The Portland daily press., 1897-04-28
THE OLD TOMB.

The old tomb OF General Grant-a
squat little briok-built affair which was
intended as temporary resting place for
the body and held it for almost twelve
years-stands as a woezul contrast to the
new tomb in which the remains are to
rest for all time.
The two-the old tomb and the new
stand close together, almost side by side.
The one impresses ever the most careless
power. and grandeur; the other,
the old tomb, In its simplicity is an en-
blem of sorrow which seemed to centre
the natural sadness that hovers about the
memory Of a hero, and to concentrate
these memories to one little poetic spot.
With the old tomb, the thousands who
stood before the grated door each year
thought only of the head man of war;
with the new tomb that feeling must in
part give way before the magnificence of
the artistic structure which has been
reared to preserve the memory.
On little knoll, which was always the
first spot in the vicinity 80 tell of the APP
the garb of winter, the temporary tomb
stands. Tho first touch of work done
upon it was on Tuesday. July 20, 1885,
five days latter the death of General
Grant. During those few days the
consent Of the Grant family had been
obtained to the interment in New York
and the Riverside Park cits decided up
on. The plans of j. Wrey Mould, nrchi-
tect Of the Park Department., had in the
mean time been prepared, and day and
night the work went Oh, closely watched
by President Crimmins of the Park
Board and his colleagues, Commissioners
Borden and Beekmap. As many men
as could possibly work together were set
to work. and the little tomb grew day
by day. There is granite base with
walls three feet thick of black and red
brick rising above it until they finish In
q top Of blue stone; then granite key
stone and a barrol roof; very simple, yet
substantial as has been shown in the
passing years.
In length the structure is seventeen
feet, IN width twelve feet four inches, in
height twenty-one feet. Its one door
opens towards the hudson River. The
floor of the tomb is something moro than
two feet below the surface of the knoll,
and is reached by stone steps from the
coffin and Its steel casing, brick piers
were built up from the floor to above
tho door level.
The tomb was declared finished shortly
after noon on Friday, August 2, ami the
steel casing having been set on the
piers, everything Was in readiness for the
placing of the coffin in it on the follow
Ing day.
In the years which followed, some i'm
provements were made on the Temporary
tomb. The walls of brick we're pastered
with white cement, grated floor took
the place of the original one Of iron and
oak about the three foot iron cross a
metal initial"G" was artistically woven,
and marble casing covered the brick
piers which supported tie steel case.
4 Through the grated door. mourners and
slghtseers looked into the dingy iDterior,
saw the case of steel with it's one light
point at front where was the inscription
letters of silver: "U. 5. Grant, died
July %, 1862
Although constant guard was kept
at this tomb. and the grating kept always
locked, half a dozen years age the guar.
dians discovered one day that two names
had been scratched on the face of the
stselcasing to the casket. The guard was
more strictly kept after that and the
vandals who wouli doubtless have car
ried away the very bricks { f the wall If
permitted, were kept away.
Now the old tomb, having served its
purpose we'll, rests in the shadow of the
granite monument, unguarded and I'M
sung.
THE STEEL CAsKET.
Durlng the eleven years and eight
months that the body of General Grant
for