Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-05-05
CORNER STONE LAID.
Forty Thousand People do Honor
to Grants Memory,
Riverside Park, on the Beautiful Hud-
son, Filled with People.

New YORK, April S0.-The SEVENTEEN
anniversary of the birth of General
Ulysses S. Grant occurred last Thurs.
d;y, and the occasion was selected fol
a most appropriate commemoration-
the laying of the corner stone of the
imposing monument which is to mark
the last resting place of the soldier pat
riot on the bank of the Hudson in Riv-
erside Park.
The day dawned clear and beautiful,
with balmy breezes and genial sun.
Flags were unfurled to the breeze from
the peaks of Federal and municipal
buildings, and hundreds of private
houses were decked with gay bunting,
and the National colors met the eye at
every turn.
The Legislature ordained that the
solemn ceremonial of laying the cor
ner stone of the monument to the Ma
ton s greatest General should be recog-
nized as State affair, and that from
noon to midnight the day should be a
legal holiday.
1t was generally observed as such,
not only in the departments of the mu-
nicipal and Federal Governments, but
also in the Exchanges.
In Riverside Park, the scene of the
ceremonials, grand stand had been
completed to seat $4,000 persons. 1t
was built upon and around the concrete
foundations of the one hundred foot
square mausoleum, at the northern end
of which rests the casket containing
the body of the General.
The platform in the building, of
which thousands of feet of heaviest
lumber was used, was 200 feet long and
100 feet wide, with small elevated
stand for the distinguished speakers at
the southern side Below ,on the ground,
were built benches for the Grand Army
veterans, 5000 of whom were arranged
for. On the southeast corner of the ir-
regular shaped grand stand platform
were seats assigned to the Legion of
Honor, while seats for the Presidential
party and distinguished guests were
placed in the center of the platform
facing the speakers rostrum, and to
the east of the corner stone.
The corner stone is at the southwest
corner of the mausoleum, and it hung
in midair suspended from powerful
derrick. 1t is six by three feet, of solid
granite and weighs over ten tons. At
$3.50 in the morning the Monitor Milan
tonomah, which had steamed up the
river from the Navy Yard, dropped an
chor in the Hudson opposite the tomb,
and Commander Seegart sent body of
sailors ashore laden with bunting and
signal flags, and these were festooned
over the derrick, and the stars and
stripes were displayed from every avail
able point.
At noon there was big crowd about
the Fifth Avenue Hotel awaiting the
departure of the Presidential party for
Riverside Park. Troop A Cavalry, Cap
tain G. F. Roe Commanding, drew up
on Fifth Avenue and saluted the Presi-
dent as he entered his carriage.
When President Harrison appeared
the crowd cheered the President lifted
his hat and stepped into the barouch.
With the President were General Hor-
ace Porter and Lieutenant Parker. In
the second carriage sat Vice President
Morton and F. D. Tappen ; in the third,
Secretary Elkins and General Butter
field in the fourth, Postmaster Gene
raj Wanamaker and John HI. Starin,
and in the fifth Secretary Noble and
II. w. Cannon. Other carriages which
followed contained Secretary Rusk,
Cornelius Bliss, Chauncy M. Depew
and others.
The ceremonies were set to begin at
2 2o'clock. Long before that hour, how
ever, the $4,000 grand stand seats were
filled, and the green sward adjoining
was swarming with pushing crowd of
spectators. By 2oclock the crowd had
swelled to 10000. The President and
party arrived at 2:15. After an invoca-
ton by Rev. DR.. John Hall, General
Horace Porter, President of the Grant
Monument Association, delivered an
address. He expressed the hope that
before next Decoration Day, the 3Oth of
May, the committee will have complet-
ed its labors in raising the necessary
amount to complete the monument.
AS the moment drew near when the
stone should be placed in position, the
mighty throng of persons on every side
became very quiet. Workmen manned
the windlasses on either side of the i'm
mense lump of granite. With heads
uncovered they waited for the Presi.
dent to scatter the mortar, when they
would receive the signal to lower the
stone. The President stepped down
from the platform where he and the
other distinguished guests had been
seated. A gold trowel was placed in
his hand and he stepped over to the
southwest corner of the foundations.
The crowd became very still. The
President stood ON the foundation di-
rectly in front of the stone, and passed
the trowel between the stone and the
bed of cement tbeneath it, and the wind
lasses began to creak. In a moment
the stone was in place. The corner
stone had haon laid Tho D,s,o;lo-.x