Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-13
IN THE GREAT SHAFT.
The Impressive View from the Ton Of
the Washington Monument.


the Washington Monument.
| a VALUABLE ADDITION TO THE PROGRAM OF yIsr
TORS TO wAsHINGToN-A TRIP IN THE ELEvAToR-
LIGHTS AND sHADows-rEN MINUTES At THE TOP
The EFFECT OF SUN AND WIND UPON THE SHAFT
The program OF tourists who visit Washington
mas had an Important addition made to 1t durins
tne past week by the opening Of the Washington
monument TO the public. From the Monume nj
visitors can obtain a charming view OF the city
| and vicinity, which they can carry away In theil
memories as one Of their most precious souvenirs
Al the rate at which the visitors have been carried
70 the top since the opening on Tuesday last II
would seem that not only the visitors, but the
residents OF Washington have been seized with 9
desire TO see the city from aloft, the passengers
averaging from 400 to $50 day. The car has
made steady. regular trips up the shaft every hall
nour; beginning at O'Clock 10 the morning and
| O'Clock. tnp up, with the car loaded, occupies
about ten minutes. Ten minutes are spent at the
top 10 give the visitors chance TO look out OF the
| windows, and then those who wish TO go down are
/ taken back TO the lower regions, about nine
MN oeing occuPieG py Sas descent 9oss
| TO do so, but they must walt for the next down.
ward trip OF the car, since no visitors are allowed
| to ascend or descend by means OF the stairway.
! MANY DISAPPOINTED.
| Notwithstanding the fact that over thirty pas
| sengers can be carried by the elevator at once,
hundreds Of people have gone away from the
Monument disappointed at not being able to ascend
| the shaft. On wednesday the crowd was so great
that expectant Passengers stood for hours In the
| corridor and far out on the mound waiting to be
accommodated STAR reporter paid a visit to the
| shaft on Thursday morning and found the space
with shivering pilgrims half hidden in the DARK
ness. A moment later and the electric lights were
started, shining with soft brilliancy In zigzag
course up the shaft until the vision was shut on
by the towering walls Two red cables on the left
hand side OF the well were slipping silently down
were following them with eager anticipation.
against the lattice wors That protects
ting to descending shadow that cut on
| the electric lights one by one A moment
more, and the shadow could be distinguished as
the door Of the elevator silently and cautiously
crept back 10 terra nrma. The shiverers be-
hind the walls and in the corner eagerly crowded
the moor Of the elevator came in sight below one Of
the cross-beams, and then the car, with its load
OF passengers, stopped al the floor OF the Monu-
ment INSIDE faint succession or signs was heard,
and the door was thrown rafting back TO let the
relieved passengers get out, rather timldly, upon
tne temporary steps that have been put at the
door. In a minute the car was empty and in an
other nlled again, the most eager and the most
fortunate securing seats on the two benches that
run along the north and south sides OF the car, the
others standing In the CENTER
uP-UP-uP.
At last the word was given, the door was shut
with bang, and the conductor, with a glance
around the car, pulled the hand-cable downward
several times in succession. Tn ere was a slight
tremDle or snake as the car was lifted from the
noor, and then the heads Of the Waterman
and the Norman and the square doorway full Of
light seems to slip down, down, until they were
- ST.; IN car 0ssa ana sm0o.ny as
The eye, turnedonStinctively upward, winked at
the Immense vista. through which the strong,
stln red cables-twins they looked nke-spin
themselves up and over two great wheels in the
ROOF, 500 feet overhead The light from the 1ncan-
descent lamps filtered through the grated roof
and sides OF the car, giving spotted appearance
TO the Passengers On either side were the
rough, uneven courses oil the old masonry the
stones ragged and the seams zigzagging without
regard TO uniformity.
THE MEMORIAL STONES.
The eye had about tired Of the monotony of the
surroundings when some one exclaimed at the ap-
pearance OF the first OF the celebrated memorial
stones set In the walls This first series occurs
the 3O-foot level BY the way, everything in the
called the ground level ami every landing ia
known 0y the number OF feet Of its elevation. On
this 30-foot level are the stones OF Maine, Della
ware, Arkansas, and the National GrayS, Of WASH
ington. From this point TO the halfway level the
trip Is full OF interest," the attention being drawn
to alternate sides OF the car TO note the various
tablets and Inscriptions good plan TO follow Is
TO take one side going up and the other going
down, paying strict attention 10 each in its turn.
The level al 40 feet contains the stones from
Nashville, Tenn, Louisiana, Colorado. Alabama,
and the Columbia Typographical Society. Thence
the states and all Sorts OF societies ana military
companies are fntermingled- On the 6O-foot level
Is an old square tablet, so badly weather beaten
that 1t Is ilegible from the car On the next level
Is magnificent stone from Massachusetts, and one
from Connecticut. The latter is worn so on the
eIthand side that some OF the raised lettering Is
very indisunct, while that on the other side is
sharp and clear. The city OF WashingtOn's tribute
to her godfather Is a neighbor of the stones from
Virginia and Maryland on the SO-foot level ON the
2OO-loot level is one Of the handsomest collection
MnnnrnQnf no rahl af
Bremen IS a rich piece OF dark stone, highly pol
ished, standing out 2 Inches from the wall, with
on the surface. In the center OF the landing is
stone, IN relief, from Turkish temple. The rich
Oriental 0rnamentation Is In sharp contrast TO the
simplicity exhibited In the majority OF the stones
and attracts instant attention.
EVIDENCES OF VANDALISM.
To the right, under the Bremen stone, is a large
tablet from the Swiss Federation. This shows to a
greater extent than any other stone In the shaft
the vandalism OF visitors that finally forced the now
extinct Monument Commission to close the shaft to
the public. Five or six OF the large raised letters
on the stone have been bodily removed and the
tablet otherwise injured. In many Instances the
stones have been blackened permanently by the
close application OF candle flames This occurred
when every visitor was obliged TO carry with him
candle or lantern TO light the way up the steps
igan Is represented on the 2l0-foot Level by solid
block OF copper suitably inscribed, and ten feet
above Is the gem OF the collection, stone from
Nevada, bearing The name OF the state in letters
OF solid silver, set into the block, flush with the
surface. On this same level Is a stone from Salt
Lake City, with the characteristic beehive carved
on the front. These tablets extend to halfway I'D
the shaft The last ones are on the 24U-foot level
OF these the highest Is that FROM Wales, a hand
some olack stone, highly polished and bearing an
Inscription In the outlandlsn tongue Of the land OF
the Caruin Giant
THE NEW PORTION OF THE SHAFT
The car has long ago passed through the old
portion OF the shaft and Is running as smoothly
as at the start through the neat exact masonry of
the new work. The dark surface OF the granite Is
cneckered with white squares, the faces OF marble
DOCKS That extend enlirely through the wallis
acting as pono 70 the masonry. The corners OF
the smart In this new portion are neatly rounded
Instead O being square as below. AT every 90 feet
| from the floor 10 the roof there Is an elevator
landing, the floors OF levels being extended TO
meet the car, and guarded by high latticed gate
These occur on alternate sides, and, the car nav.
| Ing door In both the east and west Sides exit
from the car Is thus provided In either direction
AT AGO feet the smooth walls are brok u by he
projection OF twelve buttresses three ON each side
These are the rid stones which support the roor of
| the monument. Al the bottom they extend about
six inches, leaning out more <pd more as they 20
up, until at the top they project about feet The
middle ones on each side little In advance of
arcn for the support OF the capslOne. The light
from the incandescenI carbon Is by this time be-
ginning 10 be dlmJned by that from the outside
drifting down from the windows In the roof The
great wheels that nave been devOuring the cables
seem 70 be falling upon the Car, and suddenly the
rope, and the car comes 10 stop In the midst OF a
sheeL-ron cage. Tue air Is chilly, and the pas
sengers step tlmorously over the threshold they
button their oyercoats and turn up their collars.