Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-11-11
WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
The Passenger Elevator Soon to be Completed
Vandalism of Sight Seers.

The passenger elevator of the Wash
ington monument is in position, and will
be completed next month and
in readiness to carry passengers to
the five-hundred foot level when Con-
gress shall authorize such use to be made
of it. It will be some time yet before
the monument is entirely completed, for
it is necessary to improve the present
somewhat unsightly surroundings by
forming a mound about the base, which
will form a gradual, though irregular as
cent to the floor of the monument. This
work can not be commenced for a month
yet, as it cOntemplates the filling of Bah
cock lake, and this is not to be done I'M
til the fish are all removed. Preliminary
steps are being taken, however, and near
ly all the frame buildings surrounding
the monument, which were sold the other
day, are now being removed. All
the remaining hosting apparatus, tools,
materials, ETC., we're also disposed of at
the sale, so that their may be a clear field
for entering at once upon the proposed
work when the proper time arrives. In
the 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 the
privilege until congress makes some
provision for running the elevator for
their convenience. There is a Waterman
at the monument 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 observation-disclosures level
during the day, whea visitors are adj
mitted. Notwithstanding all the pre-
cautions that are taken, the monument
has not escaped the vandalism of the
sight-seer. Names have been scrubbed
on the walls, and the memorial stones
have been smoked by candles held too
close and have been ruthlessly Clipped by
relic-hunterS.
Since the 1st of April, when the iron
stairway that ascends the shaft was COM
pleted and visitors admitted, 10000 pass
es have been issued to applicants. Of
these only two hundred were not used,
and therefore did not find their way back
| to the monument Office showing that the
visitors very generally availed themselves
of the opportunity to make an inspection
of the monument even if they did not
travel to the five hundred foot level The
ascent of the monument is quite an I'M
dertaking, and many visitors who have
gone to the trouble to secure passes are
content to examine it from the ground,
after a glance up the dark shaft brings a
realization Of the task before them. It
takes generally about an hour for persons
who are not in hurry to make the round
| trip. This gives twenty or twenty-five
minutes for the ascent, ample time to
| enjoy the magnificent view from the win
dows at the 500 foot level, and twenty
minutes to descend. During the past
seven months the monument has
been visited by people of
almost 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 moro diff
cult the task or the more obstacles in
their way, the more anxious they are to
accomplish it, 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 visit.
Upon inquiry it was learned that of the
ten thousand odd applicants for passes
not one has made an adverse criticism
upon the structure. In nearly every in
stance they have had something to say
about 1t, and have been unanimous in
praising its simplicity, grace, and gran
deur just as it stands.