Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-04-21
THE MORMON TEMPLE
ITS COMPLETION AND DEDICA-
TON.
u was Fifty Years Under Construc-
tion-Cost s5,OOO,OOO Its Wonder
fui Acoustic PFspcrtics-Iss Archi.
lecture without Parallel.

tion-Cost s5,OOO,OOO- wonder.
fui Acoustic PFspcrtics-Is Archi.
lecture without Parallel.
The site for the great Mormon tenn
pie dedicated on the 9th inst, wa,
selected July %, lS47, the fifty day
after the Mormons entered Great Sal,
Lake valley. Brigham Young, view
ing the then barren site, struck his
cane in the ground in the presence o.
his apostles, and said: Here will bt
the temple OF our God" Four year,
later. in 1851. At a conference it was
voted TO build the temple "of the best
materials that can be obtained in
North America" The material fol
the foundation was freestone from 6
canyon four miles distant. The
granite for the walls was cut from
Little Cottonwood canyon, and priol
to the advent of the railway in 1870
il was hauled by OK teams. February
q, 1853, ground was broken; April
the corner stone was laid l6 feet be
low the surface. In 1858, when
Johnston's army came through, the
foundations were covered with earth
Four years later work was resumed
and with the exception of lS6S-69
when the workmen of the territory
were mostly engaged in constructing
the Union Pacific, continued without
serious interruption. The date o
dedication WAS fixed for the 9Th, til,
63d anniversary OF the organization o
the Mormon church and 10th ami
vcrsary of the laying of the corner
stone
The building is lS6tx99 feet il
dimensions, aud the walls taper from
Ii feet thick at the foundation to 81,
feet at the top. There are six towers
three at each side, ranging from 49,
to 222 feet high. The east part of the
temple is for the Melchisedec priest
hood, representing spiritual affairs
and the west for the Aaronic priest
hood, dealing with temporal affairs
There are in the building many stones
symbolical OF the different conditions
of mankind. At the base are earth
stones, and every few feet above
moonstnncs, sunstOnes, starstones
cloudstones, etc.
The architecture is without parable
IN ancient or modern times. Their,
are four doors, two on the east anC
two on the western side. The cost o
the structure is about 5000, 600
The building is provided with al
modern appliances for heating, light
ing. yeniilating and sanitation. 1t il
looked upon as the one described il
the first two verses of the fourtl
chapter Of Micah.
The services in the temple are Al
secret ~ the Masonic lodge. Tn,
morning services lasted till noon
Meantime no one came out and ne
one except high dignitaries arrived
after the services began.
Al the afternoon session, delegates
were admitted by tickets from tn,
various States TO the number OF 2,l5O
and the greatest secrecy was observed
Julian Ralph, in Harper's Weeki!
thus describes its wonderful acousti,
properties:
There never was building like i
in the world" said the bishop. al
was Brigham Young's idea"
In we went and stood in the enor
mons interior in which 5000 persons
may sit on any day, and 10000 can b,
seated II stools are brought in. No
even Henry Ward Beecher's old Ply
mouth church is more plain and bare
II IL just II great hall with wild,
gallery around three sides, with littl,
wooden posts, which look like marble
to support the gallery; with battalion
81 pcws ON the floors, and a giganti,
organ at one end rising above tn,
greatest choir space l ever saw in ,
church. Aud that, in turn, is above ,
terraccd series of platforms leadin,
down 10 the main floor, like a yer,
broad hut short staircase.
A man stood at the end of the church
He said "Go up in the gallery and
walk 10 the other end OF the building
II u $50 feet long and l40 feet wide
vet when whisper you will hear me
so perfect are the acoustic propertie,
of the building. | walked the lengtl
OF the church. My footsteps were re
pcated 50 many times in echoes tina
the reyerberation sounded like drum
meF's roll-eall-almost as il twas 6
regiment a.marching. From " here
stood NJ last the man who had spoken
looked like "A boy. He held up his
hand. Answer me in a natural ton,
when speak 10 you. / am going to
whisper (rhen the whisper came
distinctly. Can you hear me whis
perf ! am going 10 drop pin on hi,
altar rail, see il you hear it," He
held the pin two inches above the raj
and dropped II. heard it as if-as
never supposed pin could make itselI
heard foot away. "And now" sait
tho man "see aud hear what | do now.
lie rubbed his hands together, and 8
sound like loud rustic of silk fioaied
through the hall. Afterwards ] sat by
that amiable and ingenious man, and
saw him ~ through the performance
i"r others. The only trick was in the
huilding.
liik h~ly oi an unknown working
man WAS found in an old slaughter
house AT Snohomish the other day
There were no evidences OF foul play
and nothing on the body by which il
could be identified.