Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26
District Had First Skyscraper

swoop down. To be dangling hundreds
OF feet above chAsm with only rope
to prevent fall to the bottom Is
enough to appall any imagination. Al
though the darkness Is hlackness in
conceivable. and the intense silence
| broken only by the sroaning OF the
great mass feeling its way painfully
upward. yet the irightf,il abyss appears
to become Of itself both audible and
between heaven and earth Is like hang
ing between life and death. Even the
elevator man gives UP hts heroic efforts
to keep up the courage Of the party.
IF anything could repay one for the
horrors Of the ascent Il would be the
view after reaching the top. Even the
most hardened sightseer must be en-
thusiaStic at the great panorama spread
out before him. The vast Treasury
Building looks like Liiliputian house,
y - -
0TT>HE buildings appear massed to-
sether. not in little squares. but
In long rectansles. This Is due TO the
fact that the broad avenues and streets
radiating from the Monument are vis-
IDLE for their entire length while the
thorouehfares running at right angles
are hid behind the houses Sixteenth
street. reaching from Lafayette Square
out to the standpipe above the Boundary:
Is particularly noticeable. The iuii
grandeur of the Capitol Is then for the
first time realized. When 1t is remem-
bercd that the Capitol Is Of almost the
identical dimensions Of the Great Pyra-
mid, and Of ST. Peters. being perhaps
a few feet longer than either. tt may
seem that II has nothing 70 lose by
looking at II from any point OF ele-
walton.
Everything else grows minute from
the top Of the Monument. except the
white splendor Of the Capitol, 1t seems
to be q mountain instead Of q hill, and
amid the diminishing Of every other
object, the great white dome stands
out erandiy. 30 high that 1t locks as
though poised In air, II Is queer SEN
sation 70 look over the top OF the ood-
dess to the ridge which forms the
watershed Of Chesapeake Bay. The
latter Is not visible. nor can baltimore
be- seen.
"A look At the elevator and q
proposition 10 descend Ia enough to kill
any enthusiasm. however But 1t Is by
comparison with the ascent simply de-
nghtful. To the simultaneous and
earnest assurances made to the elevator
man that nobody In the party would
ever do 80 any more, he ssrdonically re-
piled, All Of EN- says that"
The Washington Monument, As
originally planned by the early Mcnu-
ment Society, Of which Chief Justice
John Marshall was the president, called
for 4 shaft 900 feet high, This was
not carried into effect because OF lack
Of money and the fears that the founda-
ton would not be strong enough 10
endure the tremendous weight,
The present shaft Il 500 feet a.s
inches high. upon which rests the cap
stone, II Il estimated that the shaft
would come 70 4 point At \ height Of
two and two-thirda L. present altitude
that In. the Monument would be CON-
siderably more than 1000 feet tall II II
had been allowed 10 run 10 point
a. waa at one time planned
Now resting upon the top u 4 cap
ot pure aluminium, the first To Do cast
IN America 30 unusual was this metal
that 4 fashionable jewelers. shop ON
Pennsylvania avenue displayed this
aluminium cup for many weeks IN It's
window, and visitors from far ana near
came 70 aase upon 1t, This bit III white
metal Il now and then yisihle when the
! rays Of the sun strtke fun Oh Its aides,
making Of the tip Of the shaft 4
dAAslina bright spot, AsiAtars have
| frequently mentioned this reflection ~
having the hrilliAney al 4 spotlight II
has now come "a be one Of the principal
sighta pointed out or observed by thNae
who take the sightseeing trip by air
over the National CAPITAL