Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-04-03
GENERAL GRANTS TOMB.
THE GRAND nEnORIAL DEDICAT-
ED TO HIS T1EMORY.
Great Care Was Taken in the Con-
struction, so that Nothing flay
Interfere with Its Durability.

strucfion, so that Nothing rlay
interfere with Its Durability.
The April issue Of the Century
is Grant Memorial Number" sig
Mailing the dedication Of General
Grants tomb in Riverside Park.
There are a number of articles and IL
Illustrations relating to General Grants
career, and General Horace Porter,
who was President Of the association
for completing the tomb, contributes
an article describing the character and
progress Of the work, and the collec-
ton of the fund for its erection. Gen
eral Porter says:
The work is now entirely com
pleted. The lower portion Of the
tomb is a square structure OF the
Grecian Doric order, measuring 90 feet
on a side. The entrance is on the
south side, and is protected by por-
tico formed of double lines Of columns,
and approached by steps 70 feet wide.
The square portion is finished with a
cornice and parapet, at a height
from grade of II feet, and above this
is a circular cupola 10 feet in diameter,
of the Ionic order, which is surmount-
ed with pyramidal top terminating
at height Of $50 feet above grade, or
$50 feet above mean high water OF the
Hudson River. The interior is cruel
form in plan, 70 feet at the greatest
dimension, the four corners being
piers of masonry connected at the top
bycoffered arches, the crowns of which
are 90 feet from the foor,level. On
these arches rests an open circular
gallery of 40 feet inner diameter, Gull
minating in a paneled dome Io5 feet
above the level of the floor. The sur
faces between the planes of the faces
of the arches and the circular dome
form pendentives which are decorated
in high-relief sculpture, the work OF
J. Massey Rhind, and emblematic OF
the birth, military and civic life, and
death of General Grant.
The sarcophagi will be placed in
crypt directly beneath the center OF
the dome The approach to the crypt
is by stairways which give access to a
passage encircling the space dedicated
to the sarcophagi, which space is sur
rounded by square columns support
ing paneled marble ceilings and en-
tablature. A circular opening in the
main floor gives an unobstructed view
of the sarcophagi from the floor and
from the gallery,
In the work of construction the fact
was kept steadily in view that solidity
and durability were of paramount inn
portance, and that they should not be
impaired by an effort unduly to hasten
The work Toget ont the large blocks
Of stone, new beds had to be opened
at great depths in the quarry, and the
dressing, carving, aud transporting of
the enormous amount of granite re-
quired for the construction was
tedious process. In the winter but
little work could be done at the quar-
ries, and no setting of stone was per
mitted for fear of damage from freez-
ing weather, When the heavy piers
Of masonry in the interior were built,
and large masses of concrete used,
delay of several months was insisted
upon before continuing the construc-
ton, in order to allow the work to
"set, and to avoid any possibility of
shrinkage or settling thereafter. Dc
casional delays occurred from finding
specks or flaws upon the surfaces of
some of the large stones after they
had been dressed down to completion;
and as the association reserved the
right, under the terms of the contract,
to reject such material, new stones
had to be PREPARED to take the places
of those which exhibited defects.
The time from the laying of the
corner-sto to the completion of the
tomb has been five years, a shorter
period than has been consumed in the
building of any conspicuous memoir
ial in history. The Bunker Hill Mon
ument, which cost $50, 600, was not
completed until seventeen years after
the corner. stone was laid. In the
case Of the Washington Monument,
which cost 81, 1870, the time con
sumed was thirty-seven years.