The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-04-06
BOStOn's Newest Wonder.


The new Trinity Church in Boston,
built to replace the one destroyed by the
great fire, stands on the so-called Back
Bay, the site, which is almost triangular,
being bounded by Huntington Avenue,
Clarendon and st. James streets. The
general arrangement of the plan is suited
to the shape and position OF the lot, the
structure itself closing the vista of two of
the above named streets. On account OF
this arrangement the central tower, when
viewed from the front, has the advantage
of appearing to belong-asit does-equal-
ly to each of the elevations, and thus
making every side of the church, so to
speak. q front. The chapel and vestry-
rooms are in the base of the triangle, and
separated from the body of the church by
a "cloister." The architecture is Roman
esque, following the style which came
into vogue in some parts OF France during
the latter part of the twelfth and the
early part of the thirteenth centuries.
The principal feature of the exterior of
the edifice is the great central tower,
which is carried up from the foundation
on four massive piers, terminating in a
steep, four-sided roof. These four piers
are supported on as many solid pyramids
of block granite from the center line to
the church floor. They contain about 4 900
cubic feet of masonry, all laid in Port
land cement. The piers themselves are
of cut granite, and the arches which carry
the superstructure of brick in cement are
tied with iron rods at the springing. The
ground on which the church stands,
about 10000 square feet, is all ''made
land" and as a consequence the founda-
tons were very expensive. Four thou
sand seven hundred piles were driven
from fifteen to thirty-five feet, and the
foundation extends from the water-lineto
the sidewalk, thirteen and a-half feet.
The principal material used in the con-
struction of the walls and towers is DIED.
ham granite. The walls are faced with
broken range, quarry faced granite, which
is of light pink or salmon color. The
ground plan of the church is q Latin
cross, with the addition ola semi-circular
apsis to the chancel. The tower roofs
are covered with red tiles from Akron,
Ohio. The hip rolls and crockets are of
terra Gotta. Some of the openings in
the walls have been filed, and the space
left for the introduction of sculptured fig
ures. The height of the walls is so feet,
and of the tower about 100 feet. From
the floor to the top of the arch in the rear
and transept is 81 feet The width of the
nave and transept is "a feet. The extreme
length of the transept is 1879 feet, and of
the nave and chancel 100 feet. There
are three portals opening into the front OF
the church, which faces the west. These
lead into a vestibule 90 feet in width.
From the inside vestibule doors to the
chancel wall the length is 14O feet, the
rest of the depth being occupied by the
chancel. The height of the ceiling under
the central tower is upward of 100 feet
from the floor, and the width Of the tow
er is 4615 feet From the main vestibule,
flights of stairs of easy ascent lead to the
gallery at the western end of the nave,
and by means of arched corridors the
galleries in the north and south transepts
are reached. These latter galleries are also
accessible from entrances on st. James
street and Huntington avenue. The
width of these galleries is twenty feet.
At the south side of the chancel is re-
cess sixteen feet by twenty, in which the
organ is placed, and the choir will &C.
cupy small lodge, which may be re-
garded as a continuation of the south
transept gallery. The organ was built
by Mr.. Roosevelt, of New York, and it
is probably the only large organ that has
ever been built for Boston by New
Yorker. 1t may be said to be five stories
high, the first, in the basement, being
occupied by the bellows, levers and by
drauiic engines (Which supply the wind;
the second story is occ0pied by the two
large bellows and portion of the pedal
organ; the third story contains the great
and swell organs and the remainder OF the
pedal organ the fourth contains the choir
organ; the fifth contains the echo organ,
which is placed over the ceiling OF the
church and connected with the main
BODY of the organ by electricity. The
fronts of the exposed pipes will be highly
ornsmented. The robing room is on the
north side of the chancel. The pulpit
and reading desk occupy positions in
front of and to the right and left of the
chancel. under the central tower. A font
Of slsbaster and marble presented to the
church. stands in the chancel. The
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