Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-01-02
ETTLINcER's MANY CLIMBS.
In Ten Years He Would Have Been
213 Miles Above the Earth.

To those who love to dabble and
delve in figures and statistics some
facts in connection with the life of
Sebastian B. Ettlinger, the keeper of
the Washington monument, Washing
ton, who was found asphyxiated in his
Office recently, may prove interesting,
although a plain, ordinary mind will
probably be appalled, by the array of
numbers and turn to something less
exhausting in sheer bewilderment and
WEAKNESS.
Everybody doubtless read the &C
count of Mr.. Ettlinger's death, but
how any paused to think what the
past 10 years of his life meant to him
in certain directions. and what de-
mands they made upon his endurance
and vitality.
Mr.. Ettlinger was appointed Gus
todian of the great pile to the men,
DRY Of the father of his country in
April, 1891. Among his many duties
was the lighting each morning of the
winding stai rway by which the top of
the monument is reached. Thus each
day he assembled at least once to the
gallery beneath the statue, and in do,
ing so mounted 22S steps.
The monument being closed on Sun
day, he made the ascent six times a
week. or 312 times year, a total of
1920 times during his 10 years in
cumbency. The base of the monu-
ment is "a feet high, and the Doric
column measures 164 feet. so that each
time Mr.. Ettlinger made the ascent he
attained an altitude of 1873 feet.
Now, let it be supposed that instead
of returning to the ground each day
Mr.. Ettlinger had kept on ascending
twice 1873 feet each day, allowance be-
ing made for the descent as well. In
a week of six days he would have
climbed 2,256 feet; in a month of four
weeks he would have reached an alti-
tude of 9,024 feet; in year of So
weeks he could have looked down up
on the city from an elevation of
1852 feet, or about 81 1-3 miles, and
in the 10 years he would have been
above the earth 1.16S.120 feet, or
somewhat over 213 miles, height at
tanned only by the adventurous travel
ers who had themselves inclosed in a
huge shell and fired up to the moon.
Again, to reach the summit of the
monument Mr.. Ettlingar climbed 22S
steps and descended as many each
day. total of 2.736 steps a week. or
142,272 steps a year. or in the 10
years of his incumbency, the oppres-
sive grand total of 1.422,720 steps.
Mr.. Ettlinger weighed about It's
pounds. Each time he assembled a
step he lifted that weight with the
muscles of his legs. Now, suppose
that the energy expended in climbing
these 1.422,720 steps be accumulated;
the result would be lifting power OF
24S $4,000 pounds. sufficient to raise
from their foundations "a monuments
the size and weight of the Washington
monument.
j. ii. Dinwiddie, manager of con-
struction company. estimates the
weight of the Washington monu-
ment at $500 tons. or 100000 pounds.
There are 10 gas jets which light
the winding stairway of the monu-
ment, one at each turn of the steps.
These were lighted by Mr.. Ettlinger
each morning. In other words, in a
year of 3l2 working days he lighted
1920 gas jets, and in 10 years, 81 200
gas jets.
Those whose relish for figures have
in the numerous ascents and descents,
the energy expended in displacing
the atmosphere as Mr.. Ettlinger went
up or down, the force of the will
power exerted in making the trips,
and the effect upon the stairs of tread.
ing always in the same spot. These
suggestions will keep an arithmetician
out of misehiefyby reason of idleness
at least for time, and they NAV in.
dicate other inquiries.