New-York tribune., 1885-09-19
GRANT MEMORIAL GROUNDS.
THEIR LIMITS AND CHARACTERIsTICs.


SUGGESTIONS TO THE PARK BOARD BY CALVERT
vAUX AND SAMUEL PARSONS, JR.
At the meeting of the Park Board yesterday
President Crimmins announced that the transfer
of appropriations for improvements at riverside
Park had been made, and superintendent PARSONS
and Calvert Vaux presented the following report
TO the Board defining the limits OF the grounds ior
General GRANTS monument:
In accordance with your request we have considered
the question of the proper boundaries Tor the Grant
memorial grounds ana recommeha ma na. Sne ~
Of what may be termed the formal arrangement o lho
Riverside Drive. and at the southern emu OF ~hat NAY
be called the terminal loop, as shown OH the accompany
ing map. 49,, ao o. ,ho Location,
OF the monument on Riverside PARK IS that oelng
burial spot II is not well placed IL pleasure ground
The territory recommend TO be taken has therefore
been selected with the desire TO meet TINS objection
fairly, but without sacrificing any OF the esseha re-
ouirements OF suitable site for this grand pubic non
iment BY the construction OF the rOat marked "A on
the plan 1t will be that the selected territory be,
from the Park TO be dedicated anew as memorial
ground and city tnorOughares lead directly TO H. the
idea OF isolation from the Park be emphasized to any
eytent that your department may consider expedcnt
1t is not our province TO indicate any plan ior me
treatment of this ground but 1t IL necessary 10 poht out
here that archway for the purpose OF furnishlngn
line OF protected transit for visitors on foot may be ar
take it's natural place in the design when found I" he
needed. and would furnish suitable approach from the
Park system OF walks, at the same time marklng pre-
csey intended line OF separation between tho pleas
ure grounds proper and the memorial grounds attached
TO the Grant monument The occupation OF this interior
site by architectural feature Of magnitude cannot be
said 70 interfere at al with the pnGc od e
tonably the exterior river views structure should
be erected here the space would doubtless les pe @
signed plantations OF trees and shrubs In connection
with tho monument this source OF effect would Do
brought into play to the fullest possible extent.
The position is manifestly commanding one, and we
feel certain III 4 within the boundaries recommended
site OF ample Dimensions for the permanent monument
may be prepared. The general plan OF the Riverside
Drive this turn ia for the most part quite REGULAR
and on n large SCALE but sudden break occurs Just at
this point one branch OF the Drys TAKE, M westerly
alters from Sro 'trSse eonse6uenp every ~t&a@e ppo4
tnDity to emphasize still further an already 1
strongly marked ysaton ion in the artistic m moive OF TIE &
close this report that your Department take advan-
tage OF the evidently undetermined state OF the grounds
in this vicinity and consider this important monument
proper keynote for such further improvements as
in your Judgment ought to be made In this neishooFhood
The report was referred for further consdera-
tOn.
Ex-senator Chaffee, the father-in-law of Ulysses
S. Grant jr.. 10 an interview that appeared IN The
World Yesterday, SAID that steps Will be taken
az soon rs Congress meets to remove the
body of General Grant to Washington
All that is necessary in his opinion is to obtain the
consent of Mrs. lGrant, and this he believes can
easily be done. He deprecates the idea OF building
monument IN New-York and says that the country
at large should subscribe money for such par
pose believing that if New-York wants q monu.
ment its citizens should pay for it,
Professor Greener, the secretary OF the Grant
UNE reporter The objection that the people OF the
country not in favor of building monument
i'm New-York TO General Grant is absurd. The
money that has already been subscribed has
come from many States. The Executive
Committee has sent ont about 10000 circulars TO
banks cergymen, business houses, judges mayors
and municipal officers, and there have been not
over ten answers received that cast any doubt
upon New-York as the proper burial place, or ex-
hibited any feeling in opposition to the movement.
There has been $4,000 raised in forty
five days, which is believed by the
committee to be good evidence of
the popularity of the movement"
How can the burial place be changed ~
"Jt was The wish of the Grant family at the time
when the burial place was selected that Riverside
Park should be his last resting-place. A deed was
made out for the plot aud presented by the city to
Mrs. Grant She accepted it without dissent and do
not believe that it will be easy matter to change
her mind All the arrangements were perfected then,
and that there will be any change do not believe.
Mayor Grace Ex-Governor Cornell aud other
members Of the Executive Committee who have
talked with Colonel Grant on the subject, all have
the opinion that he is perfectly satisfied with the
present burial-place, and that no such removal Of
the body as related by Senator Cbailec is contem-
plated"
no intimation from any of the Grant family that
they desired the body of General Grant removed
from its present resting place had he heard any
rumor of the KIND from any source