The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-06-21

Following" il Il detailed description
of tie monument taken from the
Rand McNally Guide to Washington:
THE foundations are described as
constructed of mass of solid blue
rock 146 feet square.
"The base of shaft is - feet square
and the lower walls are 10 feet thick.
At the JOO-foOt elevation. where the
pyramid top begins, the walls are only
Is inches thick and about 30 feet
square. The inside of the walls, as
far as they were constructed before
the work was undertaken by the gov
eminent i'm 1S7S-1jO 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
Is of regular courses of granite, CORE
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 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.
"On the 9th day of December. 1884
the capstone, which completed the
shaft. was set. The caps: one Is five
feet pa inches In height, and its base
is somewhat more than three fee
square. At its cap, or peak. il is five
! inches In diameter. On the cap was
placed a tip or point of aluminium, 6
composition metal which resembles
polished silver. and which was select
ed because Of It's lightness and free
dom from oxidation end because 4
will always remain bright.
Staircase With 600 Steps.
"A staircase of 900 steps winds IT.
way to the top. around an interio
shaft of iron pillars. in which the ele
vatOr runs; few people walk up, bu
many descend that way, in order T.
examine more carefully the inscribe'
memorial blocks which are set into tn
interior wall at various places. With
In the shaft formed by the interiO
iron framework runs an elevator. mai
| I'm 4 hale hour on1 arrx
ing, If need be. thirty persons. A
this elevator and its ropes are of III
usual strength and were severely test
ed by use in elevatlng the stone re
quired for the upper courses as tn
structure progressed, its safety nee
not be suspected. The elevator
lighted by electricity and carries te
ephOne. Seven minutes are require
for the ascent of 500 feet: and one ca
see as he passes all the inscription
and carvings sufficiently well to salts
fy the curiosity of most persons, a
none of these memorials has any a
tistic excellence. An officer I'm charg
of the floor marshals visitors into tn
elevator and another cares for the oil
h servatory floor at the top; but no fee
are expected. The surrounding ground
form Washington park.
"The view from the eight small viii
dows, which open through the pyr;
midon, or sloping summit of the oh,
, lisk. SIT feet from the ground, il
cludes a circle Of level country ha,
ing a radius of from fifteen to twent
! miles. and southwest extends sti
farther. for In clear weather the Blu
Ridge is well defined in that direction
The Potomac Is in sight from up nea
Chain bridge down to far belo
Mount Vernon. and the whole distrit
lies unrolled like map. To climb III
Washington monument Is. therefor
an excellent method of beginning n
intelligent survey Of the capital an
Of getting ones bearing"