The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-30
TEE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.

The Passenger Elevator Soon To BE Com
pIeted-vanSallsm OF Sight-Seers.
Special to Courier-Journal.
The passenger elevator Of the Washington
monument is IN position, and will be completed
and ia readiness TO carry passengers to the Ave
hundred-foot level, when Congrass shall anthor-
ize such use to be made Of it. 1t will be some
time yet before the monument is entirely COM
plst@d, for it il necessary to improve the pres
sent somewhat unsiektly surroundings by form
ing mound about the oase whish will sfford q
gradual, thongh irregular, ascent to the floor OF
the monuman1. This work cannot be COM
meaeeS for msnth yet, as it contemplates the
filing Of Babeock lake. and this is not TO be done
until after the fSsh are all removed. Preliminary
steps are being taken, however, and nearly all
the frame buildings surrounding the monument,
wkich were sold the other day, are now being re-
moved All the remaining hosting apparatus.
tools, materials ETC., we're also disposed of
at the sale, SO that there may be
clear field for entering at once upon the pro-
posed work when the proper time arrives In
tho meantime the monument is still open to the
public, who are still permitted to work their
passage to the top afoot and they will probably
be accorded this privilege until Congress makes
some provision for running the elevator for their
convenience. There is a Waterman at the mon
ument day and night Three men compose the
regular watch force, and each one is on duty
eight consecutive hours In addition, man, as
stated is stationed at the five-hundredfoot level
during the day, when visitors are admitted.
Notwithstanding all the precautions that are
taken. the monument has not escaped the van
oalism Of the sightseer. Names have been scrib-
bled on the walls and the memorial stones have
been smoked by candles held too close and have
been ruthlessly Clipped by relc-hunters
Since the 1st of April. whep the iron stairway
that ascends the shaft was completed and
visitors admitted, TO- 800 passes have been issued
TO applicants. OF these only 200 were not used.
and therefore did not find their way back to the
monument Office showing that visitors very gen.
orally availed themselves of the opportunity to
make a close inspection of the monument, even
If they die not tramp to the 500foot level. The
ascent of the monument is quite an undertaking,
anc many visitors who have gone to the trouble
20 Secure passes are content to examine it from
the ground, after glance up the dark shaft
brings realization of the task before them 1t
takes generally about an hour for persons who
are not in a hurry to make the round trip. This
glTes twenty or twenty-five minutes for the
ascent, ample time to enjoy the magnificent
view from the windows at the Recommendations
the pasts seven months the monument
has been visited by people of every
nationality When strangers come to
Washington they feel that they have not
done the proper thing until they have assembled
the highest structure in the world The more
difficult the task, or the more obstacles in their
way, the more anxious they are to accomplish
il: so that very few go away without viewing
Washington from the monument windows. The
residents Of Washington who have made the
ascent are comparatively few. In almost
every instance where they have made it they
accompanied some friends on q visit Upon in
curry it was learned that of the 10000 and odd
applications for passes not one has made an
adyerse criticism upon the structure In nearly
.ayery instance they have had something to say
ahofs IL and haVa laan unauinn0uS N nraiSin o
its simplicity. grace and grandeur just as it
stands - s4s8.aL.ssf