Evening star., 1897-04-27
THE NEW TOMB.
Description of the Immense Pile Of
White Granite.

Description of the Immense Pile of
White Granite.
One hundred feet above mean high water
of the Hudson river the Grant monument
stands, solid pile of white granite $50
feet in height. The first ~ feet OF this
height is a cube of the Grecian Doric order,
which measures 80 feet on all sides.
The entrance, on the southern side is in
closed by a portico made up of a row of
recessed columns Above and behind the
portico rises an almost blank wall, which
will one day be relieved by the four eques-
trian statues shown usually in plans Of
the monument, and finishes in a parapet
which shows upon its face the scupturedr
figures of Peace and War.
Above the parapet there starts abruptly
a cupola, 40 feet in diameter, surrounded,
as a relief. with Ionic columns. :
Around the crown of the cupola line OF
faces. surmounted with eagles, connects
the columned drum with the pyramidicaf
top.
The fawless granite of which the tomb
consists is of dotted whitish gray, taken
from quarry of uniform grain, and is SO
light In tone that in the strong sunlight
1T ls hardly distinguishable from marble.
three-quarters of the way across the front
OF the structure, one comes first TO the
doors of the tomb. filling a space 10 feet
Az inches I'm height and 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 ornamented with
14S bronze rosettes. the twenty-fo on the
larger central panel being each twice the
size of a mans fist. and all riveted to the
doors with heavy bolts.
Beyond the doors, after a clear space Of
80 feet is a 25-foot opening directly over
the crypt beneath. The interior of the
monument is crosS-shaped, and the four
corner arches are so feet above the floor.
IN q frul ullsrV-
with an inner diameter of 40 feet. which is
approached by two circular corner stair
ways, each with sixty-nine steps. Above
the gallery extends the paneled dome, 115
feet above the floor and below through
the opening, can be seen the lower fioor
and still lower the crypt with the sarcoph-
agus.
The pendentives formed between the cir
cular dome and the arches are decorated I'm
high relief sculpture, emblematic 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 is reached by side stairways,
which lead directly into the passage en-
circling the space i'm which rests the sar-
cophagus. This passage is shut i'm by
square columns, which support the paneled
The sarcophagus rests in the center of
the crypt, 140 feet below the dome. OF
all the perplexing questions which arose
in connection with the new tomb the
greatest was that OF obtaining suitable ma
terial for the sarcophagus. The proper
quality was found, after long search, i'm
the quarries of Montelio. Wisconsin.
porphyry of fine texture. brilliantly red
dish in color. Cut from the solid rock. IL Is
highly polished, rejecting the nearby sur
faces as ii rests i'm the crypt. The great
block is 10 feet inches long, feet @
inches wide. and feet inches high. and
weighs five tons. In this immense block
q space was followed out. into which the
cofiined remains Of General Grant were
lowered. Then the capstone was set, and
the sarcophagus again became as solid
block. 1t is plain, save for the simple en-
graved inscription at the head of the cap
stone, Ulysses s. Grant
The pedestal on which the sarcophagus
rests is square of 10 feet 10 inches The
lower course Of 1 foot inches is made
in sections. above which is a five-inch in
dented course. Still above this are two
heavy blocks of marble. on which the sar-
cophagus directly sets. The total height
Of all Is ~ feet.
Some day the body of Mrs Grant will
repose beside that of her husband In a
duplicate of the sarcophagus now in the
crypt of the tomb.