The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-29
The New Tomb.

granite, $50 feet in height. The first
seventy-two feet of this height is cube
of the Grecian-Doric order, which
measures ninety feet on all sides.
The entrance on the southern side is
enclosed by portico made up of row
of recessed columns. Above and behind
the portico rises an almost blank wall,
which will one day be relieved by the
four equestrian statues shown usually in
plans of the monument and finishes in
a parapet which shows upon its face the
sculptured figures of Peace and War.
Above the parapet there starts abb
ruptly cupola seventy feet in diameter,
surrounded, as relief, with Ionic col
umns. akH. .EN $500.
Around the crown of the cupola a line
of frescoes, surmounted with eagles, con-
meets the columned drum with the pyra-
midical top. s s.F., ,is.ga--
The fawless 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 distinguishable from
marble. r M
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 space
10 feet IL inches in height and 8 feet
in width. OF bone-dried ash, covered
thickly with a composition of copper and
tin, these doors weigh three and one-half
tons. In each door are three panels, or
namented with 14S bronze rosettes, the
twenty-four on the larger central pannel
being each twice the size OF mans fist,
and all rivited to the doors with heavy
bolts.
Beyond the doors, after clear space of
thirty-eight feet, is a 25-foot opening di-
rectly over the crypt beneath. The inte-
rior of the monument is cross-shaped,
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 approached by
two circular corner stairways, each with
sixty-nine steps. Above the gallery eX
tends the paneled dome, 125 feet above
the floor, and below, through the open
ing, can be seen the lower floor, and still
lower the crypt with the sarcOphagus.
The pendentives formed between the
circular dome and the arches are decor
ated in high relief sculpture, .emblematic
of the military and civic life of Gen.
Grant.
The windows are twelve in number,
three in each side of the cross-shaped in
terror.
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
paneled marble ceiling. The sarcopha-
gus rests in the center of the crypt, 40
feet below the dome. Of all the per-
picking questions which arose in con-
was that of obtaining suitable material
for the sarcophagus. The proper
quality was found, after long search, in
the quarries of Montello, Wis, a por-
phyry of fine texture, brilliantly reddish
in color Cut from the solid rock, it is
highly polished, rejecting the nearby
surfaces as it rests in the crypt. The
great block is 10 feet inches long, 3
feet 6 inches wide and feet 8 inches
high, and weighs five tons. In this i'm.
mense block a space was followed out,
into which the coffined remains of Gen.
Grant was lowered. Then the cap stone
was set, and the sarcophagus again be-
came as solid block 1t is plain, save
for the simple engraved inscription at
the head of the cap stone, Ulysses s.
GIANT"
The pedestal on which the sarchopagus
rests is square of 10 feet 10 inches.
The lower course of l. foot 8 inches is
made in sections, above which is a 5-inch
lhdented course; SHE ABOVE TINS are
TWO heavy blocks OF marble, on winch
the sarcophagus directly sets. me total
helght OF all is seven ana one-half rect;
Some day the body of Mrs. Grant will
Iep9se Deslde mat OF her husband IN a
duplcate OF Inc sareophagus now IN
the Crypt Oh the tomp.
Where the Tomb Stands.
Pirors;do norl, 10 ;ndood q f++;ro
MIA ca for the tomb If a hero %estiad nS
tha honi,s of tba Undson H. soo,,s to ,;ft
;tSo,f nm iron, tbn Sn,nIo and ar;,,o ' &c
tbe scepas below 10 . s,n,e, a+moSnbero
Wa ss;1,n wallis Of S,.av cranito tbot
Guard tho norl, an tho xvotor fropt Tbo
steep incline is thickly wooded. and
only here and there can the gray, rugged
sides of the hill be seen from the river.
From no other point in the city can
such view be obtained as from River
side park. For twenty miles the placid
Hudson can be seen vending it's wind
ing way 70 where the tall mist-covered
palisades blend with the western hori-
zon. On the Jersey side is old Fort
Lee, the ferry house and dainty villas
that dot the banks and look like Swiss
chalets nesting in the warmth of the
Alpine summer, with no grim, snowy
peaks TO east shadow on their rural
son palatial pleasure yachts, ferry boats,
steamers and pulling tugs make their