The Irish standard., 1890-12-27

w
Upon bhe sisi es lie 81 IL of
Is repeal ed with the same mi
| widths, but with ii more sober Sorlla &
tation. There are fpur snal Her clp
26 feet 10 diameter and LAB feet j
height, fanked by little turrets, and ia
large central dome 30 feet in diensts1I
| and 223 feet high The drums Of tlaeg
smaller cupolas are octagonal i'd shape NJ
while that ofsthe central dome is circula1.
in form. sass
Then comes two rows OF windows, and
above frieze OF open.Work archeg5
crowns the square part Of the tower and
serves as base for the octagonal part,
soon succeeded by the circular crown.
The crown is composed Of row "a
open-work arches surmounted BY an
acorn-shaped dome more slender than thss
others. In this tower will be placed La
Savoyards, the bell presented by the
Catholics of Savoy. The central dome,
the dome of the bell-tower and the four
cupolas will be gilded like the dome o.
the Inyalides.
One of the most interesting features Of
the exterior construction of this votlves
monument is the stone root, composed Of
three parts superposed, with height 81
five feet between each one, and covered
with grooved stones instead of slate, as II
generally used for roof coverings.
The church is built of q hard stone
Chateau-I4 andon, the same quarry that
furnished the stone for the Arc de Fri
umphe About 100000 blocks of this
stone are required for the entire con-
struction. The ground level of the church
is 220 feet higher than the level of the
Pantheon, and the summit of the dome
will be more than 100 feet higher than
that of the Pantheon. The base of the
dome is on level with the second plat
form of the Eiffel Tower. When the roof
is entirely finished it will be accessible to
visitors, who will get from it's various
points panoramic view of Paris that no
other monument can offer.
The crypt is, by the originality OF its
conception, one OF the most remarkable
parts of the edifice
One enters by a passageway under the
porch which leads directly to the Comics
sion, or Chapel of the Dead. The height Of
the crypt is about thirty feet, andis COM
posed, the same as the upper floor of the
church, of square and a circular part.
The shape of the building resembles that
of the Church of Saint Mark at Venice.
The Church proper consists OF a nave
with broad side aisles, galleries above
these aisles, a choir and an apsis. The
choir is surrounded by as many stalls
as there are diocesses in France, with
sixteen others for the clergy officiating
in the church In the rear Of the choir
is the organ. The auditorium is not
encountered as it is in the crypt; on
the contrary, it is entirely open with
the exception of the large supporting
pillars that separate the nave from the
side aisles. This part of the edifice is 538
feet square.
The height from the floor to the roof is
seventy-five feet, and to the inside top OF
the central dome 1854 feet. The apsis has
radius of eighty-two feet. 1t is estimated
that 5000 persons can be easily accomo,
dated i'll the main body of the church.
There are seven chapels in the apsis and
three in each one of the broad aisles.
The Chapel of the Virgin is under the
bell tower, and is particularly elegant:
The work for the foundations of the
edifice WAS begun in 1875, after long pre-
liminary trials to reach a solid base. IAN
idea of the magnitude of this operation
may be had by knowing that it was nee
essary to sink down shafts, or wells, TO a
distance of 40 feet before coming upon
stratum of gypsum.
One of the most interesting features
about this votive work is the way in
which the money is raised.
An association, which to-day numbers
about 10000 members, has qualifications
all over France and makes an unceasing
propaganda. ALI classes of Catholics.
from the poor student to the rich banker,
have sent and continue to send their
offerings To induce subscriptions the
en- tire church was divided up so that
every one could pay for a part according
to his meaus The blocks of stones were
separated into three categories- con-
cealed, the apparent and the keystones;
the first cost $24, the second $50, with
the right to five carved initials, but not
displayed, and the keystones 500, with
right to an inscription of two initials on
the exterior surface.
There are columns ranging from $500
to 81 900, pillars from $1O,0 900 to SEC, 600,
and flagstones, whereon the owners can
kneel and pray, from $3.50 to $3.50. In the
decoration of the church all this visible in
scriptions will be arranged SO as to form
one of the motives.
All of the most aristocratic names OF
France are represented here, beginning
with that of Marshal MacMahon, who was
President of the Republic when the cor
ner-stone was laid
In these various ways the committee
has raised, to July 81, 81, 572, 42G. SO, rep
resented by 100000 subscribers
The offerings run all the way from $14 600
a month up to $40, 900, and the average n
about $4,000. The expenses up to July 81
were 81, AIS, 052 80. To entirely finish the
church will require about 81 800, O0C
more. The edifice, although still -ncom-
plete, will be opened i'll June of 1891 for
regular worship.