St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-07
DEDICATED TO GOD.
Mormons COnsecrate Their Mag
nificcnt Temple i'm Salt
Lake City.
The Corner Stones of This Massive
Pile Laid Over Forty
Years.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 6-The
great new Mormon temple was dedi-
Gated today in the presence of thrOng
of believers. This is the huge structure
the site for which was selected July %,
1S47, the fifth day after the Mormon
pioneers entered Great Salt Lake
valley. Four years later, at the
October conference of the church, In
1851, vote of the people was taken to
build "a temple of the best materials
that can be obtained in North America"
On Feb. q, 1858. ground was broken and
$50 men put to work OH the excavation.
On the 9th Of April following, the
cornerHstones were laid, sixteen feet
below the surface Of the ground. When
Johnston'S army came through in 1858,
the foundation of the temple was en-
tirely covered over with earth and the
people moved south from Salt Lake for
time. Four years after this work was
resumed on the building, and with the
exception Of two years, 1868 ana 1869,
when the Workmen of the territory were
mostly employed in constructing The
Union Pacific and other railroads, has
continued without serious interruption.
The capstone was laid April 6, 1892, at
which time the date for dedication was
fixed for April 6, 1893, the sixty-tnird
anniversary of the organization of the
Mormon church, and forty years from
the day the temple cOrneriStOneS were
laid.
The building is 1867 long and 80 feet
wide. With the towers it covers an
area of q, $50 square feet. The fOunda-
/ ton wall is 16 thick and l6 feet deep.
On this the granite walls are 8 feet
thick OIL the bottom and narrow to 6 feet
at the square. There are six towers,
three on the east and three Oh the west.
The corner towers are tWenty-SiX feet
| square at the base. Those on the east
| are 200 feet high, and OIL the west 1911
feet. The east central tower at the
| by a figure with trumpet to his lips
proclaiming the Gospel. The east part
| of the temple is for the Melchisdec
| priesthood, representing the higher or
| Spiritual affairs. The west is for the
| Aaronic priesthood, representative of
| the te mporal existence. The figure on
| the east central tower symbol ICES the
| angel named in the fourteenth chapter
and sixth verse of Johns Revelation.
The building is provided with all the
modern appliances for lighting, heat
ing, yentilating and sanitary arrange
ments. 1t is anticipated that the cere-
monies will extend over period of
fourteen days, but the chief interest
conferred in today's proceedings. The
assembly room, in the fourth story, is
the largest in the building, and it was
in this that the services were conducted.
1t accommodates 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 at an end, and there is strong prob
ability. from off cial reports received.
that even the latter number will be
exceeded. The services IN the temple
were as secret as Masonic lodge. The
morning services lasted till II o'clock.
Meantime no one came out, and no one
but high dignltaries of the church were
admitted once the service had begun.