John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) The Washington Monument – or at least its elevator – is starting to seriously challenge the laws of physics and the notion that what goes up must come down.
On Wednesday, for the third time in five days, the lift inside the obelisk broke down, forcing 84 visitors to use their feet and the stairs to get them back down to the ground.
A National Park Service spokesman says the latest problem involved a cable that broke loose from the bottom of the elevator, causing the car to stop between the 490 and 500 foot level of the 555-foot tall monument.
Earlier problems over the weekend were blamed on power problems, likely exacerbated by the searing heat. The structure was also closed for an entire week in July due to elevator issues.
Whatever the issue, the Park Service has already given up any thought of reopening the Monument on Thursday. It will remain closed all day for another round of repairs.
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