The Washington times., 1901-07-13

|
For the first time in five years Gen.
John NJ. Wilson, formerly Chief of En-
| gfneers, United States Army, retired. who
installed the first passenger elevator in
the Washington Monument. yesterday
| morning ascended the big marble shaft in
the new electrical elevator which Col
| Theodore Bingham, his successor as Su-
perintendent of Public Buildings and
| Grounds has Just had placed therein.
Accompanied by Col. Joseph Sewell,
| who has charge Of the construction OF
the new Government Printing Office, and
| by several newspaper men. Colonel Bins-
| ham made the first test Of the new ele-
vator with human beings yesterday.
/ Heretofore. for period of two weeks
bags of sand have been used in the ele-
vator car for the purpose of ascertlining
its perfect safety. Every care was taken
to discover any possible weakness or flaw
| in the machinery, but none was detected
! The test was accomplished without
| hitch of any sort. The big elevator, ca
| pable of carrying thirty-fve persons at a
! uniform rate of speed of 100 feet min
! ute for the 500 feet to the top of the huge
m 3rble shaft, giided up and down the
! oi I'd tracks upon which 1t runs with
! barely perceptible motion. 1t obeyed the
| delicate touch of the hand of the operator
/ as a spirited thoroughbred obeys the
grasp on the bride. 1t is one of the most
delicate pieces of lifting machinery in the
! world.
| With the exception of the lift in the
Eiffel Tower at Paris the new elevator is
| the largest in the world. 1t ascends TO
higher altitude than any single pull ele-
vator i'm either this country or Europe and
| has been installed in the shaft at cost
| of about $4,000
The members of yesterdays party were
given a course of instruction on elevators
in general and that in the Washington
| Monument in particular. At IL o'clock
| the operator closed the door of the hand
! somely polished cage and the first officlal
| trip of the new elevator was made. The
| lever, wheels, and buttons which control
| the car were in charge of James d.
| Evans. who has been elevator man at
! the Monument for many years. he Is the
only operator ever in charge of the Mon
ument elevators, having had charge OF
the first one.
AS the operator touched a turn button
| tie ponderous machine started on Its trip
! TO the top of the shaft without jar or a
| gcrape. The motion was easy and pleas
ant the entire distance. There was none
| of the usual dizzy sensation commonly
! experienced on elevators, and but Tor the
! fact that the various memorial stones,
/ placed on the interior of the shaft by the
/ different States in honor Of George Wash
! ington. were noted in passing, the fact
| that the car was in motion would hardly
! have been known. passenger could
| shut his eyes and be in ignorance of any
sensation of motion. Even the most timid
person would not dislike the motion OF
the new elevator.
! The trip to the top was made in few:
| seconds under five minutes. This was at
the rate of 100 feet per minute, the to-
tai distance is just 500 feet. This speed
| will be maintained on all the regular
trips Should the speed of the elevator,
through some accident attain the rate Of
130 feet per minute. the cage will stop
| automatically, and the car cannot go
either forward or backward until the
electric current is restored.
| So c-0se has this matter of speed been
gsuged that the car cannot naturally go
more than 103 feet per minute. The opera
tor in the car is in telephone communi-
| cation with the electricians in the base
ment, and should the car be stopped by
| any one of the automatic safety arrange
| ments. it cannot move again until the
electricians downstairs have been tele-
! phoned TO and asked to make the neces-
| sary electrical connections.
There is absolutely no h1own way in
which an accident can occur. Explana-
ton was made of the various appliances
which provide for the stoppage of the
heavy car In case of irregularity in the
operation of the machinery, the arrange
ments covering every conceivable possi-
bility. The ponderous jaws which lock
10 the tracks upon which the cage moves
are operated by powerful spring. which
gives the first shock or impetus to the
brake when 1t is desired to stop the car,
or whenever il is brought to a standstill
by any one Of the many automatic devices.
Each successive motion Of the car there
after operates upon a strong iron rod
beneath the car, causing 1t to revolve
and TO more securely lock the great iron
jaws.
The operator has the elevator complete
ly under his control at every point. He
can stop the heavy vehicle by means OF
a button, a wheel, or a lever. The ele-
vator is the most simply operated and at
the same time is the most complete in
every detail of any in the world.
A short stop was n,<de at the top Of
the Monument yesterday morning, while
the construction made necess ry there by
the change in the elevator system was
| explained. At each of the four corners
combinations of the iron shafts which
traverse the entire structure from the
bottom to the top. hay- been put In.
They support the machinery just above
the elevator in the very centre of the
building, Immediately under the capstone
General Wilson examined the work with
the critical eye Of an expert, and at the
conclusion Of the study he spoke very
highly Of the excellence of the work. II
was one OF tie finest pieces Of cOnstruc-
| tion he had ever seen, he said. and was
done with thorOughness and skill.
| New CONFERENCE.-The have been put in
above the elevator shaft proper. There
were none on the old elevator.
| a stop OF few minutes was made at
the top of the shaft. while "A view of
Washington and the surrounding country
was enjoyed. General wilson recalled
many incidents connected with the days
| of his management Of the Washington
Monument. Several years ago said he
lit was reported that lightning had
| struck the tip Of the Monument. Sc
we're storm had occurred, and the report
of damage was generally believed The
work necessary to send a repairer to the
outside top of the shaft is tremendous
and the expense enormous. ScaffOlding has
to 0e built outside from the windows.
finally thought Of the Observatory and
telcphoncd them to turn their largest
telescope on the top of the shaft and see
, if the lightning had done any damage
The Observatory did so. and reported that
the top of the Monument was in perfect
condition. On that occasion the Govern
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