |
the river, and it is prOphesied that its
drives will be the fashionable resort for |
afternoon rides and the display of magnifi-
cence in future administrations.
On this little twenty-fOOt square plat
form on the top of the monument the /
workmen carry on the labors as nonchal-
antly as on the level.
HEAVY CHAINS AND PULLEYS
lift the stones from the trucks as they reach |
the top and swing them over to their places
on the wall, and the workmen have little
to do but mix the French lime and Port
land cement and spread it under where the
great blocks are to drop. The outer facing
of the monument walls is of pure white
marble from the queries at COcheysville,
Md, few miles out of Baltimore. The
alternate blocks of marble extend across
the width of the walls and show on the
inner side in a checker board pattern a
gainst the Cape Ann granite, of which the
inner walls are built. The mechanical pre-
cision and the exactness of the work are a
delight to the mathematical mind, and if
the monument has no aEistic value to
charm the eye, it sets the mind to work at
no end OF problems. The walls that are
fifteen feet thick at the base, taper in such
exact proportion that at the present height
of 4O6 feet they measure three feet and
few inches in width, and when they attain
the ultimate 555 feet the walls will be
barely two feet in thickness When work