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From: carolyn <>
Subject: A FORTUNE FOR A TOMB (THE FLOOD MAUSOLEUM)
Date: Sun, 03 Apr 2005 09:33:13 -0700


Brooklyn Eagle- June 7, 1890

A FORTUNE FOR A TOMB

The Millionaires of California Building Fine Mausoleums

What it Will Cost to Find A Fitting Resting Place for the Floods- To
Sleep in a Peripteral Ionic Temple- Competing With the Crockers and the
Fairs.

A contract was signed yesterday for the construction of a magnificent
mausoleum in Laurel Hill Cemetery for the Floods, and work upon it will
commence in a few days and be persecuted steadily by a large force of
men for year, when it will be finished. For several days past persons
interested in the construction of the mausoleum have been staying at the
Palace Hotel.

The mausoleum is to be finer that the beautiful one lately completed by
James G. Fair and equal to that of the Crocker family. It will cost at
least $100,000.

It will be modeled after the Jay Gould mausoleum, but in beauty of
structure will, it is stated, even surpass it. Its form is to be that
of a peripteral Ionic temple, and it will be constructed of California
material and almost entirely of granite. The only other material used
will possibly be a little marble along the margins for the receptacles
for the dead. Even this will be dispensed with, if possible, and
artistically worked granite will be substituted.

The mausoleum will be constructed on the Flood lot, immediately to the
east and adjoining that of Mr. Fair, fronting, as his does , on the
avenue. The lot has a frontage of 33 feet and a depth of 41 1/2 feet.

The great tomb will be about 32 feet long and 20 feet wide, and will
reach to a height of 20 feet. There are to be twenty-eight columns,
each being a perfect polished piece without joint, and unmarred in any
way. The cells will be 10 feet 8 inches in height, with an angle or
vuluto caps on all sides.

The keystone to the arch will be block 10 1/2 feet square by 14 inches
thick, and weighing 20 tons. The front and rear pendants will each be
heavier even that this, being 16 feet long, 4 1/2 feet wide and almost 3
feet in thickness.

The temple will have what is known among architects as the tetra styled
portico, pedimented a each end and facing the east and west
respectively. There will also be a projecting portico of the same kind
in the center of each flank, facing north and south. Within the latter
is to be the entrance to the vestibule or cells, a flight of six steps.
The receptacles for the bodies will be on either side of the vestibule,
at the east and west ends.

When completed the mausoleum will in the interior have the effect of a
great mirror, as its granite sides and even the floor, which will be of
granite, will be as smooth as glass. The dome, in its interior, will be
of paneled and curiously carved granite.

James L. Flood, president of the Nevada Bank, was seen yesterday in
regard to the monument by a reporter, He said the mausoleum had been
for some time contemplated and that the family had just settled on all
the details.

"There have been many who wished to supply the material, " said he, "but
after looking all around we thought that no better was to be had
anywhere than right here in California. We have therefore decided to
use the handsome light gray granite from Rocklin, in Placer County. It
is almost the same kind of stone used in the mausoleum now under way be
the Crockers. In fact this granite is obtained from a quarry only a
little distance away. The California stone is, I think finer grained
and handsomer than any I have inspected from the East. We received a
great many specimens from quarries in different parts of the country,
along them some from Westerly, R. I., but after thinking it all over we
decided that this was, all things considered, about what we wanted."

Mr. Flood was reluctant to go into the full details, but said in a
general way that the mausoleum would be the finest in California.

Cornelious O'Connor, in speaking about it afterward, said that it would
be the finest of any on the western half of the continent. It seems
that ever since the death of her father Miss Jennie Flood has devoted a
great deal of time to visiting and inspecting various tombs. William
Patton, the architect, after consulting with the family and spending
some time in studying what they wished, finished the plans a few days ago.

Yesterday the contract for the construction of the mausoleum, which is
to be a monument for al the West as well as to those who are having it
built, was let to Messrs. Degan & Oxford. They will begin work on it
very soon, and, as Mr. Degan said, will push it as rapidly as possible.

The mausoleum, as as first constructed, will have receptacles for six
person, or for as many as constitute the Flood family. When the
monument is completed the remains of Mr. Flood will be transferred from
the O'Brien vault to their permanent resting place.
San Francisco Chronicle
==========================================================

I was delighted to find a picture of the Flood Mausoleum in _City of
Souls_- and the good news that the mausoleum was moved to Cypress Lawn
in 1906. Amazing.

The net is full of information on Laurel Hill/ Lone Mountain, etc. but I
had not seen this one before:


LAUREL HILL CEMETERY v. CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, 216 U.S.
358
(1910)http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=216&invol=358


Best, Carolyn


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