San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-27
Cathedral Corner Stone.

New YORK. Dec. 27.-The corner stone
of what will be the greatest religions
structure in America. and possibly as
great as any in tie world. will be laid to-
day with imposing ceremonies. Almost
twenty years have passed since the board
of trustees was first organized, and as the
construction will take fifteen years longer,
it will be over generation from cOncep-
tion to completion. This day was selected
for the corner stone laying because it is
st. Johns day. after whom the cathedral
is To be named. Bishop Potter will lay
the corner stone and the speakers Will IN
clude Deane Hoffman, and Bishop DOane,
of Albany. The corner stone is OF Quincy
granite, four feet, four inches wide, and
two feet, one and One-h half inches thick.
On the exposed angle will be a cross and
the Insc Upton, Dec. 9Th. 1892" In the
stone under the corner stone has been cut
a receptacle. In this will be placed the
copper hOX containing the souvenirs
and records. Most of the bishops from
the seventy diOceSeS of the United States
will be in attendance and representatives
from Washington are also expected, Spe-
cial invitations having been extended to
President Harrison and his cabinet The
crowd will be cared for under large tent
i'm which two thousand seats have been
provided. With the laying of the corner
stone comes the first actual building on
the great Protestant Episcopal cathedral
and as soon as the weather permits the
whole excavation for the choir, which is
to be erected first. will be begun. The
cost of this will be one million dollars and
the cost of the entire cathedral will be not
less than $l0000,0OO.
Some idea of the SiZh may be gained
from a description of its dimensions. LIS
total length will be $50 feet, its front
width 1872 feet, the height OF the towers
PAS feet. the height OF the central Ian
tern. which will be at the tOpmOSt point
ofthe structure, 445 feet, and the heighth
of the interior dome 2j3 feet A binding
of this size will contain easily not for from
10000 persons. The plans were accepted
in July 1891 after a warm competition oe-
tween architects. out of which the firm OF
Helms & LaFarge immerged as vtctorS.
The grOund takes up the territory be
tween Tenth Avenue. Morning Side park.
10th and 18th streets The structure,
when completed. will be of rOundarch
Gothic order planned in many details ar
ter the early Christian churches. prlnci-
pally Santa Sophia church at COnStan-
tirople and St. Marks at Venice But
Gothic characteristics could not be laid
aside with impun;ty. as the church was
TO some extent welded to this style or
architecture. So the central dome is
SurmOunted by Gothic spires and the
conspicuous feature OF this design Is in
the manner in which these spires seem TO
grow out of the structure, seem to take
root in the very foundations. The Latin
form is followed in the plan, but striking
departures are made in the termination
of the transeptS, which are simply the
apses of the chancel swung around.
These -accentuate the ROmanesque
character of the design. The twelve
great piers which support the dome are
to be dedicated to the apostles, the one of
especial magnificence being that designed
for st. John. The dome is enriched by
scenes from the Apocalypse.
The Board of Trustees is composed OF
the following gentlemen: Bishop Potter,
George M. Miller. DR.. p. X. Cady, Nor
gan Dix, E w. Donald, George II.
HoughtOn, w. 4. Huntington, E. A;
Hoffman,. David H. Green. W. Bayard
Culling, w. w. Aston, R. T. Auchmuty,
j. Pierpent Morgan. Hamilton Fish,
Cornelius Vanderbilt, J. r. Roosevelt,
Samuel ID. Babcock, s. P. Nash.