The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-27
OUR GREATEST CHURCH.
Story Of the Cathedral Of Which
the Cornerstone Is to Be-
Laid To- Day.
An Eventful Scene at the Bedside
OF Bishop Horatio Potter
Recalled
Thirty-ssven Years From Conception to
Cuinination-How tho site Was
-Chosen-Great Donations.

s1e - sRo
Chosen-Great Donations.
Written for THE HELENA INDEPENDENT.
"fHE cornerstone of tho great Caths-
NJ dral OF st. John the Divine will be
wv laid with imposing ceremonies TO-
day, and a few OF the men prominent
in the movement since its inception will 90
back in memory to the eventful meeting at
the dsathbed of Bishop Horatio Potter
will SOC In the exercises of the day the con-
summation OF the dsyoutsst wish of that
great clergyman.
Tho idea Of erecting q Protestant Episoo:
pal cathedral, Of creating an epoch-making
event In the history of tho church. had its
inception in 1870 in the minds Of many Of
the men who were near and dear to the late
bishop. Entrusted to him, IL grew In scope
and grandeur until. at least in conception,
IL became the great structure Of which the
cornerstone ID now to be laid.
Tn FIRST seventeen trustees were named
at about this time, but the stirring events
OF the next few years. ending with ths great
panic. gave the project 9 setback from
which 1t took a dozen years to recover. In
1883 and In 1884 meetings were held, but all
to no purpose. In 1886 1t was found that
but nine of the seventeen trustees were
among the living, and under the original
compact II took q majority to act. The
bishop lay dying. Several Of the trustees
were abroad, and after almost super
human efforts the eight men were
finally brought together and the
first steps looking to the ao-
tual construction Of the cathedral
were taken at the bedside Of the late Bishop
Potter. The vacancies In the board of
trustees were filed and then work began.
Bishop Potter. the present head of the do
cese. issued his famous address, In which
occurred the following notable remarks:
ut will DO the peoples church. in which
no reserved right can be bought. held or
hired on any pretext Whatever. II will, be
the fitting shrine of memorials Of our hon
orsd dead. II will supply the especial mead
of this material ago. = commanding witness
TO faith In the unsssn." w
The funds grew Rpace. Contributions
came in from the Vandsrbilts, the Astors.
Pierpont Morgan. from the estates Of
deceased members Of the Protestant Epis-
copal church, and in 1887. less than a year
after the memorable meeting, enough OF a
fund for q good payment on the site was at
hand.
Prices Of property just south Of Central
park were going upward at no small gait,
and speedy action was necessary if the o.
thedral was to look down upon Its great
neiqhbor st. Patriok's. A place between
Sixth and Seventh avenues aud Fifty
seventh and Fifty-ninth streets was at frst
decided upon; but tho price was far hey ond
all possibility, and the trustees agreed that
a. xvnrIA ho hnak IN 1nnk fnpAhae mnpth for a
site. In November. 1881, the old Lsaks and
Watts orphan homo grounds were bought
for $3.50, 600, and the new cathedral will
stand in perhaps the most picturesque spot
on Manhattan island. It's towers will look
down upon the Hudson and the Palisades
of Hoboksn and Jersey City will be seen
from the towers Of the edifce, and its great
spire will ON the east be In sight Of all
Harlem and the hills of Long island.
It is q spot hallowed by history as we'll,
.or it was here that The famous Leake
lived in the days of the municipality.
But the trustses were ready for plans
now, and to this new work they applied
themselves with the utmost energy. Fresh
appeals for funds met with hearty re-
sponses, and a sum that would cover the
erection of q portion of the proposed struo-
ture was at last at hand.
1t took thirteen years to build st, Pat
rick's cathedral on Fifth avenue, and as IL
was proposed to have the new building sew
eral times 40 large, time Was valuable. and
event must follow quick upon event in the
history that was to eliminate In Americas
greatest church structure. gCa
II ia now believed that fifteen years will
elapse before the building is completed.
This means that thirty-ssven years will
have elapsed between the conception and
the elimination, more than a generation Of
time, in which many noted in tho work have
already passed away.
The architects from whom plans were
asked took up the matter In a most COM
mendablc spirit. The competition was spir-
tied, and at times exceedingly bitter.
Charges and oountsrcharges were made and
met, and finally when the smoke of the bat
narrowed down TO four firms. OF these the
most notable plans were those Of William
Halsey Wood. of Newark; Huss d Buck, of
New York, and Helms Il La Fargo, Of New
York. The plans of the first nnmed wero
finally adopted and she preliminary work
Four men figured in the planning of the
great cathedral. They are Messrs. Helms
aud La Fargo, w. W. Kent and Gen. w.
Sooy Smith.
The structure which they evolved in
thought Is of the round-areh Gothic order,
planned in many details after the early
Christian churches. following notably the
Santa Sophia church at Constantinopls and
ST. Marks at Venise. But Gothic charac-
t~eriatics could not be laid aside with i'm
punity. as the church was to some extent
welded to this style Of architecture. So
the central dome is surmountsd by Gothic
spires, and the conspicuous feature OF this
design is the manner In which these spires
seem to grow out Of the struoture-seem to
take root in the very foundations. The
Latin form ia followed in the plan, but
striking departures are made in the termi-
nation of the transepts, which are simply
the apses of the chancel swung around.
These aooentuats the ~Romanesque oharac-
ter of the design. TIL twelve great piers
which support the dome are to be dedi-
Gated to the apostles. the one Of special
magniicenoe being that designed for 81.
John. The dome Ia enriched by scsnes
from the apocalypse, and the symbolic
decorations a. they are carried upward
change from tho particular to the general.
The plans were accepted in July. 1891,
and the board Of trustees, in which fow
changes nave since been made. coEprised
the following gentlemen: Bishop Potter,
George M. Miller. p. X. Cady, Morgan
Dix. L. w. Donald. George II. Houghton,
w. II. Huntington. Z. A. Hoffman,, David
H. Green. W. Bayard Culling, w. W.
Actor, Il. T. Auchmuty, j. Pierpont Nor
oaD Hamilton Fish. Cornelius Vanderbilt.