PARK AND CEynCTERY 
65 
Figure A. represents a foundation used largely 
in country cemeteries, and is made of prairie or 
cobble stones of various sizes, laid dry to within a 
few inches of the top — a level bed being obtained 
with a layer of mortar. Many masons will advo- 
cate this foundation as being all right, but it is not. 
In the construction of this foundation the stones 
are put in at random, and are merely bedded into 
place with a blow of a heavy hammer or tamper. 
It is impossible to place each stone so that it has 
bearing on the one below, and when the crushing 
weight of the monument is applied to the top there 
is bound to be more or less settling; the top bed 
of mortar cracks in this process and the result is a 
failure. But admitting that you can place the mon 
ument on without settling the foundation, the open 
spaces between the rocks are receptacles for water, 
and above the freezing point there is bound to be 
an upheaval and a settling that will throw the struc- 
ture placed upon it out of plumb. The difficulty in 
using cement mortar with this foundation is to get 
it thoroughly mixed through all the open spaces 
between the stones, and if only a few of these open 
spaces are left it will in time affect the permanency 
of the entire foundation. 
The same argument can be used with equal 
force against the foundation shown in fig. B., which 
is constructed of random quarry stone of various 
ly in the erection of monumental work and they 
have proven failures and must be abandoned. 
In fig. C. a foundation is shown that is faulty in 
construction rather than in materials. The cut shows 
the base larger than the top of foundation and 
slightly elevated above the grade line. A case re- 
cently occurred in one of the Chicago cemeteries, 
in which a foundation of this kind was used and it 
caused an unlimited amount of annoyance. After 
setting the monument the earth was raised in a 
mound around the base, to close the aperture or 
opening underneath; each rain settled and washed 
away this earth, leaving an unsightly space. This 
operation was repeated several times but the earth 
could not be kept mounded up and it finally result- 
ed in compelling the lot owner to raise the entire 
grade of his lot to the base line of the monument. 
Oftentimes this would seriously affect the beauty 
of a cemetery lot, as a couple of inches added to 
the grade of a lot after it has reached a proper grade 
would destroy its beauty entirely. 
In considering a foundation, cost must necessa- 
rily receive attention, yet the small difference be- 
tween the perfect and imperfect construction of the 
same should never stand as a factor against the 
good. Under the heading of perfect foundations 
we would class ist. : dressed stone laid in cement 
mortar; 2nd.: concrete with stone top; 3rd.: vitrifi- 
ed brick with cement mortar; 4th.: stone piers and 
concrete filling. 
To choose between these would be very diffi- 
cult, for if properly constructed they will bear with 
perfect safety any load that can be placed upon 
them, and the adoption of either would depend 
largely on the convenience in securing the material 
and handling. 
In the dressed stone, fig. D., care should be 
taken in the bedding and joints, and the latter 
should be broken regularly as shown in the cut. 
The concrete foundation, fig. E., is given a stone top 
for the reason that in handling a heavy base on it, 
if the concrete has not set perfectly hard it would 
be apt to crumble and crack were it not so protect- 
ed. The concrete is made by crushing stone so 
it will pass through a two inch ring, and the foun- 
dation is commenced by placing a layer of it about 
six inches deep in bottom of foundation. Then 
take I part water lime cement and i part sand. 
