Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-06-19

ilnDnuInenI III the NaLlOHd. NeLIlStSFy
erected by the State of New Jersey
in memory of her patriot dead.
mis- monument carries with it a
history that the city of Beverly
Should justly be proud of. At the
/ aIiual meeting of the town com
mi. tee in the spring of 1871, the
following resolution was adopted,
Resolved, That committee of five
be appointed to devise some way and
means of erecting a monument in the
National Cemetery at Beverly and re-
port at the next town meeting.
At the town meeting of 1872, the
cClnmittee failed to report, was dis
Urged and another appointed,
wlich prepared bill and presented
| it to the Legislature asking for an
appropriation from the state. The
&C nnmittee then visited Washington,
Baltimore, Gettysburg, Harrisburgh
ard Brooklyn to examine monu-
ments and fit themselves for the re-
81 onsible duty of selecting plans.
Upon their return they advertised
fer plans and specifications from
pr acticle stone cutters, such as they
would agree to complete for $4,000.
The plans offered were opened for
inspection in Burlington in July. 1873,
ard it was found that the plans offer
ed by Messrs. VanGunden & Young,
OF Philadelphia, SO exceeded those of
competing bidders that they were
adopted.
The contract having been made
for Italian Marble, Mr.. VanGunden
sailed for Italy, and after exhibiting
h plans to the quarrymen and CIV
linz the size of the blocks desired,
ItEey told him that he had undertake
len an irnpossibility. That such
bucks had never been quarried in
Italy, and that it was impossible.
| Finally a block was obtained from
TIE quarries of Rabbicciona, $500
feet above the sea level. This block
uron being split off, fell 500 feet
al d broke in two pieces, the larger
OF which made the lower five sec
tions of the monument and the
smaller made the balance, so that the
entire monument is of uniform ma
tie ial without streak or bleamish
to mar its beauty.
The statue was cut by one of the
best sculptors of Italy and is per-
feet piece of art. After completion
new difficulty arose. The single track
cars of that country were not strong
enough to carry the blocks, and
weeks of earnest argument and man
| ipulation were required to get
Italian railroad officials to obtain
stronger cars from the Roman road.
Then again a thorough course of red
tape to get right of way for the
train as the blocks were SO wide that
trains could not pass each other on
the single track, On arrival at the
port of LegRorn another great diff
Guilty had to be surmounted, that of
finding vessel with hatchway
big enough to admit the blocks. FL
nally one was found and the monu-
nent started on its way bound for
New York or the bottom of the sea.
Upon the arrival in New York, the
monument was re-shipped on two
canal boats to this city. There being
no appliances at this city during
those days for unloading, the U. S.
Navy Department was called on and
loaned two spars to unload the blocks
safely on the wharf.
Then came the greatest tug of all,
transporting them to the cemetery,
Sixteen noble horses were brought to
this city from Philadelphia, and by
almost superhumane efforts the work
was finally accomplished by the cool
beaded skill of John Conner. of Phil
adelphia, then a well-known rigger,
: II Of its parts now stand erect upon
the base forming one united whole
Grand and beautiful proportions, an
honor to the brave soldiers and sail
ors wh0s died in the service of the
State and Nation; an honor TO the
state who so revers and remembers
her dead and an especial honor to the
contractors who so persevered thru
all discouragements, notwithstanding
the fact that they had made q sad
mistake in their estimates, and had
Eoutlayed three thousand dollars more
E.,,anev thAn thnu rn1eni vad f0adIn-