Evening star., 1897-03-03
THE MON u M E MT
A Shaft Erected to the Memory of
Washington.
FACTS IN REGARD 10 IT'S BUILDING
Finally Completed by the Late
Gen. 7. L. Casey.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS

Probably one of the many attractions
| of the city will prove of greater interest to
/ the legion of visitors now III the city than
| the Washington monument. which looms
| UP conspicuously on the landscape a short
| distance south of the Treasury Department
| Although somewhat out of the beaten line
! of travel, it Is easily accessible and will
| well repay visit 1t is open to visitors
| every day except Sunday from am. to 6
| pm. in summer and until 5:3a p.m in WIN
| ter. with an hours intermission at noon
| TIE top IS reached in two ways-by an ele-
| Vasor and by winding stairway of 800
steps. The elevator Is within the shaft
| formed by the interior iron framework 1t
mas a carrying capacity Of thirty persons,
and usually makes a trip every half hour
but runs more frequently if occasion de-
mands. 1t carries telephone and the en-
tire passage is well lighted by electricity
me ropes and machinery are regularly in
specteu and are in perfect condition. 1t
takes the elevator about seven minutes to
make the trip up or down, while the as
cent by the stairway takes an hour, more
or less, according to the strength and apil-
lty of the pedestrian. The memorial stones
on the interior of the shaft contributed by
the various states and foreign govern
ments, form the principal decoration of the
Interior of the shaft They can b. easily
| inspected from the moving elevator car
Probably the best way to inspect the monu-
ment Is to go to the top by the elevator
| and descend by the stairway. This method
| of descent. however, is only possible to
| persons of sound health.
View From the Top.
| Opening out from the top of the .nonu-
| ment proper. at eleva ton of SIT feet
are eight small windows, two on each side
which afford a beautiful bird's-eye view
| of the capital city and it's picturesque en-
virons. The view includes a circle of roll
| ing country for radius of fifteen to twen-
ty miles in every direction, and even to a
greater distance when atmospheric condi-
uons are favorable. On clear days the
Blue Ridge mountains can be djmly dis
cerned in the far distance and the placid
Potomac can be followed py the eye for
| many miles in its tortuous course from the
Chain bridge above the city to Mt. Yer
| non, the resting place of Washington, about
| fifteen miles farther DOWN the river. AS
| for the national capital and its charming
suburbs, they are unrolled before the spec
| tator like a living map. Altogether the
view is unsurpassed, and is the best pos
sibe way of getting comprehensive
knowledge of the plan and DEVELOPMENT of
| what everybody admits to be the most
| beautiful city in the United States. Its
great attraction to visitors is clearly in
| dicated by the fact that nearly two million
| persons have visited the top since the shaft
| was opened to the public in 1SSS.
A popular movement for permanent ma
| tional memorial to Washington was initi-
ated in the closing years of the life of the
father of his country, and enabled him
| to indicate his own preference for the site
| now occupied by the monument. The orig
| inal intention, as expressed in congress
sional resolution, was for the erection of
| an equestrian statue. but the matter slum-
| bered until after the death of Washing
ton. when it was revived by the 2assage
by both houses of an act aDDroDriating
$130,oU0 for a maus oleum. Through some
| mistake, however, the bin overlooked,
and not having received the necessary Sig
natures of the presiding officer failed to
become a law. Subsequently associa-
ton was formed, with the President of the
United States at the head. for the purpose
of erecting an appropriate memorial TO
the hero Of the revolution and to retrieve
by popular subscription what was regard
ed a national disgrace. There
liberal response to the appeal issued by the
association, and a large sum of money was
subscI bed A simple monolith of marble
was designed. and the corner stone of the
existing noble structure was laid, with i'm
pressive ceremonies, on the lth of July.
1913 Tie work progressed slowly until
height Of 100 feet had been reached. when
the funds gave out and operations were
suspended for many years. Then the civil
war came on, ard the thoughts of the
people were directed into other channels.
ResuninE the Work.
The celebration of the centennial ami
versary in 1876 again turned patriotic at
tenton to the unfinished shaft, and in re-
sponse to popular demand Congress
II ade ample provision for the completion
of the monument. The original design, pre-
pared by Robert Mills. contemplated a
shaft of GOO feet in height. rising from a
colonnaded circular memorial hall. which
was to contain statues and paintings of
historic persons and scenes, while the
crypt beneath would serve as burial place
for those whom the people should especial
ly honor" This project WAS abandoned
however, in favor of the existing structure
and to Gen. Thomas l.. Casey, chief of en-
gineers of the army, lately deceased was
intrusted the work of completing the mon
ument. The prosecution of the work neces-
STATED the enlargement and strengthening
of the foundations, exceedingly delicate
and difficult piece of engineering which was
successfully accomplished, however, with
| most consummate skill The foundations
were constructed of a mass of solid blue
rock 146 feet square.
To quote from the official report of the
work: THE base of the shaft is fifty-fivc
feet square, and the lower walls are fifteen
feet thick. At the .00-feet elevation, where
the pyramidal top begins, the walls are only
eighteen inches thick and about thirty-five
feet square. The inside of the walls, as far
as they We're constructed before the work
was undertaken by the government in 1873
loo feet from the base-is of blue granite
not laid in courses From this point to
within a short distance of the beginning of
the top or roof the inside of the walls is of
regular courses of granite. corresponding
with the courses of marble on the outside
For the top marble is entirely used. The
marble blocks were cut or dressed in the
| most careful manner, and laid in courses
Of two feet by experienced and skillful
workmen. There is no .filling' or 'bacging'
between the granite and marble1blocks but
they are all closely joined, the work being
declared the best piece of masonry in the
World By plumb line suspended from
the top of the monument inside not three
elghths of an inch detection has been no.
tced The keystone that binds the
interior ribs of stone that support the mar
BILE facng of the pyramidal cap of the
monument weighs nearly five tons. II is
four feet six inches high and three feet
six inches square at the top. The capstone
is five feet two and one-half inches in
height, and its base is somewhat more than
three feet square. AT its cap. or peak it is
I! five in :hes in diameter. On the cap was
placed tip or point of aluminium. a COM
position metal which resembles polished
silver. and which was selected because of
its Ightness and freedom from oxidation,
and because it will always remain bright"
Some Interesting Facts.
Polite and intelligent watchmen are on
constant duty at the monument and they
will gladly impart Information in regard