Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-09-10
GRANTS MONUMENT
The Gotham People Finally Sc
Iect a Design.
ITS COST TO BE HALF A MILLION

A Pile of Granite or Marble 100 Feet
High, Surmounted with n Dome of Sew
enty Feet--The characterization to Con-
sist of sculptured Figures and a Colossal
Statue of the Old Conn, -nder-Build-
ing on the "Installment Plan"
New YORK. Sept. 10-The executive
committee of the Grant Monument asso-
citation decided yesterday that the plan
for the monument submitted by Archi-
tect John HI. Duncan, of 237 Broadway,
was the best of the five plans they had TO
consider aud they formally recommended
it's acceptance by the association, subject
to whatever change or modification the
committee or the architect might agree
on. The five designs, which had been
turned face to the wall to prevent any one
from seeing them, Were turned around,
and each was examined, while Secretary
Greener read the authors description of
it. Then there was a discussion over the
merits of each. This lasted nearly an
hour and by that time the committee was
unanimous in its opinion that the Dun
can design was the best.
The Design Which Was Selected.
hS etS'ssh piOfiuCS iOi ~ piio
of granite or marble, 100 feet square and
rising 100 feet, whether as cube or as q
truncated pyramid could not be ascer-
tanned. On top of it will be dome sew
enty feet high. The ornamentation will
be simple and the architecture severely
doric. The dome will be surmount ed by
sculptured figures, the nature of which
will be determined by the commit ee the
sculptor, and the architect later on. In
the design there are the statues of four of
the generals who were on Grants staff
Thirty feet below the top of the dome
there will be row of windows. There
will be four entrances at the base. The
main entrance will be gateless portico,
an addition to the general design.
Splendid Memorial Hall.
In front of this entrance there will be
colossal equestrian statue of Gen. Grant
The crypt will be eighty five feet by
seventy five, open to the top of the dome.
One hundred and thirty feet from the base
there will be an immense gallery, where
visitors may go The row of windows
will open on this gallery. The main
room in the crypt will be memorial hall,
where more than Thousand persons can
gather. On one side is an apsis and an
opening through the floor In this open
ing will be placed granite sarcophagus
for the b odles of General and Mrs. Grant
The floor of the crypt will be raised sever
al feet and marble stairway Will lead up
to it. There will be another marble stair
way inside the crypt leading to the gal
lery. This stairway winds upward part
of the way and part of the way it is
straight. Ii is planned so as to fill space
that can be occupied no other way
Mighty Convenient Arrangement.
The cost of the structure, including no
sculptured work except the statue of
Grant in front of the main entrance, is to
| be $500 900. This does not even include
the statues TO surmount the dome The
monument can be built on the INSTALL
| ment plan. The committee now has
| $1,000 and it can go ahead and build
| up to the dome The architect says that
when that much is spent any one who
| hasn't seen the original will not know
| but the whole thing is complete This
convenience, one of the committee said,
WAS one of the reasons for selecting this
particular design. The other designs that
| were submitted were not so well ranged
| for installment work. Some of them,
particularly that of Carver Hastings, were
| a good deal more elaborate.
The Architect Congratulated.
Architect Duncan first heard that his
design had been chosen by the committee
| through John Ord, one of his competitors
All the afternoon be received congratula.
| tons, and celebrated at his Office. His
defeated competitors called on him.
| They were soothed with the thought that
| they would get at least $50 for their
| work. This is what the committee guar
| snteed them. After the designs had been
deci ded on yesterday the committee held
| little business meeting, and decided to
call the association together on Thursday
afternoon to look ut the design and rat
| .fy the selection. aud to give private
press view the following daS. after which
all the designs will he removed to Ort-
| giess' private gallery in Fifth avenue
| near Thirty fifth street, and the public
| will get chance to see what they look
\ Ike