The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-07
TO GO TO A DIZZY HIaEr.
The New Independent Church steeple
to Mount Up 223 Feet.

W ~ 600 4 GCLs
Work upon the iron steeple Of the Inde-
pendent Presbyterian church has been in
progress for several days. The Lane
Brothers Construction Company of Newark.
o.. has the contract TO furnish the material
and TO build the stesple.
The steeple will be something unequsled
in its line in Savannah, or in ths whole state,
in fact, both as to hight and appearance.
1t is modelled after the old steeple, but will
be OF iron instead of wood, and con-
sequently freproof. The only materials to
be used in its construction are iron and cop
per, with the exception Of a small amount Of
brick work at the junction with the stone
work.
The hight Of the iron sseeple, complete,
will be 1871 feet inches, and this, added to
the hight of the stone work, feet 0
inches. will place the topmost point of the
spiro 223 feet above the level of the street.
This is a dizzy hight, and one which
the big golden ball on the weather vane will
look hardly larger than a common
football. The iron tower will be di-
equal hight. The first and second
sections, beginning from the base, will be
Of the Corinthian order, with columns and
eutablatures. The third section will be Of
the composite order, with dentils cornices
and bulls-eye windows. The fourth sec
ton is the pyramid, the height of
which will be about one-third
1t will be Of copper plates upon an iron
framework. and will be surmounted by
weather vane 20 feet high, bearing two
gilded balls, the first about 3 feetIn diane
ter and the second, or the one above, about
foot in diameter.
All of the inside construction work will
be of wrought iron, and the outside she'll
and architectural work will be of cast iron
and copper. The castings are three-six-
teenths of an inch thick.
The total weight of the cast iron and
wrought work will $50 tons or 100000
pounds. Anxious beholdsrs may remember
this when they behold its airy d
ethereal appearance in high wind.
The iron work will be anchored 10 the stone
work with number of heavy iron pieces
or rods, running SO feet down into the
masonry.
The balls near the top of the spire will be
gilded with pure gold leaf, this being the
only material which will stand unchanged
the wear Of the elements.
The vane, which will also be gilded with
gold leaf, will be over 9 feet in length by
~ feet in breadth at its broadest part. It
Will appear hardly more than an arrow
from the immense distance below.
To give an idea of the great hight of the
steeple it is necessary to compare it with
similar objects in the city. As the work
now stands it is about 115 feet high. This
is just about on a lsvel with the top of the
court house tower and the spire of the
Lutheran church. a short distance to the
northeast, aud few feet lower than the
spire Of St Johns churcb, in the next
square south, and apparently, judging by
the naked eye. about on a level. or only q
little below, the top of the spire of the First
Presbyterian church and the dome
OF the Mickva Israel synagogue.
some distance to the southeast. The high
est point in the city now is the electric light
tower in the Central railroad yard on West
Broad street, which is 1870 feet high. The
Independent Presbyterian church steeple
will be forty-three feet higher than the cleo
trio lght tower. This tower will have an
imposing appearance from Bull street.
The total cost of the tower will BIS &c.
400. The contractors expect to complete
the work about May l. The bell for the
tower is given by Mrs. Alfred E. Mills and
weighs 3, $50 pounds. Il will be manufact-
ured by the MacShane bell foundry of
Baltimore
The large tower clock is given by Mrs.
Jacob RauerS 1t will be placed at the top
OF the stone work and will have four eight
feet dials.