The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1864-11-21

formance those who had taken part in the prores.
sion ware seated within shc Sanctuary. The must
cal perfcsmsnocl Of ,bis MAS was grand ncyoud |
description. An orohes,rs Of th,rty.fcuv pieces |
together with seventy select voices ell cf the high.
est degree of proficiency. rendered. II In style OF
,he hisher musical excellence.
Ater the Performance Of the mass, the Right
Rev. Archbishop apauldins, delivered the dsdicA.
tory sermon, which concluded these mos, Interest
ing. solemn and impressive ceremonies His et
wAs taken IRON Ephssisns 9th chapter and 22d to
2s verses, inclusive.
The sdn,irabe sermon u N ishor Spsuldins We
arc compelled 10 om,, for v ant Of spscc-Ed sus.l
Thus wss consecrstei ~ religious worship the
grande-s church edihce In the Untcd sta.es . ca
hcdrsl that Is not ony Important ss an Indication
Of the advancement Of tho cause Of religion. but as
| . monument Of art that will survive long after
This generation have passed away.
DESCRIPTION or rHs BuiLpISa.
The great WORK Of building the Csihedi al was
inausursted under the administration OF the late
Bishop Kendrich. of baltimore, and sss desisnsd
| " bc the largest and most imposing religious
structure In the United States tuhke grea, ma
jorty ~ the churches in ,hs country, the money
| Involved In It's erection WAS wholly contributed by
the Catholic lsity o. Phlsdephi, i,-who wcrc mainly
Of the poorer classes and NOT . cent ~ the vaet
cost, agsrees,ins about q million dosrs has becu
| donated by others As the work progressed tho
money wM obtained hy periodical collections
barely enough TO ray the current expenses. and
| the number of Ahorcrs employed Wa made de-
| pendent ON these small receipts. Thus by the sc-
oulnulation of driblets-amost PENNIES tho work
steadily but slowly progressed Year after year
| ia ~ r. A.
the devotion Of the Catholic iaty, and to-day 1t
| stands the nobest architectural monument In the
| city 81 Rrotherly Love, and with the exception of
tho great Cathedral In the City Of Mexico tie most
| magnificent religious edhce IN the New World.
| Standing on elevated ground. fronting on Logan
squars, tho new Cathedral raises is iosy dome
| high above any other structure In Phadephis. A.
| . stranger approaches the city, no maitcr from
what point or In what direction. he the tower
ing spre, surmountcd with its gldei cross, stand
ing in bold relief against the sky, ~ pointing the
three .fourths of million of human beings sur
rounding II 10 that 'hous' not made with hands
eternal In the heavens" But 20 gain full sppre
citation of i,s noble grandeur, and 70 obtain true
Idea of ia imPosing appearance, closer o'sorva'
ton IA necessary. From Logan square u prevents
sight which 10 equallcd only b, the magnificent
church edihces which constitute tie leading artf-
cis attractions of Europe. The structure impr'sscs
, the hcholder with commngled admiration for IL
eAuty and vensration for the noble cause n roll
son, To which u 10 cons~rnt-d. II 'e magnificent
yet not gaudy: elegant in artistic design yet r,,g
ges'ive n something higher--of immortality. The
mzsyiyencss OF lis conH,r'icton, and the frnncss
with which its immense brown stone walls stand
upon their foundations 10 Nrikingly noticeahie and
marks the edifce as structure that will stand
through the coming ages, whom all the vast throng
that surround IL to-day will have returned t. dust
| The general form Of the cathedral ~ oblcng and
IN n" form n cross being two hundred and
sixteen feet long by one hundred and thlr,y-s'N
feet wide. The longer piece of this cross ia one
hundred ami n.ne'y-iwo isct IN length, mud Oh.
shorter one hundred aIi twenty eight feet each
telng nifty feet wide. From the ground to the top
Of the buldug proper is little more than one
hundred feet, and " the top of the dono two
hundred and ten feet. The dome, At the base, is
seventy -ons feet in diameter the wallis arc ten
feet thick, and from here II rsea ~ numerically
contracting gradually until the apex il reached,
and the eye rest. upon the gded cross which sur
mounts II, At distance that makes the head dizzy
Hut the exterior II the cathedral only prepares the
, mind tor the grandeur and imPfersvensss OF the
interior. On entering the beautifully arched door
/. way, scene strikes the beholder, which, for mag
nihcence aud subimi'y, has rsrely been oqualled
Unlike most church build ngs, there ere no side
windows the sdlhcc being light"i and VENTILATED
solely rom the top. From the ample skS lights ar
abundant food Of light falls bringing the splendid
, anisc design Of tho intsro'' the elegant fresct
work ard the GORGEOUS decorations plAiniy inS
view. Tho nave or longer portion Of the building
In torisrrd on each side with q row "f massive p'l
lar- ten tect square, supporting the vaulted cell
/ iug NJ n dislsnce of eighty 'ect from the GROUND
hoor, These pillar: are surronhdea by M:e =
forty.wo feet, nre q number Of small doInes, eacl
having window In the top with small s's'ne'
. glass centre.
IN, dimensions of the sanctuary are ffty by for
Y ty.six feet, the floor bang imposed OF eLutfn
white marble, the blocks n which arc arran. ed II
such . manner as 10 give IL highly pleas ng effect
Enclosing the sanctuary II ~ ling, also ~ marble
0 AMI polishod TO the highest possible degree Tn
alter Ia not vet completed, aud . temporary struc
tur. was improvsed for the consecrshon cereinon
ie, According to the plan upon which u Ia beni
con.tr,cted, however, snd the grandeur Of the de
n cor,tons with which /, 10 TO lie surrounded, IL vii
| bc we'll in keeping with the msgni hcence and sol
smnity which impresses tue beholder with re
Q eari 10 every part of Inc wonderful edifce. O
tho Interior Of cach end Of the rsnsepL shorter
AVN ~ the lMildinR IL = large and beautiful paint
u INC thu, on the North snd beng the Nativity O
= birth of Christ and hat on the South end the Al
a | grafton of tbe Wis. Men Il the Fast The pictur
| of the Nativity repr., ents the Chld Jesus reain
y In the arms ri the VirHn; and far ia the distanc
n the Star Oi Bethlehem appears IN the Leavens al
q the shepherds are zen peacefully watching thci
focks In the second painting the wise men Or
seen howing low before the bs . and placing st hi
= feet heir gif of ointment, gold and precious stones
d The Crucf zion the en- Ieni of the Roman CAtht
lie crred-i. represented the eastern side OF th
longer arm ot the building. A. the foot OF u
/, cross the Virgin, Mary MApdalen and the Apostle
- are n ,rtrsyc.i, and he vinegar cup and rpona
clearly d,scernhle Far rtove this Id Anoths
= painting representing tie Father, surrounded b
lf the heavenly thTong looking down ht the sutiern
N Son, who ID d ing 'Or the redemption OF a sinfl
world Ard still higher iE seen the symbolic
dove representing the Holy Ghost-the three pain
X ings te ng typical of the Father, the Son. and ti
D. Holy GhOst-the Trinity, upon which 10 found'
=, tho faith OF all Christian denominations flesid
% these leading paintings other desigus are inte
d ,,ersed in tie trescoinp throughout the hui lin