The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-12-02
TIE GREAT NEW YORK CATHEDRAL.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE MAaNIFI.
CENT EDIFICE.
New York Herald.


coming to accomplish the remain der of the
design, which lie pure Gothic. The main
exterior of the cathedral, the root In
cluded, is already hnlshed, and all that
remains to be built up outside are the tow
ers on the Fifth Avenue front, the parapes
around the aide aisles, and the plnnacles 10
connection Herewith. The grading of the
surrounding land will be the last piece OF
labor. and that will not involve much cost.
Standing within the main aisle OF the cath
edral, the impression it gives is one OF har-
monious vastness. The great clustering
of Notre Dame in Paris, have nothing like
the appearance of bulk or heaviness as the
pillars of Notre Dame have. They do not
seem in the leaet to interfere with the view,
and though each section OF pillar weighs
eight tone, they look as light and graceful
in the coup d'oeil as so many single slender
columns of about twelve inches in diam
eter.
APPEARANCE OF THE INTERIOR
The whole interior at the present mo-
ment is covered with ecaholdiDg, which at
the extreme elevation of the ceiling re-
sembles a spiders web, 80 great is the
height of the roof from the ground floor.
The plasteriug appears to have been
almost entirely done, and the coloring OF
the ceiling, intended to give it the appear
ance of stone, was the only work going ON
| in the afternoon of yesterday. it has a
triforium like Notre Dame away near the
spring of the roof, but it ia hardly likely it
will ever be used in these modern days for
| the same purpose it was Intended in the
early time of Gothic ecclesiastical archi-
lecture. There will be at least ten side
chapels, and the main altar will have
space around it, giving ample room for
large and impressive effects in the matter
of decoration.
THE FINEST SITE ON THE ISLAND.
| 10 he
happiest selection on the whole island. 1t
caps the highest point of the ridge on
Fifth Avenue, aud when New York ia built
up will form the very centre OF the city
The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Montreal
| and the celebrated cathedral in Mexico have
hitherto put in rival claims ior pre-. em'
nence as ecclesiastical structures on the
continent of America (; but, though each In
its own way is vast and imposing, neither
can attempt to compare in beauty OF mate
rial and design with that on Fifth Avenue
In the moonlight, with all the exquisite
tracery of it's eide windows ana iacaoe
softened and relieved, there is nothing or
earth that SO vividly yecalls the saying o.
Nine. de Stael that architecture is frozer
music. The raising of this temple TO the
worship of God has been, like most efforts
lin the same line of the Catholics in thi
country, slow and painful, ooona as 81,
The money has come in in rather slug
gish stream, but none the less surely, ant
the cathedral will inevitably be finished
and prove the greatest ornament OF th'
city.
| DRALS.
On the east end of the building severa
large boilers for heating purposes are beinl
= placed in position. Contrary to the Prac
. tice in Europe, this cathedral will hav
regular rows of pews, the came as In an!
of our city churches. The European catn
edrals have been built in a gre g. measure o
government expense, and can aHord e
dispense with a revenue from pews; bn
one like this, which has been ra1eed cnien.
by the money of the poor and musG con
tinue to be sustained from the same source
cannot afford to neglect its opportunities q
demand o price for the choice seats Wltnll
, it's magnificent precincts from the richie
members of its congregation. lts accom-
, modstion will be at least ten thousand. On
year from now, it is expected, should tn
, money not fail. the towers on the FIft
Avenue front-395 feet high-wiii be com
pleted. Half of the stained glass WIN
! dows, presents from individuals and socie
, ties, have been placed in position, and som
: gorgeous specimens are now in couree o
preparation to fill the remaining half.
l THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS.
3 The lives of the four evaDgelists, Mat
r thew, Mark, Lake and john, are Illustrate
in the four transept windows: over tn
t south transept door the leading incidents u
}. the life of st. Patrick, the gift of the oil
t cathedra to the new, are represented, an
in the corresponding window of the mort
}, transept the striking features that marke
n the career of the Blessed Virgin are por
g trayed from the visitation of the b.apsf aDgf
q Gabriel to her translation to neaVeL
d window No. /, on the north side, the gil
It of Mr.. Bernard McKenna, represents 9Th
Q Three Baptisms," by fire, water, and swore
and is strikingly vivid picture. Windo
g No. 2, on the same side contains very bri
! liant sketch of st. Bernard preaching tn
@ second crusade for the recovery of the hoI
It places in Palestine, gift to the cathedr'
II from the diocese of Rochester. Windo
" No. 3, contributed by the Society of Chril =
= tian Brothers, and made, like nearly all tt
% rest, in Chartres, in France, represen
g Pope Gregory giving La Sale, after whol
famous railroad town in Illinois Is no
j. called, his commission to preach the Gosp
to the Western Indians. Window No.
y containing the Martyrdom of st. Law
as rence,D is q strangely fascinating arrang
Id .oont of liohE and color. The sal