Evening star., 1934-08-08
VISITORS GUARDED
IN MONUMENT lob
Elaborate Safety PreCau-
tions Also Taken for
Workmen.

Elaborate safety precautions, both
for visitors to the Washington Monu-
ment and for workmen who VIII
clean and repair the shaft on a 555-
foot encircling sesffold, are being
taken by the Government and the
contractor as the job gets under way.
Alexander Hollie, Inc, of Cleveland,
the firm which will do the cleaning
and pointing work, will erect some
500 tons Of steel, totaling is carloads,
In the scaffolding. A warning sign
has been put up just outside the
Monument, reading, Danger. Fall
ing objects. No trespaSsing," To
safeguard visitors to the Monument,
which will remain open, covered
passageway to the entrance will be
built on the east side Steel beams
and heavy planks will protect this
passageway from heavy objects that
might fall from above. The passage
way will be II feet wide and 8 feet 6
inches high.
Fence Adds Safeguard.
AS an additional safeguard wire
fence has been erected around the
Monument to keep sightseers away
from the danger zone.
With an eye to protecting work.
men, the contractor will have safety
guards around the scaffolding to pre-
vent the employees from falling back
ward. Under the present set-up, a
man would fall no more than 19 feet.
because he then would reach a safety
platform. To minimize danger from
fire all lumber utilized on the job is
to be fireproof, being treated by a
patented process. Safety nets and
guard railings viii further protect the
workers.
Working levels will be at each 61a
feet, with permanent Scaffolding
levels every 100 feet. A steel ladder
will give access to the heights. On
the south side an exterior elevator
will speed the work.
VIII Not Touch Shaft.
AS a safeguard to the Monument
itself, Scaffolding will not rest on the
Monument at any point, officials ex-
planned. Heavy timbers will be placed
first on tne sidewalk that encircles
the MoMHnent The I beams will be
leveled on these and the scaffolding
will rest on the steel beams. A bridge
will be built over the guard house
on the west side with 24-inch heavy
/ beams to take the weight off this
exterior structure
The American Tubular Elevator Co.
of Pittsburgh, officials explained, has
rented the scaffolding to Alexander
Hollie, Inc. The scaffolding will be
wind-braced in every direction to re-
move the sway, both vertically and
horizontally.
The Holley firm superintendent is
Jim Engler, who has had extensive
experience in Scaffolding jobs and re-
calls that his firm erected 125-foot
scaffolding on the Archives Building
here. The firm likewise directed scaf-
folding around the Mellon Institute in
Pittsburgh.
Acts for Government.
The National Park Service has as
signed as the Governments repre-
sentative, William M Greig, associate
structural engineer. He recently fin
ished supervision of the scaffolding
work around the Lincoln Memorial,
while that was being cleaned. For
six years he was masonry conSultant
to the Arlington Memorial Bridge
Commission.
The first setback of Scaffolding will
be at the 25o-foot level. The next will
be at the 500-foot mark, again at the
middle of the pyramidion. and the
scsffolding will stop Immediately be-
low the cap.
The official date of the contract is
August 2. Under its terms the con-
tractor must have the Scaffolding
erected to the l50-foot level in 90
days and at that point the cleaning
and pointing must start and follow
the scaffolding up as it is erected.
In so days all the scaffolding must
encircle the shaft. Starting from the
l50-foot mark of the Scaffolding, l40
days after that all the cleaning and
pOintinp must be finished.