The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-04-07

SALT LAKE, UTAH, April 6,-Ihe great
new Mormon Temple was dedicated in
the presence Of throng OF believers
to-day. This is the huge structure, the
site for which was selected July 2S,
lS47, the fifth day after the Mormon
pioneers entered Great Salt Lake val
ley,
The southeast corner OF ten acre
plat, selected Us q temple block, was
made the initial point for laying out
the city, and was afterwards adopted
by the government officials US the base
meridian line.
Four years later. at the October con-
ference OF the church in 1851, q vote Of
the people was taken to build "a tenn
Pile Of the best materials that can be
obtained in North America"
The material selected for the founda-
ton was firestone from q canyon four
miles distant, On February 6, 1858,
ground was broken and $50 men put to
work on the excavation,
The capstone was laid April G, 1892,
ut which time the date for dedication
was fixed for April 8, 1893.
The building is 1861 feet long and 90
feet wide. With the towers 1t covers
an area OF 1850 square feet. The
foundation wall 10 sixteen feet thick
ana sixteen deep, On this the granite
walls are nine feet thick on the bottom
and narrow to elk feet at the square.
There are six towers, three on tho east
and three on the west, The corner
towers arc twenty.slx feet square at the
base. Those on the east are 200 feet
high and on the west l04 feet.
1t is the rulo that only those who
have become disciples OF Christ and
seek to live sincere Christian lives will
DO admitted To temples. They are
places OF worship for those who are
members OF the Mormon church, which
claims to be the church OF Christ, and
the only one on earth existing by His
authority and directed by revelation
from Him. They look upon the temple
in Salt Lake City as tho ono described
in the fourth chapter OF Micah.
There arc in the building many stones
symbolical OF different conditions OF
mankind. Around the base arc earth
stones and above these are moonstones,
showing the moon in its various phases
and emblematic OF terrestrial glory.
Sill higher than these arc sun stones,
typical OF celestial or the higher glory
OF the heavens. There are also star
stones, representing the glory OF the
stars, On tho west tower is the Ursa
Major, pointing to tho polar star, aud
indicating that there is fixed guide
for mankind TO return to God. Then
there are cloud stones and others Of
like nature. Tho architecture OF the
building is without known parallel in
ancient or modern limos. There arc
four doors 10 the temple, two in tho
west and two in tho east corner towers.
The cost OF tho building, as near as can
be estimated, will BIO slightly in excess
OF $50, 100000.
The building is provided with all the
modern appliances Tor lighting, heat
ing ventilating and sanitary arrange
ments. 1t is anticipated that the cere-
monies will extend over a period Of "A
days, but the chief interest centred in
to.day's proceeding. The assembly
room, in the fourth story, is the largest
in the building and it was in this that
the services were conducted. 1t &C.
commodities about $500 persons, or
5000 persons at the two sessions to be
held each day. Arrangements have
been perfected to admit between 10000
and 10000 persons before the services
are Mt end, and there is a strong proba-
bilty, from official returns received,
that even the latter number will be ex-
ceeded,