Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-27


versity.
TIE CORNER STONE OF TEE NEW BUILDING TO DE
LAID THIS ArIERSooS-THE PLAN OF rHF
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. FOR SCIENTIFIC DE.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. PRELATEs TO Bf
PRESENT.
Another structure will soon rise beside the
Divinity building of the Catholic University oil
America, and the erection of others also will
follow in the near future, go that within two or
three years there will be a group Of imposing
buildings where now one building represent t.
the university. which is intended to be at the
head Of Catholic institutions Of learning in the
United States. The work Of constructing the
new building has been commenced and the
corner stone will be laid this afternoon at half
past four o'clock with due ceremony by Cardi-
nal Gibbons Cardinal Gibbons will deliver a
brief address. and an address will be delivered
by Col. Charles J. Bonapsrte Of Baltimore.
These addresses will be delivered in the lecture
hall of the Divinity building. The annual
meeting of the directors of tine university will
be held this afternoon and a number Of dis
-inguished prelates will be present at the lay
ing of the corner stone. Among these
will be Archbishop NJ A. Corrgan
of New York. Archbishop Z. ]. Ryan
of Philadelphia, Archbishop J. j. Williams of
Boston, Bishop ?. l.. Chapelle of Santa Fe.
Bishop C. L. Macs Of Coyington and Mon
signor Farley, besides Bishop keane, rector of
the university, DR.. Garrigan. vice rector, and
other officials.
After the addresses are delivered in the hall
the prelates and priests will don their vest
ments and go in procession to the site Of the
new building. preceded by the students of the
university and of the Paulist College. who will
chant the Psalms forming part of the excr
clses at the laying of the stone. The corner
stone. block OF granite three feet square.
will be laid i'll the foundation at the southeast
corner of the central part of the new building.
1t IL chambered for the reception of a box in
which will be deposited copies of the news
papers of the day. coins and records such as
are usually placed in receptacles of that char
acter. The ceremonies at the laying of the
corner stone will be accor ding to a simple ri;-
ual prepared for the laying of corner stones of
buildings other than churches.
THE GIFT OF FATHER M'MAHoS.
One of the most interested spectators of the
ceremonies will doubtless be Rev. James Nc
Mahon, through whose lberality the university
is enabled to undertake this work at the pres
emit time. Father Mcmahon was until recently
pastor of st. Andrews Church in New York
He had become rich through the prudent in
yestment in New York real estate of money he
had received as q legacy. A year ago be pre-
scented to the university real estate estimated
to be worth half million dollars to be used in
the construction of building for u school OF
philosophy and for such other purposes as the
needs Of the university might demand. This for
tune In real estate was encountered by mortgages
to the extent of about 500. 900, it is thought
the university will realize about $425, 900. OF
this amount $3.50, 900 will be used in the cree
ton of the building the corner stone of which
w he
known as the McMahon Hall of Philosophy.
The balance OF the donation. il there Is sufi-
cient, will. it is said. be used to endow one or
two chairs in the university. Father Mcmahon
still retained portion of his fortune. He
coupled with his gift only a condition that he
should have home in the university, and he
now resides as q guest In the university
buildings, having resigned his pastorate in
New York. He is a man of scholarly tastes and
nnds pleasure in the surroundings Of his new
home: In addition to the large gift in real es-
tate. he has presented the university with his
library, containing 10, 900 books.
THE NEW BUILDING.
Already the foundations Of the new Nc
Mahon Hall of Philosophy have been LAID and
the basement wallis are rising. They mark out
the ground plan of the building and give some
notion Of its size. The new building will be
nifty yards or more distant from the present or
Divinity building and at right angles to il. as it
will front toward the south. While it lacks
about fifteen feet of being so long as the Di-
vinity building its greater depth in every part
makes 1t much more commodIous. As It will be
constructed of similar materials and is Of the
Romanesque style it will resemble in a general
way the present building. 1t is intended to
erect in the space between the two buildings,
south OF the Divinity building. a university
church The basement walls of the Mcmahon
building are to be of Port Deposit granite and
the walls above the basement Of Potomac blue