Mount Auburn Cemetery

349

Nov^r 10 [186]6

Hon. Nath^l Silsbee, Treas^r Harv^d Coll.

Dear Sir,

I have carefully inquired into the matter of complaint of Geo. M. Folsom, contained in the enclosed note, respecting the alleged breaking of the Damon Monument on "Harvard Hill" and have learned from the Superintendent, whose statements are [?] by others having proper means of knowledge, that the monument was observed prostrated what a year or more [?] on the next day after a fierce northwest gale which blew down a large pine tree within a hundred and fifty feet of this monument, tearing the tree out by the roots. The stump of the tree still remains there in position as it fell. Both the tree and monument fell in the same direction -- up hill, i.e. the S.E. -- The Superintendent feels confident that the gale prostrated the stone.

Not so much for curiosity, as to examine the form and strength of this stone, I determined to visit the spot: and this I was unable to do until yesterday, which must be my apology for so long delay in making a written reply to the charge. Having stated to you some time since the Superintendent's method of accounting for it

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I found the tree & stone fallen as stated by Capt Winsor. The Stone is in Gothic style, surmounted by a cross, had stood on a base made tapering upwards to the height of 15 or 16 inches, terminating in an oblong socket of about 2 inches in depth, [to receive?] the bottom of the tablet. The tablet is say 2 or 3 inches thick, four feet three inches high and two feet wide, and differs but little from an ordinary grave stone in the surface which it presents and its capacity -- for resisting a strong wind: excepting that its [single?] position on the base rendered it more liable to be blown down.

The Stone appeard to have fallen nearly clean from the bottom of the socket, and in its fall to have broken in two in the middle. A portion of the stone however was left in the socket, which I took out with my fingers and have brought along & send you, to let you see the nature of the stone as to the strength of materials. I think you will perceive that Capt Winsor did not overstate the matter, when he said that a weaker or meaner stand he never saw wrought into a monument.

Mr Folsom's informants should state his means of knowledge, when he says that the "workman at Mount Auburn have broken and infused the monument". So far as I can learn, this statement was made from an inference that no work was going on last summer