Evening star., 1923-06-03
fThe Washington Monu-
ment

The Washington Monument is ad-
mittedly the greatest piece of ma
sonry in the world. 1t is a colossal
obelisk of mammoth proportions. ma
jestic in its simplicity, the loftiest
memorial in the world and the most
imposing and costly monument that
had ever been erected to man at that
time. 1t is massive shaft of pure
white marble and granite, capped by
an aluminium pyramid, its tapering
design reaching skyward over 555
feet. The entire height has been
made ten times its breadth. A plumb
line suspended from the top of the
monument inside shows less than
-eighths of an inch detection.
Gen. Washington personally selected
this site and more beautiful one
could not have been procured. The
terrace on which the monument
stands is surrounded by forty-one
acres, this tract of land having been
designed on LEnfant's plans of the
city of Washington as the site of the
proposed equestrian statue to Wash
ington which was ordered by the Con-
tinental Congress in 1888 and selected
by Washington himself for monu-
ment to the American revolution.
The foundations of the monument
which bear weight of Sl.12 tons
are constructed of solid blue rock.
Each block is 146 inches square and
36 feet inches deep. The base of
the shaft is So feet square, the lower
walls are 10 feet thick, while the
depth of the foundation below the floor
is 81 feet. The inside walls of the
first fifteen feet from the base is all
of blue granite; from there to the
roof the inside walls are of granite
corresponding to that one the outside.
The monument, solid as 1t is, cannot
resist the heat of the summer sun
without a slight bending of the
gigantic shaft. This is evidenced by
means of copper wire 174 feet long
hanging in the center of the struc-
ture carrying a plummet suspended
in a vessel of water. In summer the
apex of the Monument. 555 feet above
the ground. is shifted by expansion
of the stone d few hundred thou
sandths of an inch toward the north.
High winds cause susceptible motions
of the plummet and in still weather
delicate vibrations of the crust of
the earth are registered by it.
Lightning struck the monument
during an electrical storm July l3.
1899. The fluid followed the conduct
ing columns in the interior of the
shaft down to the fifty-foot landing,
where IL left the northwest column
and struck the floor plates in the
rear of the elevator and exploded,
thence down into the engine room,
where the only damage done was the
burning out of the magnetic coil of
the telephone. Each time the monu-
ment has been struck by lightning
the fluid has left the columns about
the same place. In 1900 man who
was standing on the lower floor of
the monument and leaning against
one of the iron columns received a
heavy shock of electricity, but was
not seriously injured.
The corner stone of the monument
was laid July 4. 1S4s. When the shaft
reached the height of $50 feet the
funds gave out. The civil war turned
public attention elsewhere. but dur
ing the centennial year, 1875. a wave
of patriotism developed which in
duced Congress to undertake to finish
the shaft.
In 1878 work was resumed and the
mammoth column was completed De-
cember 6, 1884. The total cost of the
monument was $1.1S7.710.31. The de-
sign was made by Robert Mills.
A staircase of 900 steps winds its
way to the top. Few people walk up.
but many descend that way. 1t takes
the elevator seven minutes for the
ascend. There is a wonderful view
from the observatory floor at the top.
No fees are accepted. The elevator
makes the first trip at . am. and the
last at pm. daily; Sundays and holi-
days, from to pm.