The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-28
THE NEW TOMB.
Solid Pile of White Granite That
Towers Above the Hudson

One hundred feet above mean high
water of the Hudson river, the Grant
monument stands, solid pile of white
granite, $50 feet in height. The first
II feet of this height is O cube of the
Grecian Dorfc order, which measures
80 feet on all sides. The entrance, on
! the southern side, Is enclosed by q
pcrtico made up cf a row of recessed
columns. Above and behind the portico
rises an almost blank wall, which will
one day be relieved by the four eques-
trian statues, shown usually in plans
or the monument, and finishes in q
parapet, which shows upon it's face the
sculptured figures of Peace and War.
Above the parapet there starts alb
ruptly cupola, 20 feet in diameter,
surrounded, as a relief, With Ionic
columns. Around the crown of the Gu
pCla a line of faces, sUrmOunted with
! eagles, connects the columned drum
with the pyramidical top. The f1awlcss
granite OF which the tomb consists is
of dotted Whitish gray taken from a
Quarry of uniform grain and is so light
in tone that in the strong sunlight it
is hardly distinguishes bic from marble.
Passing up the great steps which ex-
tend three-QuarterS of the way across
the front of the structure, one comes
first TO the doors of the tomb, filling a
space Of sixteen feet in height and nine
feet in width. OF bone-dried ash, cover
ed thickly with a composition of copper
and tin, these doors weigh three and
one-half tons. In each door are three
parnels, ornamented with 148 bronze
rOSettes, the twenty-four on the larger
central PANEL being each twice the
size Of a mans fist, and all rivited to
the doors with heavy bolts. Beyond the
doors, after a clear space Of thirty eight
feet, is a twenty-five foot opening.
directly over the crypt beneath. The
interior of the monument is cross shap-
ed and the four corner arches are fifty
feet above the floor. On these arches
rests an open gallery with an inner
diameter of forty feet, which is APP
preached by two circular corner stair
ways, each with sixty-nine steps, Above
the gallery extends the pannetled deme.
lis feet above the floor, and below
through an opening can be seen the
lower floor, and still lower the crypt
with the sarcophagus. The pendant
formed between the circular dome and
the arches are decorated In high relief
sculpture, emblematic Of the military
and civic life of Gen. Grant. The
windows are twelve in number, three in
each of the cross shaped interior The
crypt is reached by side stairways
which lead directly into the passage en-
circling the space in which rests the
sarcophagus. This passage is shut in by
square columns which support the pam
neled marble ceilings.
The sarcophagus rests In the center
of the crypt, 140 feet below the dome.
OF all the perpleXing questions which
arose in connection with the new tomb.
the greatest was that of obtaining suit
able material for the sarcophagus. The
proper quality was found, after long
search, in the quarries of Monticello,
Wis, porphyry of fine texture, BRILL
antly reddish in color. Cut from the
solid rock, it is highly polished, reflect
ing the nearby surface as it rests in
the crypt. The great block is 10 feet
inches long, feet inches wide and
feet inches high, and weighs five
TONS In this immense block a SPACE
was followed out into which the cof-
fined remains Of Gen. Grant were low
ereN Then the cap stone was set. and
the sarcophaguS again became as 4
solid block 1t is plain, save for the
simple engraved inscription at the head
of the capstone, ulysses S. Grant"
The pedestal on which the sarcophagus
rests is a square Of 10 feet 10 inches.
The lower course of 1 foot s inches is
made in sections, above which is a five
inch indented course. Still above this
are two heavy blocks Of marble on
which the sarcophagus directly sets.
The total height of all is seven and one
half feet.