The Portland daily press., 1891-04-28
VETERANS AND LITTLE CHILDREN
United In Their homage to the Mem-
ory of General Grant.
Ground Broken At Riverside Park For
the Great Monument.
Ceremonies Conducted In Presence
Of an Army OF People.

NEW YORK. April 27.-Thousands Of peo'
pie assembled in Riverside Park today to
witness the ceremonies attending the break
ing Of ground for the erection Of a monument
to the late Gen. Grant. The weather was
cool and clear. with bright sunlight. Today
Is the sixty-ninth anniversary Of the birth OF
General Grant and was therefore selected by
the Grant Monument Association as the most
appropriate occasion for the ceremonies
Elaborate preparations had been completed
for fitting observation of the occasion.
Before the regular ceremonies commenced
Lawson w. Fuller, at the head of 800 child
rem from the Sheltertng Arms Association,
and a drum and fife corps .playing "Ameri-
ca" marched past the tomb with flags droop-
ed. Each child carried a bouquet OF forget
me-nots, which was cast upon the tomb.
Charles II. Freeman, Department Com
mander of the Grand Army of the Republic
for the state of New York, presided and Off.
ciated as master of ceremonies. He. with
his own hands, grasped spade at the appro-
pirate moment and dug the first earth from
the ground upon which the memorial to the
hero Of App0matox Is to be reared. Hundreds
of the veterans Of the war who loved and
obeyed and now worship the memory Of that
hero participated in the ceremony. Shortly
after / o'clock the veterans began to assem-
BILE. They were joined by Gen. o. o. How
ard and company OF infantry and bat
isTs S artillery ty Admiral nhs Brsnss Ts sns
hs''' his staff. The veterans u and the the
regulars under Gen. Howard at once
took up position forming a circle about the
mound. The preliminaries were quietly and
simply effected. There was no marching or
countermarching and strains Of martial airs
were entirely missing. The members OF the
Grant monument Association and the guests
OF the day were received at the Clarem0nt
hotel just north Of the mound, by the Alex
ander Hamilton Post. After the prelimin-
aries of the reception were finished, the men,
bers of the association and their guests were
escorted to a larger platform, which had
been erected near the mound, and seats were
provided for them. This platform accommo-
dated dat about iooo people. On II were also
Guiding Mrs. Nellie Sartoris, nee Grant, who
recently arrived from England. ThesUnited
States steamer Yantic. which lay in the
Hudson directly opposite the tomb. fired
salute in honor Of the dead General.
The exercises began with an overture by
the Marine Band. The Rev. DIR. Clark
Wright, chaplain on the staff of Commander
freeman, then led In prayer. The prayer
was followed by the singing Of the "Star
Spangled Banner" by large chorus under
Silas G. Pratt. the well-known composer.
Gen. Horace Porter, who was then intro
duced, delivered the oration. This was fol-
lowed by the singing Of America" by the
chorus and audience. The ceremonies end
ed with the laying Of the cornerstone of the
monument and the benediction by the chap
lain.
The monument will be about 100 feet
square. 1t Is intended first to build the por-
tion OF the monument designated In the plans
for the reception of the sarc0phagus, and
this will be completed as IL Ii were to be an
independent structure, and without regard to
the other portion, before anything else Is un-
dertaken. The fund already In hand, about
S150,0OO. Is more than ample to meet the cost
Of this part of the monument