New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-20
GRANT STATUE UNVEILED.
GIFT OF THE G. A. R. TO THE NATION
ACCEPTED.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l

| Washington, May 1s.-The statue Of General
| Grant. presented by the Grand Army Of the Re-
public to the Nation. unveiled in the rotunda
| OF the Capitol to-day, and ceremonies were held
| IN the Hall of Representatives and the senate
Chamber In the presence OF great concourse or
| people, including the widcw. daughter and de-
scendants of General Grant. hundreds Of his COM
rades In arms the officers and committee OF the
G. A. r. and many persons well known in military
| and civic circles.
The statue stands at the east end OF the rotunda
directly In front of Of the twelve huted panels
which decorate the interior of the great hail. and
hanked by the paintings Of The Surrender OF
CORVALLIS at Yorktown" and THE Surrender OF
| Burgoyne at Saratoga" The marble sculpture Is
| the second attempt Of the artist Franklin Sim
! mons, American, whose home for the last ten
| or fifteen years has been in Rome. The figure Is
of heroic size, a moulded PEDESTAL presenting the
! General erect. but In resting position. with his
cloak falling his left arm and his sword heid
loosely by his left hand. The statue represents TWO
years of laborious work the part Of the sculptor
| whose first attempt was not accepted by the JOINT
Committee on the Library Although the first
| statue good likeness Of General Grant, IL
did not present him satisfactorily as he appeared
F.! at the time of the Vicksburg campaign After 1t
rejected a painting secured from MIS-.
Grant, which pronounced an excellent likeness
From this painting and personal description MT
Simmons prepared a model which met the approval
of the Library Committee. This statue has been
highly commended by Mrs. Grant and other men,
bers of the family. and by many veterans VINO were
with Grant at Vicksburg.
Shortly after General Grants death In 1855. Gen
eral s. s. Burdette called together a NUMBER OF
Grand Army comrades and expressed the desire
to have a suitable statue made in honor of their
former commander in chief The suggestion re-
suited In circular being sent to all members or
the Grand Army Of the Republic. at that time num-
bering seventy thousand Something over $1,000
subscribed and the committee in charge
selected Mr.. Simmons for the work.
The Grant Memorial Committee consisted of Cen
eral S. S. Burdette. of Washington, chairman; Cen
eral R. B. Beath. of Philadelphia: General r. A.
Alger, Of Michigan General Selden Connori of
Maine; Colonel E. S, Grant. of Ohio, and Fl. S.
Clark. of Illinois.
The unwilling took place shortly before noon in
the presence of Mrs. Grant, Mrs. Sartoris. Miss
Sartoris. the officers of the G. A R., Speaker Hen
derson and Senator Frye, president pro of the
Senate. The fact of the unwilling was kept secret,
and only a few outsiders witnessed it. There
no ceremonies. Miss sartoris drew the lanyard
that uncovered the statue. Mrs. Grant inspected
It critically. and smiled her approval.
EXERCISES IN THE HOUSE.
The ceremonies in the House consisted of adj
dresses by Mr.. McCleary. of Minnesota Mr.. Gros-
venor. of Ohio; Mr.. Richardson. of Tennessee: Mr.
Warner. of Illinois; Mr.. Linney of North Carolina;
Mr.. Gardner. of Michigan; Mr.. Brosus, of Penn
sylvania, and Mr.. Dolliver. of Iowa. The gallery
opposite the Speakers rostrum had been reserved
for the G. A. r., and crowded with veterans
In the arena in front of the Speakers desk sat
the officers of the G. A. R. and the committee ap-
pointed by the Grand Army Encampment at Phila-
And and her . family were Mrs. Grant her daughter
Miss Sartoris and Miss Grant, a daughter Of Gen.
eraI F.: d. Grant Exactly at u Speaker Hen
chaplain the committee of the Grand Army, among
sha% general fns IN ehe b9st
f bins senior enG the N cbi chief Rob
into the SaI Ho"le IN chief j. L. Grimm was
IA After s the Speaker had announced the order of
ad read on hbTafg sent to the clerks desk
s SEM the statue of General Grant to the Ma
t1on 1t was as follows:
In accordance with the joint resolution ito ac-
r a statue and pedestal Of the late General
Of he G4and xTmx Agggs "a 1890 the
end have caused such statue to be executed and
Capitol The statue is an original work modelled
BY BY Franklin Simmons the American artist. having
and purpose of this memorial work seems proper
the Union armies. including Generals Sherman and
Seen nto Meade Of P he A r. having
of He its badge on all proper
nally mingled with its membership It Was, there
fore. at Mount McGregor, n. Y, July g. 1855 that
their gTe With that of ali their cogn Te sh66MG
desire in some SPECIAL manner to sisnalize their
the great services he had rendered 10 his country
Ae cor E,. sepem NIB "a 1855 the then
cnaq letter tn chef 6 6 of s and cir
order. suggesting the creation of a fund by volun-
Tom any no @ to 1 be re-
stated in the circular, the erection of a rnonl-
motive of display Shall be in Keeping With h the
simplicity of the life and character Of our great
mend it TO the care of the Nation. and thus
through all succeeding generations be our memorial
as well as monument to his fame" At the sue
ceeding National Encampment the project was
laid laid before it. met with It's hearty commenda-
plishrnent BY directions Of succeeding National
encampments the work continued until the
the Capitol H. and s6 Is now presented for your
ferings OF than seventy thousand Of his com
rades, most of whom had served in the field under
their conrade in the later days Of peace In nth their
behalf, who now survive commit this semblance
ton whose walls he helped to make stronger re-
joicing in the knowledge that the memories it will
cord through all coming time.
The letter was signed by the Committee of the
G. A. R
Mr.. McCleary offered the following resolution
which adopted
b Res9 Dive by the House CHE Senate coRcurring
Army Of the Republic for the statue of General
Resolved. That the statue be accepted and placed
In the Capitol, and that cory of these resolutions
Representatives and the Senate be orwaPdd to- to-
the chairman of the committee of the Grand Army
of the Republic on the Grant memorial.
At the close of the addresses as a further mark
OF respect to the widow of General Grant his
daughter and grandchildren and the Grand Army
of the Republic. the House adjourned.
were occupied in accepting from the Senate Of Ms
souri, statues of Thomas II. Benton and Francis p
Grand Army of the Republic the statue of General
Grant.
OIL REFINERY BURNED.