The Evening critic., 1884-11-01
ON THE MONUMENT TOP
Colonel 0asey's Views and
Intentions.
OLD NORTH STATE.
A Bright Outlook for DR.. York
and Mr.. Blaine.
THE POLITICAL WORLD.
Interesting Views from Special
COrrespondent-Th Local Demo.
Gratis Uneasy-The school of House,
keeping Democratic betting.

Tho ascent OF the Washington Monument In.
creases In interest now that the shaft is ap.
preaching completion, and the work OF con-
etructing the pyramidal top possesses far
more interest as feat OF engineering and con.
structlon than any OF the previous work upon
the obelisk.
afternoon as the guest OF Colonel Casey, tho
engineer In charge,
Two large slabs OF marble OF peculiar shape
were rolled In on u truck and placed upon an
elevator, that consists simply OF platform
without a railing around II, and holstlng APP
paratus, of which tho two braided steel cables
were about all that was visible.
Stepping on to the platform elevator beside
tho blocks OF marble, the ascent began at once.
colonel Casey gave the comforting assurance
eight times the weight then imposed upon II.
The ascent Of the shaft consumed a little
more than nine minutes, about I'VE o. which
but for tho nickering light OF the lamp on tho
elevator which cast wierd and waverlng
shadows on the surrounding walls.
Tho skyward trip was impressive and Inter-
esting in many respects, but has already been
too often described.
From the dark and Irregular rubble ma
| eonry that lines the walls at the bottom, where
| they are fifteen feet in thickness, the ascent
| from platform to platform Afforded an oc-
casional view OF the handsome memorial
stones imbedded in tho walls. When the
height OF one hundred and fifty feet had been
reached the old masonry stopped, and the
thinner and finer walls were observed for the
rect OF the distance tapering 70 width OF but
eighteen inches at the top OF the shaft proper.
Al different points OF the Journey hoayenwsrd
the conductor OF the elevator casually re-
marked upon the altitude reached.
eve are now on q level with the goddess on
the domes."We have have, now ,i reached the
In the world" and other similar comments
| were made.
Il raarha1. md QnOthar m
/ brought the elevator to standstill, 800 feet
/ above the ground, and ut point where the
a sours Se ne top
| being completed, and the two large slabs of
marble was rolled or the elevator, caught by
boom and lowered carefully into their places.
The reporter climbed to the top OF the ma
sonry and then up the ladder to the eros
nest and then up the pole supporting the boom,
until he found himself clincing TO the tim
bers 565 feet above the ground, or ten feet
higher than tho topmost point to be reached
by the completed monument.
From this lofty perch the scene presented
| was sublime. The city clustering around the
foot OF the monument, Alexandria and the lit
| tie Maryland villages a little farther away,
| and then the tiers OF hills and mountains, the
| farthest visible peak probably sixty miles
away to the northwest.
The waters Of the chesapeake, although but
| twenty-five miles away, have never been seen
from tho monument, probably owing 70 the
Intervention OF hills on the horizon.
The day was rather cloudy, but the yellow
| light was favorable for seeing a long dlstancs
10 the east, and the workmen said the view In
| that direction was unusually lne.
| Looking down the river was perhaps the
next most attractive view, the wlndlngs for
many many miles being visible, while the
outlines OF the contemplated river park, the
| fats Improvement and channel dredging
formed an interesting picture from this com
man6ng was tbo by lacking a
| the monument, however, that the fullest APP
probation Of the aizzy height was attained
base were a striking reminder of the altitude.
| Descending again TO the level OF the masons an
attractive subject OF study was presented In
| the intricate problem OF constructing the cap
More than two hundred stones, varlously
shaped, grooved and bevelod, fitting together
| at many different angles on many dineront
principles, are necessary TO complete the thir-
teen courses that compose the top, and the
force OF eight or ten workmen ind each stone
lettered and numbered 80 as TO Indicate ex-
actly the position TO which 1t is to be assigned.
| There is no hitch to be feared now. The top
stone is complete and the problem about
placing It in position solved, so that wind and
temperature are the only things TO be feared.
| A very high wind would render the apparatus
for moving the stones into position tnopora'
tive, and freezing weather would render stone
there will not be enough hours OF light wind
and moderate temperature TO prevent the com
pletion OF the obelisk In time.
In the present course are the eight windows
two on each face, each eighteen inches high b.
| two feet wide.
l InebB Will DO tno only mohuS VI
| view when the top is completed.
After seeing four OF the stones placed II
position the descent was begun, and the OK
| perience OF the ascent repeated-the tmpres
sivenees OF the journey intensified, TO SOM
extent, by the reversed direction, and modi
ned, in some degree, by the feeling that 1t haS
. | been once safely passed through.
| During the downward passage Colonel Casey
chatted pleasantly about the vast and success
ful work under his charge.
a "The Monument will only be completed thi
season in the sense that house Is complete
when the roof is put on. There Will be roou
b for two years work.
eve must have a passenger elevator; mus
have tho memorial stones placed In positlo
go that they can be inspected from the stat
way galleries, and the entire Interior must
| plastered and made neat and attractive, Will
i' row OF electric lights at the levels OF tho ga
!. leries must be placed In rows from the top
b | the bottom"
. In response TO an inquiry as TO the stability
the monument, Colonel Casey said that It WI
:" built to stay; that Il was constructed TO resi-
q wind pressure that would dem0lish evel
o building IN the city, and the foundation
| would never give way.
The reporter inquired why the memorl
pile should not last forever under those ci
cumstances.
"Colonel Casey replied that there Is no stoI
that Will not decay in the course OF ages Tt
monument VIII contrast we'll with any m
sonry In tho world, and whom II yields II wi
be because OF the decaying and crumbling q
= ter centuries have elapsed. AS for as a m
=. sorry structure could possibly be, the mon
ment 10 permanent"