Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-13

green and brown OF its neighbour The picture II
marred, however, by line OF smoke and steal
from the railroad cutting across the middle OF the
park.
The spectators ara awed, surprised, chilled intt
silence, and they occasionally glance upward d
the maze Of stones In the roof. the convergfne
arches, and the seemingly light, airy mode OF con
he and 5sn sdds ana
their heads through the windows exclaiming o
| the dwarfed appearance OF the workmen on the
stone, wondering e At ' the mnittude Of lightning
rod points which cover each Of the four triangles
OF the roof. The aluminium tip looks IKE dark
Withdrawn with a sigh Of relief
THE RETURN TO EARTH.
At last the conductor shouts for ali to get on the
car who wish to 60 below, and the visitors huddle
themselves inside and the down trip IL begun. In
about nine minutes the passengers emerge from
the shaft into the outside atmosphere and men;
tally congratulate themselves upon their good
luck In safely returning to the earth Then, glanc.
Ing upward along the face OF the shaft, which
slightly and go away to boast that they have been
world.
THE RLKvAToR.
Is the elevator safer has been asked hundreds
OF times during the past week. This question Is
hard TO answer, for almost all elevators are q
matter OF some slight risk, even under the most
favorable circumstances. Yet It can be said with
Ia OF has
great shaft as far as human SIX III can 60. The ma
chlnery has stood the hardest tests for years
without break. The cables have been tested TO
q capacity Of over ten tons and the car and ma
chinery fitted with the best OF safety appliances
Under these conditions IL Is safe to say that the
than the great majority OF hosting machines the
immense length OF the shaft notwithstanding.
The drum OF elevator is located under the moor
traps In the iron flooring. 1t is great red iron
cylinder, six feet In diameter, and contains when
cable. which is wound around It In opposite direc-
tons from the center. The ends OF the cables are
secured TO the drum through holes In the surface,
nor attached TO tie starting and stopping ma
chinery operates BY stopping the car when 1t
drops TOO rapidly. on the car itself are two dogs
that catch on the corner columns at the northwest
ana soutnearst corners OF the elevator shaft
THE SHAFT MOVES
Great care Is taken to note the movements of the
shaft, Tor 1t does move. The law of contraction
and expansion OF material by heat and cold ope.
rates here as well as elsewhere. When the sun
stones on that side expand and throw the shaft
slightly 10 the west Then the sun goes around TO
the south and the apex Of the Monument makes a
creeps about the sky to its final setting In the
evening the gl1ttering point on top Of the Monu-
meht makes contra-movement around half q
ZION after the rays OF the sun have lost their
power. This movement has never been calculated
but IS undoubtedly very slight. The wind too
has an effect upon the structure. From the cen
Ter or gravity o. the shaft located ia feet and 10
inches from the floor, is q cross beam from which
Is SUSPENDED d fine steel wire, protected by gal
yanlzed iron tube about four Inches In diameter.
This hangs TO the floor at the northwest corner Of
the elevator Well At the bottom is .
plumb bob weighing twenty i've pounds,
suspended by means OF the wire, and
hanging In water. An iron cylinder protects tue
instrument from injury, and q little iron house
ABOUT Tour feet high keeps on the draughU.
Through the cylinder Is teiescopic eye-piece, in
one END OF which are two vertical wires about one
quarter OF an inch apart. When a candle is held
at an opening in the Side OF the box and the eye is
applied TO the outside end OF the tube, the plumb
line can be seen-a fine line between the vertical
MARKS ANY movement in the shaft Is recorded Dy
corresponding movement In the line. When the
structure Is ~ rest, and In It's normal position
the line hangs still, midway between the OTHERS
out wnen The shaft Is disturbed by the action OF
the wind 1t sways back and forth like the pendu-
lum OF clock, always coming 10 rest in the center
THIS Is observer every day, and II the custodian
should ever notice the une hanging still at any
point outside OF the TWO cross lines he will then
know that the Monument has been permanently
moved from Its level position. Until then, how
ever no one need be alarmed by the oscillations OF
the snaIt from the action OF the wind the inlu-
ence or the sun.