Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-05-07
Gen. GRANTS MONUMENT
Laying the Corner Stone at River
side Park.
The President Spreads the Mortar With
. Gold Trowei-.scye-a Members
of the bin Present.
Fine Weather.

stone of the nations monument e
General Grant in Riverside park wa.
laid today with becoming ceremonies
The weather vas all that could be dc
sired, n cloudless sky. bright sunshine
tempered by n moderate breeze blow
ing over the Hudson river. Long be,
fore the time fixed for the dedication
ceremonies the immense grand stand
erected in close proximity TO where
the monument will stand and partly
surrounding the corner stone began 10
fill with those distinguished persons
who had been invited and those who
had tickets, and by noon it was com
puted that there were fully 5000 or
1900 people on the stand. This
crowded stand, with the veterans of
the &. A. r., in number about 1900,
formed In line in and about the rest
ing place of their dead hero with the
charming scenery along tho Hudson
river and the palisades in the distance
formed a picture which has seldom if
aver boon surpassed if equaled.
Shortly after noon the presidential
party, escorted by a troop of the ma
tional guard of the state of New York,
left tho Fifth Avenue hotel and pro.
cceded by way of Broadway to Eighth
avenue To One Hundred and Tenth
street, to Riverside park. In the car
riages were President Harrison, Mrs.
Grant and members of her FRANKLY,
Secretary Rusk, Secretary Blaine,
Postmaster = General Wanamaker
and many other distinguished
guests. AS tho presidential
party approached the tomb the United
States band played Hail to the Chief"
while heads were uncovered, haudker-
chiefs waved and the immense throng
.houted their huZzas. As the carriages
drew up IN front of the tomb the presi-
dent stood hat in hand and bowed
on all sides in answer TO the magnifi-
cent greeting accorded him. After a
few moments quiet, the Rev. DR.. John
Hall offered up a prayer, which was
listened to by all in deferential
silence. Tho president of the Grant
Monument association, General Hor-
ace Porter, then delivered an address
detailing in brief the doings of the
association and their status since the
incorporation of the project.
The event of the day was the next
on the program, namely, the laying of
the corner stone by President Harri-
son After putting wine mortar
around the stone with n gold trowei,
that Superintendent Brady had made
for the occasion, the stone was lowered
into position. The corner stone box,
made Of copper, was then filed with
the relics which will be buried in it
They were:
Constitution of the United States;
declaration of Independence; articles
of confederation; the bible; memoirs
of General Grant; Memorial day
pamphlet, May 80 and 81, 1886; copy
of Mayor Grants proclamation regard
ing the Grant monuments; an Amer
lean flag. medals and coins from the
United States mint and various IL
Illustrated and daily papers.
President Harrison then briefly adj
dressed the assemblage, after which
the band played a selection of national
airs. After the delivery OF an able and
eloquent address by Chauncey NJ. De-
Few, DIR. John Hall pronounced the
benedlction and the services ended by
the firing of a salute of t~wenty-one
guns by the United States steamer
Miantonomah, stationed on the Hud-
son..
After some more music Mr.. Harrison
ID party shook hands with those
nearest them and bowling their adieus
amid the strains of Hail Columbia"
and shouting of the immense throng,
the whole cortcge returned TO the
hotel, diyersifying the route by driving
as tho party had left over
200 school boys passed in procession
by the tomb and scattered flowers
upon it, followed by Il number of pri-
vate citizens and others who cast their
bouquets upon the last resting place of
the famous general.
The Grant Birthday association will
give a banquet tonight at Delmonico's,
for which covers will be laid for 100
persons. General G. n. Dodge will
preside and among the speakers will
be Stephen j. Elkins, Congressman
Henderson, of Iowa, and breckenridge,
OF Kentucky, and General Horace Por-
ter, of the Grant Monument ~associa-
ton.
The monument when completed will
be n noble work. The design, chosen
by the unanimous vote of the members
of the executive committee, is the
work of John II. Duncan, who is also
the successful competitor for a design
for the soldiers and sailors memorial
arch now in course of erection in
Prospect park, Brooklyn. The main
part OF the monument Is a cube, 100
feet in each dimension. On top OF
that stands q pyramid about seventy
feet high, which is to be crowned
eventually by an appropriate piece of
~statuary. The architecture Is of the
Doric order. The four sides face the
points OF the compass, and the main
entrance is on the south side. In
front of 1t will be n colossal equestrian
statue of General Grant. There are
I 40 other entrances each side of the
III n Over them all extends a
gateiess portico, at the top of which a
cornice runs, into which are worked
the coats OF arms of all the states of
the union. Further mp on the exterior
is another cornice, into which are
worked designs of weapons and battle
fla gs. Aside from these the outside of
the monument is plain. The pyramid
at the top extends to the apex by ter
aces, like the pyramids Of Egypt.
Thirty feet below its top there Is a
row of windows. through which visit
ors may look from the inside. At the
base of the monument are steps, form
ing q sufficient pedestal. Inside the
whole space Is open, making a large
hall s5x75 feet, capable of containing
1000 people. At one side is q stair
case leading to a gallery 122 feet above
tho floor, from which visitors through
tho windows already mentioned, may
obtain glorious views mp and down the
Hudson. east owe the sound, and west
to the wooded heights of New Jersey.
The top Of the monument, which has
generally been described as q dome"
Is supported within by columns. Di-
rcctly over the entrance portico and
above the four inner of the six Doric
columns will be spaces for equestrian
statues Of the four generals who COM
manded the divisions Of the army UNI
der Grant. In the frieze of this nor