The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-15
THE STANFORD MAUSOLErM.
4 Magnificent and Costly Specimen of
Burial Architecture.
[Cor. San Francisco Chronicle. I

[Cor. San Francisco Chronicle
MENLo PARK, California, October
27.-The Stanfort!s have begun for
their son monument more enduring
than brass, destined to perpetuate his
name through ages and to be the
nObleSt nonumcn ever erected to any
human being-a university with an en-
dowment so princely that it amounts
to more than the endowments of all
other American universities. On the
palO Alto estate, rather more than half
Il mile from the site of the university,
and slightly less than that distance
from Governor Stanford's residence, is
the place selected by young Leland
Stanford as the place for his own resi-
dence Excavation for the building
began before his untinely death, and
indications of the work then done are
still apparent. The youths desire to
have his home on thisspot was thwarted
by the great Arbiter Of his destiny, but
his parents have most appropriately
chosen the site for his last home on
earth. and theirs, and they are now
building there 4 tomb, the final closing
Of whose doors we hope may be long
delayed.
The mausoleum was begun last June,
and will probably be finished with the
winter. The architecture is of hybrid
order, and its description might prove
somewhat startling to an artistic puriat.
But its effect is imposing from its SIM
pie grandeur and meets with the ap-
probation Of common sense, however
the canons Of art might condemn it,
At glance, the building seems mod
eled after an Ionic tonlple.
From foundation to roof massiveness
and simplicity are hat chiefly attract
ones attention. The foundation is of
solid concrete - cement, sand and
crushed stone-and for its construction
900 barrels of cement were employed.
1t is 50X30 feet and extends Is feet be-
low the surface. The mausoleum itself,
as it rises from the ground: is 24x4O6
feet and p feet high, and the only ma
terials used are Vermont granite and
italian marble. Around it runs row
Of Ionic columns, while at each corner
is Romanesque pilaster. The granite
doors are feet inches by s feet ,
inches, with bronze gate in front, ap-
preached by three steps and a small
porch. Three doors suggest Egyptian
architecture, as Dc the sphinXes which
stand guard at the entrance. Over the
doors are cut in plain Roman letters
the names of the three members of the
Stanford family, and there is no other
carving about the building. The small
est stone in the structure weighs more
than ton. The pediments, or gables,
in common parlaEce, are each of one
huge stone weighing twenty-five tons,
while the enormous key-stones weigh
thirty-one and one-half tons each. The
roof is composed of two granite slabs
weighing thirty tons each and measur-
ing 2GX9. SKI feet.
The interior is Is by 22.3. On the
end facing the door are to be three mu-
raj tablets, which are not yet in place.
The interior is to be of marble eXclu-
sively, and no less simple or impressive
than the exterior. The walls on all
sides rise vertically to the height of ten
feet and are then arched, the summit
Of the arch being eighteen feet from the
floor. This marble lining is eight inches
thick, and the arch alone weighs more
than forty tons. There is to be no or
namentation whatever except panels
and pilasters. The floor is of white
marble tiles fifteen inches square.
Of the sarcophagi only one has az
rived, while the other two are en- route
from Italy. Each is cut from block
of marble S.GX5. GX4, weighs four tons,
and is to be lined with steel plates.
The vault is not much larger than a
bedroom III one of our dwellings, and
yet III its erection not less than $3.50, 1000
will have been expended.
Alexander Dallas, of New York, is
the contractor.