The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-01-28
Flf,h Avenue Cathedral.
Description OfEsse FINEST Church Ed
lice, "a far Completed, in
IEe E'uifeG States.

IEe tiBAAS7 STATES
The great Roman Catholic Cathedral. COW
ering the cGuIe square between Filth and
Madison avenues aud Fftieth and Fifty
first streets. New York city, is rearing its
vast proportions above the ground level with
increased rapidty The entire square of the
ground occupied by the edifce proper is
one and a half acres. The huge enterprise,
commenced about five years ago. during the
lifetime of Archbishop Hughes, is now pro-
crossing towards completion as rapidly as
circumstances will admit, under the direction
of Arch bishop McCioskey. The time esti-
mated to finish this work is about twenty
years. AT present considerably over one
hundred men are employed in quarrying,
stone-cutting, masonry, and general labor
The marble used is quarred at Peasantville,
on The Harlem Railroad. and is bought on
rhe premises by special branch track. 1t
is of the very best quality for building pur-
poses, being Of fine, large crystals, OF an
even consistency and uniform color. Some
of the blocks are very heavy, weighing from
ten TO fifteen tons each.
The walls have now reached the height of
fifty -four feet to Uhe triforum, and are ready
to receive the cornices and parapet. Next
seasod the columns for the clear story and
the arches will be reared the entire front
wall will also be completed. The transepts
are now finished. The large gothic windows,
some twenty feet above the ground level,
are all finished. and indicate the grandeur
Of the flood of light that they will admit
through gorgeous stained glass. The mul-
lions. traceres, etc, are all very delIcately
and beautifully wrought, but are not to be
compared to the greater upper windows IN
the clear story yet TO bc.erected.
& 81, l.
be cleaned from these items. The distance
from the floor to the ceiling is to be 10 feet.
The ediice is cruciform in shape it is 185
feet wide at the transepts, and $50 feet in
length. There will be two towers and two
spires, each $50 feet high-the ground length
ol the building.
The side walls are between three and four
feet thick the tower walls between twelve
and fourteen feet thick; the clear story walls
are to be three feet thick. About 5000, 900
have already been expended, and 81 500, 600
will he required for its completion. The
grand central entrance on Fifth avenue, late
ly completed. Is marvel of stately beauty
and architectural finish, 1t is 20 feet in
height, 33 feet in width, with opening doors
% by Is in dimensions. The marble work
is most eaborately y wrought. Rich carvings
the archepiscopal coat of arms, the mitre.
keys, &c, form the keystone place; lilies of
the valley, grapes Of Eschol grains. of wheat,
wreaths of ivy, myrtle, olive branches, etc,
ornament the sides. Incomplete as it is in
every part, already the cathedral is a thing
of wondrous and fairy like beauty. Its
grand doorway is marvel Of art; its walls
ike carveu snow in their purity, and with
infiute graces are blended in their butresses
aud pillars massive strength with ethereal
lightness Of effect. Inside the walls the pic
ture is a strange one. Much Of the ground
is grass grown, and piles of debris, masses of
carved blocks OF marble, mountains of brick
and cement cover the earth here aud there
Work Is going on, hut in lazy, dreamyssort
of way. There is no hurrying crowd of
workmen there are no uuseemly noises Of
pulling engines, creakiug derricks, and
shouting iaborers. a single. lonely looking
horse sedately lounges along a path prepared
for him. slowly hosting up bricks and NOR
tar to the men at work on the interior por-
tiou of the walls yoke Of patient oxen,
and still more patient driver, Ianguidly move
big blocks Of marble hither and thithar on
a low sledge. There is no haste tie men
work as those who work for all time, and
propose to take all time to do it in. One
has an almost irresistible inclination 10 lie
down and so to sleep somewhere about the
place. The loudest noise to wake him, if he
did, would be the chirping of the countless
sparrows chirping about, and his dreams
would inevitably be of ghostly ruins in a
land Of eternal rest and silence. When com
pete, however. it will be the fnest church
editice in America.-Scientitic american.