The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-10-28
EIGHTEENTH
Eaitorlal corre.ponaence.

I .
Editorial correspondence.
In beautiful Lakeview cemetery, just
east Of the city Of Cleveland, has been
lifted to ita place the largest obelisk o!
granite anywhere in these United States
1t is TO torn, The towering and central
figure Of the tomb and mausoleum TO be
built by John D. Rockefeller the multi
millionaire. It stands on a fine emf
nencp. three sides OF which are a precip-
itous steep.
To begin with. the grauite is tile
hardest and heaviest in any American
quarry. One cubic foot weight one
hundred and ninry pounds, and is near
ly as obdurate as quartz itself. It was
taken from the quarTies Of Barre, YER
mont, about six miles from Montpelier,
and is near .he birthplace OF the great
admiral anu hero Of Manila.
When the huge obelisk was qnarried
and cut aud ready to be mounted upon
the cars, 1t had already cost $4,000. 1t
is 52A fee. long, 5fpet square at the
base, and 31@ feet square at the summit,
being surmounted with pyramid the
same in form as the huge Egyptian pyr-
amid, now In Central Park, New York.
The weight Of this collosal shaft OF gram
|iteis 90 tons. Itrests upon pedestal
that is IN two pieces, each Of thirty tons
weight. These In turn rest upon the
base, another block of granite whose
weight is 60 tons. By this it is seen
that the combined weight Of the monu-
ment is 2lO tons Of solid granite. The
Foundation IS ct concrete and Portland
cement, ten feet deep, and this rests up
on the rock below.
Such immense blocks OF granite could
not be shipped upon ordinary cars as
they would crush them as a child's toys
before they had Travelled ten miles. 1t
then became necessary 10 builf cars of
extraordinary Size and strength, and
again, the lines Of railway were selected
in reference to those whose bridges were
known to be the strongest. This whole
cost of cars and transportation FROM Ve.-
mont to Lakeview cemetery was $4,000.
1t cost $1,000 alone to move the big
blocks from the Nickle Plate station up
to the heights where they now rest.
The great work OF shipping and rails
ing this monument was given to COM
pany in whose employ is the master
spirit Of the enterprise, Mr.. w. f. How
land, Of the old Green Mountain state.
He started with the historic cargo on the
cars of his own planning. at Barre, and
will not leave the work till the "piled
granite" is all in its place, overlooking
the valley below, and the blue waters Of
Lake Erie, away il the distance.
He built, here, in the first place, a
monstrols derrick Of the toughest oak
Land the great beams lowered in the air
nearly as high as tina Garfield monument
which is not more than 600 feet away.
| The hoistiDg power then was placed in
this immense contrivance and the two
steel cables that wound around the solid
iron drum, were huilt with breaking
weight Of twentr-ssyen tons each. Yot
by the arrangement OF the machinery
the weight of the obelisk did not fall up
on these two, but was distributed upon
seven cables Of equal sizs and strength.
When the hosting began, and the
monument was invisably rising, because
the motion was so slow, it was as thougf
a hugh giant were tugging to draw {
mountain out at the roots. The iror
handles at which the eight men wpr.
turning were obliged to move 800 fee
in order to move the monument one sin
gle foot. "What is gained in power il
lost in time" is what the books declared
and 1t is an unchanging truth. 1t wa
necessary to hoist that mammoth col
umn perpendicularly in the air to
height OF ten feet above where it rested
when on its blocking. Tho apex Of th
pyramid is 81 feet above the surface Q
the earth where IL stands. 1t tower
| all other monuments in Lakeview, OF
cept the Garfield, in its simple grandeur
Upon the base in large block letter
alone and without ornament in bas n
!, lief, is the name Rockefeller" Littl
/ simple headstones nearby and arount
mark the graves Of members OF the fan
lily. Tie myrtle and the ivy are CROWN
over the dust Of the sleepers below. N
doubt but new tombs will be built II
these, and the whole outlay there, it
said, will mount up toward a million
dollars.
: That flinty and central column vi
stand changeless and unchanged ami
. the sun and the storm Of coming Gel
4 turtles. c. R. T..
& a.-ana ~>..,..v.