PARK AND CEMETERY. 
16 o 
ENDOWMENT OF PRIVATE MAUSOLEUMS 
Address before the Association of American Cemetery Superintendents at Milwau- 
kee, August 21, by Frank Enrich, Superintendent Woodlawn Cemetery, Detroit 
A few years ago Park and Cemetery 
in an editorial called attention to the 
importance that suitable and compre- 
hensive rules and regulations should be 
established for the proper construction 
of mausoleums and emphasized strong- 
ly the equally important necessity of 
finding ways and means to provide ade- 
quate funds for their future mainte- 
nance. From time to time for many 
years this subject has been before cem- 
eteries ; it has, however, never received 
the earnest thought it should have had 
and therefore very little has been done 
to bring about some action looking for 
the future care of these structures. 
The increasing number of mausole- 
ums going up every year, the sharp 
competition threatening to cheapen 
these structures and the probable in- 
vasion of concrete as a substitute for 
stone are sufficient reasons why ceme- 
teries should no longer show apathy 
regarding this subject, but should give 
it the most thorough and careful con- 
sideration and follow same by such ac- 
tion that will be no hardship on the 
owners and will be a safeguard for the 
stability and permanency of these 
structures. 
There is no doubt that this is at the 
present the most difficult and trouble- 
some problem for cemeteries to solve 
satisfactorily. It is as important or 
even more so than the permanent care 
of the cemetery itself. 
Inasmuch as the cost of future main- 
tenance of such structures will depend 
almost entirely on the materials and 
construction it will be in place here to 
discuss a few important items entering 
in the problem. 
For instance it can easily be under- 
stood that a building constructed of 
large stones with a minimum of joints, 
particularly in the roof construction, 
would require much less repair and 
looking after than one built of numer- 
ous small courses with a multiplicity of 
joints. 
Again a building having a flimsy 
light interior construction of crypts and 
marble lining, the latter usually pinned 
to outer walls with light copper wire 
and Plaster of Paris will require much 
more attention, and much sooner too, 
than one in which the interior is of 
solid material and constructed so that 
it would be self supporting. 
Of vast importance and not appreci- 
ated as much as it should be, is the 
matter of ventilation. 
It has been said and the idea no 
doubt in many buildings carried out, 
that mausoleums should have only dead 
air spaces, and some designers even 
claim that the entire elimination of air 
spaces is the proper thing. 
I think that is a grave error ; my own 
observation and experience have prov- 
en to me beyond all doubt that the 
larger and more air spaces are pro- 
vided and having the proper inlets for 
the atmosphere to enter and permeate 
all of them, the less condensation will 
appear and this will be more quickly 
neutralized, if any does appear. 
There should be an ample air space 
below the floor of every mausoleum to 
which openings should be left passing 
from the air spaces between the outer 
walls underneath the floor, so that all 
of them will communicate. 
I have also found that if the upper 
air inlets are more numerous than the 
lower ones, a more effective current of 
air is produced on the proven theory 
that warm air entering the upper ducts 
will create a draft and draw the cool 
air through the lower ones. 
In designing a mausoleum the fact 
must not be lost sight of that no pro- 
vision can be made for heat. For that 
reason I contend that the next best 
thing to do is to provide liberally for 
air to enter and permeate between and 
through the various parts of the build- 
ing, thus assisting in evaporating moist- 
ure, which the materials usually used in 
mausoleum construction absorb in an 
astonishing degree. 
Adjustable shutters might be used to 
close the exterior air inlets during the 
winter months, to be opened again early 
in Spring. 
I suggest this because we have found 
it beneficial to do so in our Public Vault 
which, without any mechanical appli- 
ances for purifying the air, has shown 
eminently satisfactory results in being 
dry at all seasons of the year. 
In high and dry localities and where 
there are no severe and sudden climatic 
changes, precautions of this kind prob- 
ably would not be needed. 
If, by proper methods of construction 
leakage is prevented, and a dry interior 
is secured by ventilation, the most dis- 
tructive forces affecting the durability 
of a structure have been eliminated. 
It seems to be an admitted fact that 
Granite is the best material for mauso- 
leum construction and no doubt it is. 
In no other material is it possible to 
obtain such large pieces as are often 
required for roofs, etc. This enables 
the designer to make use of large stones, 
particularly for the roof construction, 
thereby reducing the number of joints, 
which is a very important point gained 
for the durability of the structure. 
Complete plans and specifications 
should be prepared embodying every- 
thing that can be devised to produce a 
structure as nearly permanent as pos- 
sible. 
The cemetery authorities after pass- 
ing and accepting the plans must have 
full control of superintending the erec- 
tion, so that every provision made by 
the designer will be faithfully carried 
out. 
When this is all done and the struc- 
ture built according to requirements set 
forth and all precautions have been 
taken to erect a good, substantial build- 
ing, we are still confronted with the 
fact, that it will not stand forever with- 
out some provisions for its preservation 
and care. 
No matter what the initial cost is and 
no matter how well the building is con- 
structed, all this will not be proof 
against or defy the constant and power- 
ful natural forces, which work toward 
dilapidation and decay. 
Some plan must be devised to guard 
against the decay, or at least counteract 
the same and retard it as long as pos- 
sible. 
It is difficult to conceive that a de- 
