The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-26

he, like Grant, was man Of the peo-
pie. When his body was brought back
from st. Helena the people of France
gave the world a spectacle of joyous
generation that stands unique among
demonstrations by the multitude. But
the history of next Tuesday in New
York will vanQuish even the history of
Paris on the day that Napoleon's body
was placed in the tomb at Les In
/ valides.
General Grant died at minutes
past o'clock on the morning of July
%, 1885, at Mount McGregor, near
Saratoga, n. Y. He was intombed on
the Sth of August, in the little tenn
porary structure just to the north of
the great mausoleum. 1t was not
until the afternoon of July % that the
consent OF the widow, Mrs Grant, was
received, approving of the site in Riv-
erside Park. Her one stipulation was
that upon her death her body should
be placed next to that of her husband.
Two hours after receiving her consent
William r. Grace, then Mayor of New
York, turned the first sod for the cree
ton of the temporary tomb, and it was
finished on Aug Z, at noon, just TWEEN
ty-fOur hours before it received the
body of the general
A few months later the scheme to
erect a great mausOleum as a monu-
ment to the soldier took shape, and
committees were appointed to raise
the needed funds. The committees did
not understand how to prosecute the
work and the receipts Ianguished. In
1887 the project was almost abandoned
and little was done for nearly a year.
Then there was a slight revival and
by 1890 there was a total Of $4,000 in
the Golfers of the fund or a trif1e less
than One-fourth of the total amount
needed.
At this stage General Horace Porter
took charge of the affairs of the fund,
and from that time it never languished
an instant until the required sum was
raised, and the same day that the last
dollar of the 100000 was handed in
the announcement was made that no
more subscriptions would be received.
General Porter left no stone unturned
to bring about this happy result. He
appealed to all the business, social and
political interests of the larger cities;
the great colleges were stirred up;
eminent ministers were induced to in
terest their congregations in the mat
ter; entertainments and benefits of
many kinds were organized, and money
poured in at an unprecedented rate.
The cornerstone was laid by Presi-
dent Harrison on April 20. 1892, and
since then the work has been pushed
without let-up. The monument is not
yet completed, and its full beauty will
not be realized until the two magnifi-
cent approaches are completed, one
from the east and one from the west
the latter being the Hudson River side.
There are also several statues of war
generals to be placed on the corners
of the structure, and from time to time
additions will be made to the scheme
Of OrnamentatiOn already mapped out.
Strangers who view the mausoleum
for the first time at the dedicatory
ceremony will not see it to advantage,
as the work for the past two months
has been considerably hurried, and
great stands erected for spectators are
anything but attractive to the eye.
The surrounding grounds will not be
laid out in the maner devised for sew
eral months, and a good year. or more
than that, will elapse before all the
Improvements can be completed.
Nearly every one is familiar with
the architectural features of the tomb,
and little need be said on the subject.
It is of granite, of such a light color
that at a short distance it has the ap-
pearance of glistening marble. The
main structure is 90 feet across. and
is of Grecian-Doric order. The en-
trance, which faces the south, has a
wide porticO. formed of two lines of
columns, and is approached by a low
flight of steps 10 feet in width. The
three other sides have curtain walls
perforated on the lines of the capitals
of the columns with square openings
Seventy-two feet above is a great
cupola 70 feet in diameter, which is
surmounted by a pyramid top rising
to a height of $50 feet from the ground.
AS the site of the mausoleum is $50
feet above the level of the Hudson
River, the total height of the structure
from the water is $50 feet, making it
descerniOle from far-diStant points up
and down the river.
The interior is finished in polished
marble both for beauty's sake and to
guard against vandalism by sacreli-
gious visitors. The crypt is directly