The advocate., 1897-05-05
OFFICIAL STATE PAPER.

which will one day be relieved by the
four equestrian statues shown usually In
plans Of 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 abruptly
q cupola, 10 feet in diameter, surrounded,
as q relief, with Ionic columns. Around
the crown Of the Cupola line Of fasces,
surmounted with eagles, connects the
columned drum with the pyramidical
top. The RaWless granite Of which the
tomb consists is Of dotted whitieh gray
taken from a quarry Of uniform grain,
and isso light in tone that in the strong
sunlighb it is hardly distinguishable
from marble.
Passing up the great steps which ex-
tend three-quartera Of the way across
the front OF the structure, one comes
first to the doors Of the tomb, filling
space 16 feet Al inches in height and
feet in width. OF bone-dried ash, covered
thiCkly with a composition Of copper
and tin, these doors weigh three and
one.hRlf tons, In each door are three
panels, ornamented with 146 bronze
rosettes, the twenty-four on the larger
central panel being each twice the size
OF mans fist, and all riyeted TO the
doors with heavy bolts.
Beyond the doors, after clear space
Of SO feet, is 25-foot opening directly
over the crypt beneath. The interior OF
the monument is Croas-shRped, aud the
four corner arches are 80 feet above The
floor. On these arches rests an open
gallery with an inner diameter Of 40 feet,
which is approached by two circular
corner stairways, each with sixty-nine
steps, Above the gallery extends the
psneled dome, l5 feet above the floor,
and below through the opening can be
seen the lower floor, and still lower tho
crypt with che sarCophagus.
The pendentives formed between the
circular dome and the arches are deco
rated In high relief sculpture, emblem.
attic Of the military and civic life Of
General Grant.
The windows are twelve in number,
three in each side OF the cross-shaped
interior.
The crypt 10 reached by side stairways,
which lead directly into the passage en-
circling the space in which rests the sar-
cophagus. This passage is shut in by
square columns, which support the pan.
eled marble ceiling. The sarcophagus
rests in the center Of the crypt, 140 feet
below the dome.
fall the perplexing questions which
arose In connection with the new tomb,
the greatest was that OF obtaining suit
able material for the gBFcOphagus. The
proper quality was found, after long
search, in the quarries OF Montell0, Wis,
o porphyry OF fine texture, brilliantly
reddish In color. Out from the solidroCk,
it is highly polished, reaecting the near
by surfaces as it rests in the crypt The
great block is 10 feet 4 inches long, 5
feet inches wide and 4 feet inches
high, and weighs Ave tons. In this im-
mense block space was followed ont Into
which the coffined remains Of General
Grant were lowered. Then the capetone
was set, and the ssrcophRgus again be-
came as a solid block. 1t is plain, save
for the simple engraved inscription at
the head Of the cspstone, ULYSSES S.
Grant"
The pedestal on which the sarcophagus
rests is square Of 10 feet 10 inches.
The lower course Of foot s inches is
made in sections, above which is 5-inch
indented course. Still above this are
two heavy blocks of marble on which
the ssrcophsgus directly sets, The total
height OF all ID IL feet.
Some day the body Of Mrs. Grant will
fepose beside that Of her husband id
duplicate Of the sarcophagus now in the
crypt of tho tonnb.