The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-06-12

Oh TIC clergy, maze circuit Ol the
building and sprinkled the interior walls
with holy water. Psalms we're chanted
by the chorus during the circuit On
returning to the high altar the Cardinal
WAS clothed In full pontifcal vestments,
and proceeded to celebrate the mass.
The mass celebrated, according to the
rubrics Of the missal, was that Of Pope
Gregory the Seventh.
The grand proportions Of the sacred
cdifice; it's magnificent interior, gorgeous
in polished marble and stained glass
windows OF great beauty; the long pro-
ccssion Of bishops and other clergy, re-
splenden. in their robes of office, who
assisted at the dedicatory rites the glori-
Gus volume Of music which filled every
par. Of the grand ediiice, making the
air vocal with melody; the vast multi
tudc Of people, thrilled with the gran
deur and beauty Of the scene, all com
bined to render it one Of the most
striking religious events ever witnessed
in the Western hemisphere. The most
elaborate preparations that might con-
tribute to the grandeurof the ceremonies
have been in progress for some time past
Thus, for the last three months nearly
one hundred male and female singers
|
| ing the music. Two ch0irs. including
in all two hundred voices, and two or
gans, one in the chanccl and one in the
gallery, contributed the musical part OF
| the ceremonies.
| DESCRIPTION OF TIE CATHEDRAL
| The Cathedral stands on Fifth avenue.
between Fiftyfirs and Fifty second sts.,
! and its foundation was laid in 1855 by
-hc late Archbishop Hughes. The foun-
datiOn rests on bed OF solid rock, in
which excavations therefor had to be
made. At the normal level of the sur
rounding ground rests q chisel dressed
base course of granite. From this
similar i'll architecture to tho stvle OBJ
tanning in Europ,. the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries. The main entrance
on Fifth avenue is twelve fee, deep,
thirty feet wide and embowercG in carved
devices. From columns, with bases and
foliage caps, springs an arch, fringcd
with double row of folated tracerv.
terminating at the apex in mock final.
The gable is panclled with tracerics, and
displays IL shield bearing the arms Of the
diocese in its centre. Over the gable is
crocheted moulding with ornate finals
OF American foliage, and row of inches
to be filled with figures of saints Z feet
6 inches high. Above this is large rose
window, 2G feet in diameter, all of Gothic
tracery in stone, with one hundred shafts
radIating from the centre. The transept
fronts are divided into nave. with side
aislcs. The doors are 25 feet wide by 54
feet high. The windows are 81 by 81
feet high. The transept gables are 175
feet high. Light is admitted into the
Cathedral through 103 windows, the
lower tier 32 feet and the upper IS feet
high. Most of the windows on the lower
tier are donations from the various
churches of the diocese, and some of
them are Of American make. Those of
the nave were ordered by Cardinal Nc
Closkey when he went to Rome.
The subjects of these windows are :
-. Bernard Preaching the Second Cru
sade," "The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence
at Rome," "The Brothers of the Chris
tan doctrine submitting the Statute of
their Order to Pope Benedict Kill" and
the Conversion of Henry of Germany
on the Battlefield" Those capable OF
making comparisons declare that these
windows are equal in point Of art to the
masterpieces of Lovin at the Vatican.
Jerusalem, Belgium or Austria. These
windows, minus transportation or duty,
cost Sl4, 900, and are regarded US one OF
the permanent ornaments OF the city.
The interior is divided into three parts
I--transept, nave and choir-of diimen-
ms as follows: Length of transept.
lao feet; height of nave, l08 feet. The
internal length of the building is 800
feet; breadth, So feet. A series of chap
els, each twelve feet deep, occupy either
side OF the ediHce. The nave is divided
from the aisles by two rows of clustered
columns, sixteen columns in row. The
choir has five bays, and is arranged with
double aisles OH either side of the central
aisle. The area Of the interior of the
Cathedral is 3S, 500 square feet. and the, O
Is standing room for $4,000 people. Four
teen thousand can be accommodated with
seats. The cost Of constructing the Ca
thedral thrs fnr amounts to over 81, ,OOO.-
600, and about S600,0G0 more will be re-
quircd.
Like the windows, the altar is a work
of art. 1t is built in the centre of the
choir, thirteen feet from the eastern wall
of the ediice. The table of the altar is
of white marble, cnd its front and sides
are divided into inches and panels. The
inches have statues and the panels has.
reliefs representing the Passion. The
tabernacle in the centre of the altar is of
the most ornate kind, composed of mo.
.ics and embellished with precious
stones. The door is of bronze, richly
gilt. The screen behind the altar is als,
of marble, and ascends nine feet above
the table level. 1t is inlaid with diaper
work of alabaster, and rests on base
moulding Of blue beige marble. Three
towers finish the limit of the screen, one
in the centre and one at either aide The
spire OF the centre tower is surmounted
with gold cross, which towers high up
towards the ceiling, hnd 10 aIilios: ios. &c
view in the varied lights transmitted
through, the great choir window.