Evening star., 1884-07-26

were dimIy seen by the light of the small lamp
on the elevator.
| II did not set the remaining memorial stones
into the walls after took charge of the work,
said the cOlOneI. because to have done so would
| have materially weakened the cut stone mason
ry. There are ninety of them still on hand and
purpose inserting them hereafter as slabs in
the finished walls"
| Look there" he continued pointing. ''YOu
see that the platform there extends out to the
| elevator. That Is the case every fifty feet, SC
| that when the monument Is finished visitors
can get on or off the elevator at any stage of the
ascent or descent they may choose"
| Here is where took charge Of the work >
said the colonel. pointing to a break in the char.
acter Of the inside work which changed from
/ rubble masonry to regular two foot courses OF
/ granite corresponding with the marble courses
/ on the outside Of the wall. The inside of the
/ wall above this separating line sloped back for
some distance before the perpendicular Con-
/ stTUction was resumed, making q larger space
/ between the elevator and the walls. "This was
done, explained the colonel ito lessen the thick
ness of the walls. and thus tighten the vast load
oil masonry on the foundation. 1t makes the work
several thousand tons lighter. and leaves ii
strong enough to resist any torce 1t is likely to
be subjected to-
What is the character of the filing between
the grah!te and marble biocks?' queried THE
STAR man.
The colonel lookedat Mclaughlin and smiled.
There is no such thing as filling or back
ing on these walls he said "The solid blocks
of stone are all closely joined 1t is
THE BEST PIECE OF MASONRY IN THE WORLD, ~
he enthusiastically added
As the elevator continued to ascend the scribe
noticed that the hitherto unbroken gray of the
granite was now broken at regular intervals in
each course by squares of white marble
Those said the colonel, "are marble
headers, blocks which extend all the way
the hp
How thick is the wall at this point!" was
asked
Five feet" was the reply.
Nearer the top. where the walls had decreased
still more in thickness, the granite disappeared
altogether. all the marble blocks extending
from the outside to the inside of the walls
Soon the sunlight from the top began to give
the white interior golden hue and the colonel
pointing. asked: DO You see that mark?"
IHE STAR man, looking in the direction in
dicated. saw broad black line along the face
of one of the stones
LOOKING DOWN UPON THE GODDESS OF LIBERTY
How high is that?" asked the colonel, turn
ing to Mclaughlin.
THAT" replied the sturdy overseer." is lust
one hundred feet above the tallest feather in the
head dress of the Goddess of Liberty, on top of
the Capitol DOME"
Just before the elevator came into the broad
sunlight the writer noticed the corbes-three
projecting from each side, equidistant from each
other and from the angles, the projection in
creaslng with every foot OF the ascent.
Those cOrbels." said the colonel as the ele-
vator stopped. Twill grow until tney form the
ribs on which the roof Will rest as can better
explain TO you when You see the model below"
ON TOP.
The elevator stopped about 1856 feet above the
ground floor of the monument. The walls rose
just four feet higher than this.
Would You like to get on the wall ?" slyly
asked the colonel
The visitor took hasty look at his surround
lngs and at the top of the wall now only
twenty inches thick. and was about to decline
the offer; but seeing Mclaughlin carelessly
sauntering along the wall as if it was as wide as
Penn>y lyanla avenue; noticing. moreover q
quiZZcal look upon the faces of the workmen
who were watching him: finally, what is more
to the purpose, getting glimpse of the strong
netting around the top. he clambered to the top
Of the wall. The colonel. Observing perhaps. the
ullsteadnesS OF his guest who seemed rather
reluctant to assume a perpendicular position
kindly suggested that there was ladder further
along by which he might support himself 1t
looked TO be about twenty feet away though
perhaps not more than five feet off, and the now
erect newspaper man ScOrned the suggestion
and seized something nearer at hand to steady
himself-a rope dangling from somewhere above,
and for the first time Ventured to look about
him. -.
THE SCENE FROM THE TOP,
soon to be familiar one to the citizens of
Washington and visitors to the city, is truly
magnificent and no attempt at description
would come anywhere near to conveying true
idea of it. 1t is as novel as it is lovely The
city is spread out below you with it's beautiful
streets. avenues and parks clearly outlined. and
the grand public buildings and other prominent
structures Hwarfp1 fhpir m
they look like toy houses The agricultural
grounds, and further on the Smithsonian park
and grounds. backed by the Capitol. make, per-
haps the most striking near picture of this
grand panorama; but the view of the White
House. Treasury and State department build
lngs to the north. and the picturesque city of
GtorGetOWn TO the northwest. with the bold
architecture OF the college building. are hardly
less beautiful. while the winding river to the
west and south, and the amphitheater of hills to
the north and west OF the city are transformed
Ivy this view from mid air so as to be hardly re-
cOgniZable.
Look down to the ground below" said the
colonel.
The elevated scribe looked down through the
netting, and for the first time had realizing
sense of his dizzy altitude
Il am bow looking down from height of
nearly SEQ feet:" he family queried.
More than that. responded the colonel
The floor of the monument is on the pile of
stonework seventeen feet above the ground
The shaft is now 400 feet above that making 5O7
feet; and to that add your own height, and you
have IL exactly"
HOW A STONE ROOF WILL BE BUILT OVER THE
TAILEST MONUMENT IN THE WORLD
Engineers will appreciate the difficulty. here
tofore referred to. OF underpinnng a vast mass
Of masses Y .lilse ths; but. to the unintiated at
ierst tple ptstifi IN place of the last stones OF
the rtII9h.eS f99f ,Weuld seem to be a tougher
problem to- solve. Col Casey's solution OF it
, rlf loiBse asiar taihis inquistive companion by
tie ait pt n ~ 3obn model; but 1T is not such an
Ha5sT matter To impart the information thus con-
Seyed TO the reader. without the aid OF dia-
,iereyns. WititsneTAnturing upon technical de-
tats then. lit b,nay he briefly stated that the
framework ef'the derrick, so long familiar OBJ
ject on top OF the white shaft, will only be in
use few days longer, to put in place the last
five courses of stone necessary to bring the
work TO height Of 500 feet above the ground
floor, at which height the roof will be nut on
The laying of these remaining courses if the
work Is not delayed by bad weather or accident.
will occupy the workmen during this month and
part Of the next. Early in August however
the public is promised
A GRAND TRANSPORTATION SCENE
on top OF the monument. All of the frame
work will be cleared away and In its place q
lefty derrick will be erected composed of four
stout masts starting from the tops of the iron
columns near the angles and leaning toward
each other until they meet at the height of Is
feet above the top OF the monument Around
/ these masts. a little below their junction will
/ be circle of metal and around this CIRCLE tho