The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-14
THE NEW CORNER STONE.
IMPOSING CEREMONIAL AT TIE
INDEPENDENT CHURCH.


Cornerstone ofthe Restored Ediflc
in Position-Crowds of People Wit
ness the Interesting Csremony-Ad
dresses by the Clergy of Siste
Churches and by s. B. Adams, Esq
DR.. Dripps' Responsible Content
of the Cornerstone.
The cornerstone of the new Independent
Presbyterian church at Bull and South
Broad streets was laid yesterday afternc N
at o'clock, with imposing ceremo MES. 1t
was repetition of the ceremonies seventy
three years ago. The hands that laid the
stone then. however, did not perform ths
task yesterday. The faces were new
with the exception of a very few. Among
those who witnessed the ceremonies in ISL
were Mrs. Joseph Stiles, Mrs. Basinger, and
Mr.. John \. Lewis.
It was a pleasant afternoon for such a
service The sun was hidden, and the air
was cool The stone was placed IN DO
sition by the venerable pastor emer-
titus of the church, Rev. DIR.
participate in the cornerstone laying as
sembled at the parsonage at the corner of
Whitaker aud South Broad streets, and
marched down to the building site, where a
platform was erected over the vestibule OF
the old church. Chairs were provided for
the accommodation of the people.
THE PROCESSION.
The procession was led by Rev. DR.. Arson
and DR.. Dripps. Following them were Rev.
DIR. ]. E. L. Holmes of the First
Rev. J. R. McClesky of Trinity
Methodist church, Rev. Robb White of
Christ Episcopal church, Rev. Charles H.
Strong of st, Johns Episcopal church,
Rev. W. s. Royal Of the Duffy Street
Baptist church, Rev. T. II. Blenus of
the Christian church, and Rev. o. p.
Fitzsimmons OF st. Matthew's Episcopal
church. Mayor Schwarz and members of
the board of aldermen, and Corporation
Attorney Adams came next, and were
followed by the members of the church
session, Col C. II. Olmstead, Joseph Clay,
ID. r. Thomas, Randolph Arson and w. NJ.
Wakelee. Tho trustees, George J.
Mills, J. c. Rowland, George C. Freeman.
Malcolm Maclean, w. w, Mackall, and
c. M. Gilbert, came next and were followed
by the building COMMITTEES, and the COM
mittee on ways and means.
THE OPENING CEREMONIES
When the clergy. the guests, and the COM
mittees had assembled the platform and
were seated Rev. DIR. Dripps announced
that instead of one address there would be,
he was glad to state, addresses from several
of the church's friends. After announcing
who would speak, tho Magnolia quartetts,
consisting of George Mckenzie, w. B.
Ford, Julian Walker, and Willard N.
Smith, sang the following hymn:
The perfect world, by Adam trod
Was the first temple, built by God;
His fiat laid the cornerstone.
And heaved its pillars, one by one.
The mountains in their places stood,
The sea, the sky, and all was good;
And when its first pure praises rang,
The morning stars together sang"
Lord, tits not ours to make the sea,
And earth and sky, house for thee.
But in thy sight our Offering stands
An humble temple made with hands.
Rev. Dr. Holmes offered a beautiful
PRAYER, aud the following hymn was sung
by the choir:
How firm foundation, We saints of the Lordl
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word
What more can he say, than to you he hath said
To you, who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
Fear not, am with thee, OH be not disulayed,
For am thy God, l will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause the ,
to stand,
Upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand.
ADDRESSES BY THE CLERGY.
Rev. j. w. Rogan of the First Presby-
terrain church read a scripture lesson from
the 122d Psalm, and the Rev, j. r. McCleskv
delivered the opening address. He spoke OF
the laying of the cornerstone as being in
itself an example. 1t is place. receptacle,
he said, where things material are laid
away. Man should learn lesson from it.
He should lay away in himself such as
would be good for his souls salvation. The
speaker alluded TO the fact that Trinity
church had stretched forth its arm to the
oh rCb ny,A k,A r.s.- - II.
during period of many months There
was feeling of brotherly love, as should
be among christians, existing between the
two churches. Trinity mourned with the
Independent congregation in the loss of the
magnificent structure, and it rejoiced with
the congregation that the edifice will be
restored.
was the next speaker. He delivered short
but very earnest address. Gathered, he
said, as the people were on that occasion, a
congregation of brethren as christian
people, his mind went back to the beginning,
when christians had their God in common
and no man lacked anything They were
all brethren. The christian religion made
progress then, and it will make progress
now. AS a representative from Christ
church, he spoke for her as a sister.
When she was rendered homeless by
a fire on one occasion, the Independent
Presbyterian church offered her shelter.
Christ church congregation was sad when
it saw the flames licking up the Independ
'ent church, and by the glare of the blazc
that shrouded the ediics Christ church's
warden offered to share its home with the
distressed congregation.
MR.. ADAMS ADDRESS.
Mr.. Samuel B. Adams was the mex
speaker. DR.. Dripps called upon him as
representative of the community at large
and he spoke. substantially, as follows:
"DR. DRIPPS AND BRETHREN OF THF
PRESBYTERIAN Observation-Disclosures in
the exercises of this suspicious occasion
gives me special qualification. The destruc
ton of your beautiful temple painfully
Impressed all Savannahians, irrespectiv,
of creed, as public calamity. TX
many 1t came as does a seriou,
personal loss. The expression was common
among religious people, among those, too
who did not hold "a slack allegiance" t(
their own churches, 81 would rather it haG
been my own church" Believing, as We
do, that an all-wise Providence overrules
even the seemingly saddest aveats fol
the advancement of his purposes, it i,
not hard to find good in this calamity. Il
has at least served to demonstrate the real
unity and fellowship existing among the
christian people of Savannah, and the alb
sence OF selfish sectarianism that onct
embarrassed and hindered the christian