The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-06-20

is q QetalleQ DESCRIPTION
Of the monument taken from the
Rand-McNally Guide to Washington:
"The foundations are described as
constructed of a mass Of solid blue
rock 146 feet square.
"The base Of shaft is So feet square
and the lower walls are Is feet thick.
At the 500-foot elevation, where the
pyramid top begins, the walls are only
18 inches thick and about 80 feet
square. The inside of the walls, az
far as they were constructed before
the work vas undertaken by the gov
eminent in 1S7S-150 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 of the roof the inside of the walls
spending with the courses of marble
on the outside. For the top marble is
entirely used. The work has been de-
clared the best piece of masonry in
the world. By a plumb line suspended
from the top of the monument inside
not three-eighths of an inch detection
has been noticed. The keystone that
binds the interior ribs of stone that
support the marble facing of the pyr-
amid cap Of the monument weighs
nearly five tons. 1t Is four feet six
inches high and three feet six inches,
square at the top.
ION the 9th day of December, 1884,
the capstone, which completed the
shaft, was set. The capstone is five
feet 21 inches in height, and it's base
Is somewhat more than three feet
square. At its cap, or peak, it Is five
inches in diameter. On the cap was
placed a tip or point Of aluminium, a
composition metal which resembles
polished silver, and which was select.
ed because Of its lightness and free
dom from oxidation and because 1t
will always remain bright.
Staircase With 600 Steps.
"a staircase of 900 steps winds its
way to the top, around an interior
shaft Of iron pillars, In which the ele-
vator runs; few people walk up, but
many descend that way, in order to
examine more carefully the inscribed
memorial blocks which are set into the
interior wall at various places. With
In the shaft formed by the interior
iron framework runs an elevator, max
ing a trip every half hour and carry
ing, If need be, thirty persons. AS
this elevator and its ropes are of un-
usual strength and were severely test
ed by use in elevating the stone re-
CURED for the upper courses as the
structure progressed, its safety need
not be suspected. The elevator Is
lighted by electricity and carries a tel
ephone. Seven minutes are required
for the ascent of 500 feet; and one can
see as he passes all the inscriptions
and carvings sufficiently well to salts
fly the curiosity of most persons, as
none of these memorials has any ar.
tistic excellence. An officer in charge
Of the floor marshals visitors into the
elevator and another cares for the OBJ
servatory floor at the top but no fees
are expected. The surrounding grounds
form Washington park.
'The view from the eight small win
dows, which open through the pyra-
midon, or sloping summit of the ODE
lisk, SIT feet from the ground, in
cludes a circle Of level country hav-
ing a radius of from fifteen to twenty
miles, and southwest extends still
farther, for in clear weather the Blue
Ridge is well defined in that direction.
The Potomac is in sight from up near
Chain bridge down to far below.
Mount Vernon, and the whole district
lies unrolled like a map. To climb the
Washington monument is, therefore,
an excellent method of beginning an
intelligent survey Of the capital and
of getting ones bearing"