Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-09-02


Archbishop Hughes, of New York, la
commenced the construction in that city
the most imposing Cathedral on the Amer
lean continent. The ceremony of laying
the corner stone took place on Sunday, the
18th, and the eoncourse of people is esti
mated by the Times at one hundred thou
sand. The new st. Patrick's Cathedra
will stand on the block of ground bounded
by Fifth and Madison avenues, and by
Fiftieth and Fifty first streets, and it is 10
be raised some FIVE feet above the level OF
the sidewalk, and surrounded by terrace.
In his address, the Archbishop stated that
aoDe hundred and three persons had sub
scribed, and many of them had already
paid, $1,000 each to carry forward the great
work of the new Cathedral, during the first
year of its progress. Subjoined is de-
scription of the building as furnished by
the Architects, Messrs. Renwick and Rod
rigue:
The building is to be Gothic structure,
on the plan of Latin cross, 32S feet long
and ITS feet wide. On each corner of the
west front there are to be towers, the north
tower TO be capped with high pointed
ROOT, and the southern one to bear lofty
openwork spire 333 feet in height from the
epavement to the cross. A nocle porch,
: deeply recessed, and fringed with long pen
: dants, will ocupy the space between the
towers; above this will rise the gable, to
.the height of $50 feet from the ground,
ornamented with a large rose window.
At a distance of twenty-three feet from
the centre, immense buttresses will rise
on the sides and rear; these are to be con-
structed of solid masonry, and will sustain
the arches and vaulted roof; they are to
terminate with foliated pinRacles and sup
port the walls of the elerestory with grace
full flying buttresses. Between each but
tress in The side aisles and clerestory will
be richly traceried windows The church
is to be entered by seveal flights of marble
steps:
The material is not yet decided on
The Archbishop desires the building to en-
dure as long as any human work can last,
and the Architects have been engaged in
testing the merits of different kinds of stone
during the summer.
Entering the church by the western
porch, forest of tall marble columns will
meet the eye. Fifty-seven clustered shafts
will support the groined roof and bear the
arches which divide the aisles. Nothing
will intercept the view, and from the door
to the aspe which terminates the church,
the high altar, approached by three flights
ofsteps, will be the only CONSPICUOUS object
to break the perspective. On either side
Of the altar there are to be chapels large
enough to seat an ordinary congregation,
and between each of the buttresses of the
nave, which project outwards sixteen feet,
will be small chapels, giving larger and
more airy appearance to the church.
The vault of the roof will be of masonry;
the only one of any size in the United
States. No pews are TO cucumber the
floor; the seats will be either free, or, more
probably, chairs will be let out for each
service after the manner of the French and
Italian churches. Behind the high altar
is TO be chapal of Our Lady; there will
be no cellar or crypt. The building rests
on solid rock, and the floor will be simply
leyeled off and paved with marble.
The Cathedral was designed by James
Renwick, Jr., and has been his constant
study for upwards of eight years. The
foundation will be completed this Autumn.
and next Summer the work will be push
ed on vigorously. In three years from
this day part, al lest, of the editico will be
sufficiently forward to allow of the celebra
tion of the services of the church. Its in
was commensurate with the
design.