The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-10-08
UP TIE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
Tie Elevator Man Tells or People Who
arc Terrified in Ascending.

WASHINGTON, September 22.-Ed-
ward Wayson is the man who has con-
Quoted the Washington Monument
elevator from the first day work was
resumed upon it until its completion.
With his many loads of visitors Wayson
has had variety of experiences, and had
opportunities of seeing different phases
of human nature. In answer to a ques-
ton by reporter for the Evening Star of
this city he said:
'The majority of my passengers have
been ladies, and what impressed me most
was that they showded less timidity in
making the ascent than men. You
wouldn't think that. It's fact though.
Of course as soon as passenger showed
fear the elevator was at once lowered to
the bottom. Those were the orders.
But, as I said, we have had to return
oftener for men than for ladies. One day
when I had Congressman Reid of Maine
as a passenger he said he thought he
would rather 60 back. he had seen all
of the top of the monument that he
wanted to. The elevator vas open. you
know, and the well was very dark, max.
ing it rather uncomfortable for person
with unsteady nerves.
"No one ever tried to jump off," con-
tinued Mr.. Wayson, although one man
did step off at one end of the pIatiormsjust
for fun. I waited for him at the top and,
and when he arrived, putting and blow.
ing, he had to get right aboard and be
taken back. You see we couldn't allow
anything of that kind. If nothing had
been done or said about it, he would
have told his friends about his expert
ence, and pretty soon everybody would
be trying it.
"There were busy times at the monu-
ment about Washington's birthday and
Inauguration times" continued Mr..
Wayson. eve couldn't handle the Wis.
itors at all. They would swarm through
the door by hundreds and all want to go
up at once. One time they pushed me
off the elevator, clear to the other side of
the we'll, and crowded so that those who
were next to the elevator were unable to
raise their feet to take the one step nee.
essary to get on the elevator. 1 told
them could not possibly start until they
cleared the place, and then I was able to
take up a proper load. Another time,
when they crowded so, I walked up to
the first landing and from there started
the elevator. Men and women were
crowded on it like sardines in a box. It
only ascended few feet before those on
the outside realized their position and
dropped of. 1t was very comical to see
them jump. Of course | only raised
little way. When tie crowd had suhi-
ciently thinned I started 1t again, and
when it reached me I got aboard and
took them to the top all right.
Zone day when 1 was coming down,
an empty barrel fell from the top land.
ing. I heard the cry from above, and
knew that something was coming.
directed my passengers to crowd into the
middle, where the elevator was most pro-
tected from above, and when the barrel
struck the top nobody said word.
There were several ladies aboard, but
they didn't seem a bit frightened. 1t
another time, when the elevator was at
the top and the men were unloading a
stone, a crowbar was twisted from the
hands of the man who was using it and
dropped down the we'll. We gave the
signal, and when the bar reached bottom
there was nobody there to catch it. 1t
went down like a shot, and plummet
could not have swung straighter. 1t
went clear through the platform at the
base and made a hole about six inches
deep in the asphalt at the foundation.
Once an iron sleeve weighing 70 or so
pounds fell while the elevator was at the
top. The cry Of warning cleared out
those at the bottom of the we'll, and it
struck on board upon which some pas
sengers had been standing only few
moments before. Only two men were
hurt during the entire time that the
monument was being built. I don't be-
lieve there was ever structure built
calling for such dangerous work with
such an uninteresting chapter of acci-
dents. Everybody connected with the
work knew just how things were being
done and what care was being taken by
those in charge, and that if orders were
obeyed everything would be all right.
have run the elevator when the keystone
was suspended directly over me. Had
it fallen it would have been the end of
me and the monument too"