The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-13

The colonel shook his head ominously,
and intimsted that in that event 1t is not
likely the monument would ever have
reac he'd its present altitude.
elbow much did you increase the sur
face bearing of the foundation 2" was
asked.
"About three and half times" re.
piled the colonel. "The original founda-
tion covered an area of eighty feet square,
making 6,400 feet of bearing surface. It
is now 146j feet square at the bottom,
giving 81, 4821 feet of bearing"
Was there any DETECTION of the shaft
from perpendicular while the delicate
work OF underpinning was in progress ?"
"There was" answered the colonel.
Although but small surface was left
without support at any one time, never
exceeding an area Of eight by nine feet,
yet the excavation of even that small
space under the foundation would cause q
perceptible inclination of the shaft toward
the side under which it was. When this
was walled up tight and similar excava-
ton made on the other side, the shaft
would lean in that direction. And 80, by
careful working and Watching, we have
only an inapprecisble inclination of the
now almost finished column"
zone more question on this branch Of
the subject" said the scribe. " How much
more weight are you going to pile on 2"
"Only about six hundred tons," replied
the colonel. This is not much more than
the weight of one course of stone near the
bottom of the shaft, where, with every two
feet in height, about two hundred tons
were added to the weight of the column.
Although the outside of the monument
is of white marble, the inside of the walls,
as far as built before the government
took charge-about one hundred and fifty
feet in heights of rubble masonry
Potomac blue gneiss--not laid in courses.
ave will have to coat these walls" said
the colonel, looking around, with some
plastic material, and line it in courses to
make it correspond with the character of
the work above, which you will see as you
60 up"
"You will notice ALSO" he continued,
"that the iron framework of the stair.
ways and platforms is now covered with
board steps and floors. This wood will,
of course, be replaced by iron, and on
each platform we will have burning two
of those little incandescent electric burn.
ers - small glass globes--which will
brilliantly light the stairways for those
who will prefer to make the ascent of the
monument in that way" The elevator
had by this time reached the floors
massive metallic platform-bearing q
heavy freight of iron chains and tackle
from the rigging above, which tackle, said
Mr.. Mclaughlin, who came down with it
will have to be changed before it can be
used in the new stages of the work
"That elevator" said the Colonel, looking
at it admiringly, easily carries six tons
of stone to the top of the monument
After it carries up its last load of materis
we will have it nicely upholstered ant
fitted up as a passenger elevator"
The first break in the monotony of thu
upward journey was afforded by glimpse,
of the memorial stones from states, foreign
governments, corporations and individuals
set in the rubble stone masonry along thu
sides where the platforms are. Thes'
were dimly seen by the light of the small
. lamp on the elevator. 81 did not set thu
remaining memorial stones into the wall
after took charge of the work." said tn
colonel, "because to have done 80 would
, have materially weakened the cut ston'
masonry. There are ninety of them still
on hand, and 1 purpose inserting then
hereafter as slabs in the finished wallis"
"Here is where l took charge of tn
work." said the colonel, pointing to
!. break in the character of the inside work
8 which changed from rubble masonry h
! regular two-foot courses of granite, cor
: responding with the marble courses OF
the outside of the wall. The inside o
l the wall above this separating line slope,
r back for some distance before the perper
a dicular construction was resumed, maxim
2 larger space between the elevator an
q the walls. "This was DONE" explaine
the colonel, "to lessen the thickness @
;. the walls, and thus tighten the vast load @
i masonry on the foundation. 1t make
the work several thousand tons lighter
|. and leaves it strong enough to resist an
9 force it is likely to be subjected to-"
{ "What is the character of the film
/ between the granite and the marbl
n blocks ?" The colonel looked at M,
O Laughlin and smiled. "There is no sue
r thing as filing or backing on thes
q walls" he said. "The solid blocks {
t stone are all closely Joined. 1t is the be-
+ piece of masonry in the world, he enthl
e siastically added.
Y As the elevator continued to sscen
9 the scribe noticed that the hitherto III
o broken gray of the granite was no
d broken at regular intervals in each cours
IS by squares of white marble.
j. "Those," said the colonel, "sre marb
v headers, blocks which extend all the wa
n through the wall from the outside"
n How thick is the wall at this point I
d was asked.
# give feet" was the reply.
Nearer the top, where the walls had
n creased still more in thickness, the graz
q. lite disappeared altogether, all the marb
q blocks extending from the outside to IL
n inside of the walls. Soon the sunligl
10 from the top began to give the white /
IT terror golden hue, and the colone
N pointing, asked, Do you see that mark
N "a broad black line along the face of OF
k of the stones. "Thst is Just one hundrt
70 feet above the tsllest feather in the heat
N dress of the Goddess of Liberty on te
d of the Capitol DOME"
" just before the elevator came into IL
d broad sunlight the writer noticed the CO
d bels-three projecting from each sid
1t equidistant from each other and from Il
8, angles, the projection increasing viii
E. every foot of the ascent. "Those CO
ID bells" said the colonel, as the elevate
n stopped, will grow until they form IL
ID ribs on which the roof will rest, as ca