Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-02-08


ming as smoothly as at the start
| through the neat, exact masonry OF the
new work. The dark surface OF the
granite is checkered with white
squares, the faces of marble blocks
that extend entirely through the walls
acting as bond to the masOnary. The
corners of the shaft in this portion are
neatly rounded instead of being square,
as below. AT every fifty feet from the
floor to the roof there is an elevator
landing, the floors of levels being ex-
tended to meet the car, and guarded by
high latticed gate. These occur on
alternate sides, and, the car having
door in both the east and west sides,
exit from the car is thus provided in
| either direction. At four hundred and
sixty feet the smooth walls are broken
by the projection of twelve buttresses,
three on each side. These are the rib
stones which support the roof OF She
monument At the bottom they extend
about six inches, leaning out more and
more as they go up, until at the top
| they project about five feet. The mid
die ones on each side are little in adj
vance of the others, narrowing more
| rapidly to form an arch for the sup
| port of the cap5tone The light from
| the incs ndescent carbon Is by this time
beginning to be dimmed by that from
the outside, drifting down from the
windows in the roof. The great wheels
that have been devouring the cables
seem to be falling upon the car, and
suddcaly the conductor gives a long
upward pull on the hand-rope and the
car comes to u stop in the midst OF a
sheet-iron cage. The air is chilly, and
as the passengers step timorously over
the threshold they button their over
coats and turn up their collars.
This upper landing is cold lonely
place, the abutting ribstones cutting it
up into angular spaces, and the bare
floors and shining white walls tending
to give 1t II lonesome air. On each side
two obong windows give views into
the atmosphere and down upon the
nattened earth. The world looks big
ger than one thought 1t to be; it
stretches away on every hand to a melt
ing blue horizon, family outlined, with
here and there hilltop intruding its
sharp point as if in claim of recogni-
ton as part OF the scene. On the
south side the Potomac reaches down
toward the sea; silent and steadfast,
Immediately beneath lie like a map the
fats OF the river front, with dredges at
! work here and there. A steamer is
crawling down stream Mt a slow pace
and the shipping thinly scattered along
the wharves is silent, as if ashamed Of
its scarcity.
From the west windows q magnid-
cent view is obtained of the Virginia
shore, with Arlington showing like a
yellow spot to mark the resting place
OF the soldier dead. The Potomac
drifts out Of sight around bend, and
then appears again for moment with
n flash. Tho haze that softens the
horizon makes it almost impossible to
discern the peak of Sugar Loaf, thir-
ty-eight miles away in the northwest
ern sky, but after moments search it
appears, the summit seemingly float
ing in tho atmosphere. The northern
view Is first mass of houses, dull red
ia tone, enlivened by patch of white
or light brown hero and there, with
certain streets shooting straight GU,
from beneath until their convergipg
lines lose themselves. Beyond the
houses are the heights, marred at in
tervals by great red patches OF exposed
earth, marking the course of the Aque-
duct tunnel. OF to the right, just be-
low the Soldiers Home, is large
patch, the walls and banks OF the new
reservoir, A country road some miles
out suddenly climbs n hill and shows
itself through tho trees, like a steady
column of yellow smoke.
The city proper is best seen from the
east From the base of the shaft to- the
Capitol, standing like Chinese wall
the mall stretches in a charming Sue
cession of groves, graceful pathways
and ornamental structures. The
Smithsonian Park is gorgeous. Here
aud there some more forward tree has
decled itself in gaudy array and flames
out in the midst of tho softer green anG
brown of its neighbors. The picture
is married, however, by u limo of smoke
and steam from the railroad cutting
across the middle of the park.
The spectators are awod, surprised,
chilled into silence, and they occasion
ally glance upward at the maze OF
stoao, in the roof, the converging
arches, and the seemingly light airy
mode of construction. and then shud
der slightly and hurry into the car
Some take of their hats and put theil
heads through the windows, eXclaim
ing at the dwarfed appearance of the
worl1men on the mound below, ant
then looking up toward the cap-stone
wondering ut the multitude of light
ning-rod points which cover each o
the four triaugles of the roof. Tn
aluminium tip looks like a dark spo
fringed with points. Then the heads
are withdrawn with sigh of relief.
At last the conductor shouts for al
to get on the ear who wish to go be
low, and the visitors huddle them
sell yes inside aud the down trip is be
I gun. In about nine minutes the pas
= sengers emerge from the shaft into the
} outside atmosphere and mentally con
, graduate themselves upon their goo(