The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-31
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
Some Interesting Facts About the
Tall Shaft of White Marble,

From the Washington Star.
The distance at which the monument is
visible has always been a matter Of de-
batable interest with Washington people.
mot a train approaches the city, not a
boat speeds up or down the Potomac, but
carries a group of people anxious to see
at just what point they can last see the
white marble against the sky as they de-
part or first find 1t as they return
Probably the greatest distance at which
the monument is seen Is from the summit
OF the Blue Ridge at Smokers Gap, a dis
lance of about forty-three miles in an air
line. The elevation there is 1000 feet
above the Potomac The mountalneers
years ago, with their keen eyes trained to
long and sharp sight in the mountains, de-
tected the white spot cleaning on the ho-
rizon, and they can always quickly de-
termine its place on the horizon line. But
to city folks, however. the location Of the
white shaft Is not an easy matter Thous-
ands of Washington people every summer
invade that region as summer boarders,
to subsist on fresh milk and fried chicken,
and incidentally in their excursions up on
the mountain to get a sight of the monu-
ment. on clear days it is distinctly visi-
BILE, especially to those who are familiar
with its precise location But IL Is more
easily seen at sunset than at any other
hour, as the sharp reflection of the suns
rays brings out the white surface Of the
marble. The mountain people are only
too glad to point out the monument to
their visitors, and usually tell them the
secret by which they can themselves To-
cate 1t. This is by finding first on the
horizon line the slight elevation of con-
tour presented by Munsons hill Then,
slightly to the left, perhaps one degree,
l. NJ
monument was first seen from the Blue
Ridge is the mountain farm OF Mr.. Louis
p Shoemaker of this city, and the place
is called Monument View"
One OF the most singular stories that
may be told about the Washington monu-
nett is hardly credible, yet IT can be
vouched for as perfectly true There are
hundreds of ladies in Washington who
wear upon their hats the plumage or the
entire skin of bird which has lost it's
life flying against the tall mass of mar
BILE in the dimness of twilight or day
break. Every morning one of the watch
men who spends the night in the monu-
ment finds about it's base quite a number
of birds who have lost their lives in this
way. This mortality Is not limited to
any one speciess but includes nearly all
the birds known in this region. Strange
to say, few English sparrows lose their
lives by flying against the monument but
the DedullIul BOlueH IlncneS, Ceuaf DiTuS
starlings, tanagers, grosbeaks and many
others of bright plumage and great rarity
have been found The Waterman takes
these birds up town to a taxidermis, who
stuffs and mounts the rarer specimens,
which are sold for a good round price to
collectors, and the skins of those less rare
are prepared for the milliner Hardly a
morning comes that there are less than a
score of dead birds about the base Of the
shaft.
Another queer thing to know about the
monument is that its hight and width
vary. 1t is taller in summer than in win
ter, and in the latter season its width
on the south side Is about an inch great
er than on the north, east or west side.
This is due to expansion under the heat
of the SUMS rays. This phenomenon was
determined by Capt. Greene during the
erection of the shaft. Plumb lines were
hung at each corner Of the marble wall,
and the plumb "bobs'' or plummets were
suspended in pots OF glycerine and mo-
lasses. Across the top of each pot was
laid finely graduated steel bar, and three
times a day an army engineer took off,
the registration thus made of the expen-
sion OF the walls 1t was held THAT. tho
plummets moved precisely with the points
at which the plumb lines were attached
to the top Of the shaft, and the glycerine
held them firmly without vibration or os-
cilIation, so that the officer could note any
cnangs of position. All these registra-
lions, twice a day every day of the year,
were recorded in a book during the seven
years that were occupied in finishing the
monument.