The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-02
THE TOMB OF A MILLIONAIRE.
The Stanford Mausoleum Will Eclipse
Those of Vanderbilt and Gould.
LII.

Those of Vanderbilt and Gould.
From the Pitts5,tr1 Press.
WASHINGTON, March 24-The architect
who planned the magnificent mausoleum of
Senator Stanford at San Francisco was in
Washington last week. de says that IT
will be the most elaborate repository for
the dead ever built in this country. The
beautiful mausoleum of Jay Gould at
Woodlawn, and the magnificent tomb of
the Vanderbilts at Huguenots, Staten
Island, will be eclipsed by this work of
monumental art
In style of architecture, the simple but
effective methods of the ancient Egyptians
will be followed. Massive, imperishable
granite Of light shade of gray, with an
interior lining of the fine% Italian marble,
Will he employed The item of expense has
not been considered, the designers being
given carte blanche as to cost, and directed
TO secure the best of material and work
manSh1p to be had The total outlay nee
essary to complete the tomb and prepare
the surroundings will reach 100000, and
may considerably exceed that amount.
The Item of transportation alone will be
large one, as the granite will all be ship
ped from Vermont and the marble from
Italy.
The site selected is a beautiful four-acre
plot in the Senator's grounds just outside
OF San Francisco. 1t already contains
handsome shrubbery, and occupies an alti-
tude commanding a magnificent view OF
the bay. A driveway sixty fee wide Will
be made, circling around a slight elevation,
on the brow of which will be the tomb.
The art CT the landscape gardener will be
employed to beautify the approaches and
render even more effective the vistas of the
park.
The structure will be in the form of
temple and will be twenty five feet square.
There will DO a double row of massive gran
lte columns supporting the roof of the
portlco at the front. On each side OF the
entrance will be a majestic sphinx carved
from single block of granite. Heavy
bronze gates close the entrance, and within
are solid doors of polished granite. The
roof and side are also of granite, and are
to be built in the most substantial man
ner The stone employed is the Barre
granite, from Barre, Vt. 1t has slight
blush gray tint which shows delicate cary
ing to advantage, a retains its color with
out change. Each block was cut the requis-
tie shape at the quarry, and marked to desig-
nate its position. They were then boxed to
prevent injury, and shipped to San Fran
cisco. All of the main portions of the struc
ture have been sent on, and work on the
excavations for the tomb has been COM
menced.
The carving of the sphinxes and the more
delicate portions of the stonework have been
done in this city under the direction of
MeSSrs. Caterson & Clark, the designers of
the tomb The two majestic sphinxes are
admirably done, and as worthy guardians
of the ashes of an American moneyking as
their prototypes were of the remains of the
ancient Ptolomies.
The interior of the mauSOleum will be
done in white marble. The ceiling will be a
single arch of marble with a span of
twenty-five feet. There will be no crypts
or vaults, and provision will be made for
the remains of only three persons-those of
the Senator and Mrs. Stanford and the son.
These will occupy Sarcophagi placed on the
three sides of the chamber The body of
the son, over which DR.. Talmage preached
the funeral Grafton nearly two years ago, is
now in a receiving vault in San Francisco
awaiting the completion of the tomb. The
sarcophagi are being made in Italy. Each
one will be hewn from a single block of
the purest white marble. The lid will be
made of a separate piece, and the exterior
ornameuted with the most exquisite cary
ing. The casket containing the bodies will
be enclosed in leadsn casing before being
| placed in the sarcophagus. Each recep-
| tacle will contain an apprOpria lnscrip-
| ton, and the name Stanford will appear
over the entrance.
| The mausOleun will be completed during
the coming summer, and when finished
will be fitting abode for the remains of
one of the most successful men of the day
"a railroad magnate, a millionaire, and
philanthrOpist who is building university
that will cost between $l5 1000, 009 and $50.
| 600, 900; man who lives magnificentlY,
with wealth and friends and everything
that makes life worth living, yet who has
had the great sorrow of losing his son, his
only child, and when he and his wife are
called to another world and their remains
occupy their stately tomb, the family his
tory will end