St. Paul daily globe., 1892-12-28
WILL BE A NOBLE PILE.
Corner Stone OF Magnificent
Episcopal Cathedral Laid
in New York.
Millions Will Be Expended in It's
Erection, the Site Costing
$S5O,OOO.

NEW IoRK, Dec. 81. The corner
stoEe of the Cathedral of st. John the
Divine, in course of construction at the
corner of Morninglade avenue and A IN
sterdam avenue, was laid with simple
but expressive ceremonies this after
noon. The clergymen and invited
guests assembled under large shelter
tent, where seats had been provided for
1902 persons. At p. III. the clergy
men and others taking part marched in
the procession from the Leake and
Watts Orphan home to the cathedral
site. When all were assembled the
bishop said the invocation, and brief
responsive service was followed by sing
ing OF the trinity hymn, ''Holy, Holy,
Holy" After the collect epistle and
gospel for the day followed the Nicene
creed, repeated by all present.
The bishop then laid the stone. strik-
ing 1t three times in the name of the
trinity. A beautiful troWel of solid
silver was used in this ceremony. The
people then laid offerings upon the
stone, including, it is said, several
large gifts for the construction of the
cathedral. The hymn, Let Us Rise
Up and Bid" was sung to music COM
piled for the occasion by Mr.. Harker,
of the Church of the Holy Trinity. The
address was delivered by Rt. Rev. Clos
well Dane. ID. d., bishop of Albany.
The services concluded with prayer. the
benedietion by the bishop of New York,
and the recessional, ut Came Upon the
Midnight Clear"
The building of the cathedral was in
augurated by the late Bishop Horatio
Potter in 1880. The cathedral Church
OF st. John the Divine was decided OH
IN 1888. and Ill 1887 the present Bishop
Potter took up the work begun by his
uncle and predecessor in office and has
carried it to its present condition. The
purchase price of the site, three city
blocks between One Hundred and Tenth
and Ono Hundred and Thirteenth
streets and Ninth avenue and the boule-
ward, was SS50, 900, all OF which is paid,
and the property has doubled in value.
Enough has been raised TO build the
choir of the cathedral. costing about
Sl,000,000. Half million more has al
ready been left to the project by bequest
and over 100000 subscribed outside
the city. The cathedral will be of gray
stone OF the round arch Gothic order
and have five square towers, the main
tower over the junction OF the nave and
tic lIdIlStplS. Lie tWSIVc SEGul plCIS
which are to support the dome are dedl-
Gated to the twelve apostles, the one of
special magnificence being designed for
st, John. The building when ready
will have the following dimensions:
Total length, $50 feet; total width
through transept, 296; width Of front,
1872; height of front gable, 164; height
of front tower, 246; height of hanking
towers, 15S; height Of central towers,
AS: height of dome Gnterior), 253;
width OF nave, 92; span of central
tower, 96; length of choir and ambu-
latOry, 81.
The scope of the cathedral. as enun-
ciated 10y Bishop Potter,is declared to be
that of church for the people-all peo-
ple-and his aim has BEEN kept con-
stanllv in view III the six years of work
which eliminated today in the lay
ing of the cornerstone, the first
step In the work of actual con-
struction. The cathedral will in
clude seven ''chapeIs of tongues"
in each of which there will be a service
at least every Sunday in seven different
languages. One of the first and largest
was made by a Presby-
teran. The cathedral is not patterned
after those of England or the continent,
but is to be built i'll accordance with
American needs and ideas. The sit
tingS in the cathedral are to be forever
free. The bishop of New York is to be
president of the chapter.