The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-20
A BIG CATHEDRAL ORGAN.
The Immense Instrument in the Church at
Garden City.

The Irnmense Instrument in the Church at
Garden City.
New York Times.
The largest organ in the world with the ex
ception of the one in Riga, Russia is in the
Cathedral of the Incarnation at Garden City. Its
capabilities were tested yesterday afternoon by
Mr.. George w. Morgan who gave an interesting
recital before large number of ladies and gem
tlemen. The instrument which was built by Mr.
Hilborne l.. Roosevelt, is distributed in four dis
tlnct and widely separated localities of the Ca
thedral, although the whole is under the control
OF one performer, through the agency Of
an electric action In an octagonal chamber,
built for the purpose in the angle formed by the
transept and chance walls, is the largest por-
ton OF the instrument The organ is here
divided into floors. or stories, and In the base
ment are the engine. counter shaft, etc. Above
this, on floor of brick and iron, are the bellows
and the wind chest, on which rest the 32foot
pipes The great organ wind chest, with that
for the reeds and mixtures of the pedal organ.
are on the next level and then follows the
swell organ, and, above all, the choir Each of
the three manual windchests is furnished with
Its own auxiliary reservoir, or regulator
where the wind is reduced to the pressure
needed for that department.
In the tower at the western end of the Cathe
dral is the next important division of the organ.
In this room, which is fifteen feet square, and is
high enough to admit of one windchest being
supported above another, are placed parts of the
great, swell, and pedal organs and the whole of
the solo organ, the second of these being above
the first, the third at one side. and the fourth at
the back. In the chapel beneath the Cathedral
Is the third section, which is provided with cla
viers of its own, so thatt may be made indie
pendently available for chapel purposes. This
comprises part of the choir organ, divided here
between two manuals and two of the pedal stops
It's tone rises into the church through the
different staircases and the distance lends
cnchantment to the sound. The last part con-
siSts OF the echo organ and one pedal stop, which
is placed between the ceiling and the roof, above
the intersection of the nave and transept. The
mysterious source of the tones produces in
teresting effect. The vox humana sounds are es-
pecially realistic
Steam power is used in initiating the bellows.
One engine is placed beneath the chancel divis-
ion to supply it with compressed air, and another
beneath the tower to operate the bellows of the
chapel division, the tower division, and the mag
neto machine which generates the electricity
All the wires used in making the electric con.
nections OF che instrument, stretched cut in
continuous circuit, would extend over a distance
Of twenty one miles This summary will give
an idea of the resources of the instruments
es Fly Sss
Choir organ. % 1,444IPedal organ. 20 65I
Total. -..................115 1882
There are couplers, IL mechanical accesso-
ries Ii adjustable combination pedals, ventil
pedals and miscellaneous pedals.
The recital given by Mr. Morgan brought out
many of the fine qualities of this noble instru-
ment. and the organist himself afterward
praised it warmly. Lemmens Storm Fantasia"
with its peals of thunder made some timid fair
ones glance out of the open Cathedral door at
the clear blue sky to see if perchance summers
storm had not overtaken them unawares.
Schumann nocturne and pastoral by Kul-
lax elected the softer. sweet tones and delicate
effects of the instrument, and Mr.. Morgan also
entertained his hearers with the intricacies Of a
Bach fugue The chorus from 'The Messiah"
For Unto Us Child Is Born" ended the re-
cital, but several listeners wanted to hear more
and made Mr.. Morgan play half an hour longer
AS that gentleman had been playing with little
interruption since o'clock in the morning, he
was hardly sorry when the 5o'clock train started
for Long Island City. There is some talk Of
holding series of organ rectals at the Cathedral
this summer, and getting special rates from the
Long Island railroad for persons who would like
to run out to Garden City for the afternoon.