The record-union., 1897-04-12
GENERAL GRANTS TOMB.
The Grand Memorial Dedicated to His
1emOry.

The April issue of the Century is a
Grant Memorial Number Signalling
the dedication of General Grants tomb
in Riverside Park. There are a num-
Der of articles and illustrations relating
to General Grants career, and General
Hoarce Porter who was President of
the association for completing the tomb,
contributes an article describing the
character and progress of the work,
and the collection of the fund for it's
erection. General Porter says:
The work is now entirely completed.
The lower portion of the tomb is a
square structure of the Grecian Doric
order, measuring 80 feet on a side. The
entrance is on the south side, and is
protected by portico formed of double
lines of columns, and approached by
is finished with a cornice and para
pet at a hight from the grade of - feet
and above this is a circular cupola 20
feet in diameter, of the Ionic order
which is surrounded with a pyramidal
top terminating at a hight of 100 feet
above grade, or $50 feet above mean
high water of the Hudson River. The
interior is cruciform in plan, 16 feet
at the greatest dimension the four cor
ners being piers of masonry connected
at the top by coffered arches, the
crowns of which are 90 feet from the
fioor-level On these arches rests an
open circular gallery of 40 feet inner
diameter, eliminating in a paneled
dome 1O5 feet above the level of the
floor. The surfaces between the planes
of the faces of the arches and the cir
cular dome form predentives which are
decorated in high-relief sculpture, the
work of ]. Massey Rhind, and en-
blematic of the birth, military and civic
life, and death of General Grant.
The sarcophagi will be placed in
crypt directly beneath the center of the
dome. The approach to the crypt is by
stairways which give access to a pass
age encircling the space dedicated to
the sarcophagi, which space is sur
rounded by square columns supporting
paneled marble ceilings and entabla-
ture. circular opening in the main
floor gives an unobstructed view of the
sarcophagi from the floor and from the
gallery.
In the work of construction the fact
was kept steadily in view that solidity
and durability We're of paramount inn
portance and that they should not be
impaired by an effort unduly to hasten
the work. To get out the large blocks
of stone, new beds had to be opened
at great depths in the quarry, and the
dressing, carving and transporting of
the enormous amount of granite re-
ouired for the construction was a
tedious process. In the winter but lit
tie work could be done at the quarries,
and no setting of stone was permitted
for fear of damage from freezing
weather When the heavy tiers of
masonry in the interior were built and
large masses of concrete used, a delay
of several months was insisted upon
before continuing the construction, in
order to allow the work to set" and
to avoid any possibility of shrinkage
or settling thereafter Occasional de-
lays occurred from finding specks or
flaws upon the surfaces of some of the
large stones after they had been dress
ed down to completion; and as the as
ISOLATION reserved the right, under the
terms of the contract, to reject such
material, new stones had to be pre-
pared to take the places of those which
exhibited defects.
The time from the laying of the cor
ner-stone to the completion of the
tomb has been five years, q shorter