Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-04-27
THE GREAT AMERICAN.

Seventy-five years ago today Ameri
cas- greatest general, Ulysses S. Grant
was born, and the magnificent mauso.
leum on the banks of the Hudson will
this day be dedicated to his memory
The ceremonies will be accompanied by
great naval and military display and
speeches will be delivered by President
Mckinley and Gen. Horace Porter, the
new minister to France.
The monument as it stands today re-
presents an expenditure of nearly $780,
600. Unlike the great monuments OF
Europe, it is genuine tribute of the
people. 1t was designed by Architect
John HI. Duncan, of New York city.
1t is an original creation, dignified and
imposing, suggestive of the strength
and fortitude of warrior and of the
simple force of General Grants char
acter. The general style is Doric.
Massive, yet well relieved by pillars
and other embellishments, it is 140 feet
above the river, and lifts itself It's feet
i'm the air.
The exterior is of light granite, and
all the interior is finished in white
marble. The porch is approached by a
flight of steps seventy feet wide. AT
the entrance are two massive bronze
doors, sixteen feet four rand-a-halfinches
high, of a united width of nine feet,
and one and one-half feet in thickness.
While the doors are called bronze, they
are in reality built of ash, covered with
thick coating of bronze, put on in
sheets about an eighth of an inch
thick, and so skillfully pieced together
that no joinings are visible to the eye.
The total weight of the bronze used is
$500 pounds, while the combined
weight of the doors is three tons. The
doors are severely plain, both in design
and decoration. In each there are
three deep panels, one large and two
smaller. The only ornamentation con-
sists of bronze rosettes of different sizes.
There are twenty-six of these in each of
the larger panels, and twelve in each
of the smaller. Rosettes of larger size
embellish the sides of the doors, and
are placed between the panels.
AS you enter upon the southern ex-
posure you see the opening of the crypt
before you. 1t is thirty feet wide, in
the center of the chamber. Looking
down into the vault the great sarco-
phagus for the remains of General
Grant is to be seen. This sarcophagus
was made from one piece of Wiscon-
sin porphyry. Beside it is place for
another. Here an exact duplicate will
some day hold the remains of Mrs.
Grant. The sarcophagus weighs ten
tons. The capstone bears the simple
inscription, "Ulysses S. Grant" The
pedestal is square in plan, measuring
ten feet ten inches each way. The
lower course is made in pieces, with a
simple Scotia molding, and is one foot
eight inches thick. Above this is a
five-inch course. Over this rest two
large blocks ten feet long and five feet
wide, and on these rest the pillow
blocks which support the sarcophagus
proper and its cover. The total height
above the floor of the crypt will be
seven and-a-half feet. The coffin OF
General Grant is now Theoretically
sealed in steel case, and this will be
set in the sarcophagus without opening
Thus is Grant honOred, and deserved.
ly, too. For of American citizens, none
have been greater; of patriotic generals,
he was the peer of all; and as long as
time shall last his name shall be revered
and his deeds of greatness recited in
the home of every American. And on
this seventy-fifth anniversary of his
birth, America can do him no greater
honor than to dedicate to his memory
this beautiful mausoleum, where his
remains shall forever rest undisturbed
May he sleep on; and may each sue
ceeding year of American existence
burn deeper into the hearts of every
citizen the love tor her greatest general
Ulysses 3. Grant.
THIS road question is an important
npa rCbara 10 M douht hut that xpp
must have better and more substantial
country roads and the problem how
hoct To oraf tharn Is IN We 600 nc