New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-07
MORMONS DEDICATE THEIR TEMPLE.
SECRET SERVICES ~ THE GREAT BUILDING At
SALT LAKE BEGUN FORTY YEARS AGO.

snit Lake Utah. April s.-Thc great new Mormon
temple was dedicated TO-DAY I'm the presence "f "A
throng 81 believers. This l. tAc huge structure the
site FIR which was selected july IS Io47. the NTH
dn, after the rmpn pioneers entered Great salt
Lake valley Four years later at the october con
f,ren,. of the clnrch In ISL. vote Of the people
va, taken 10 build "a temple Of TIE best materials
that can he obtained IN North America Ihc ma
toria selected frr the foundation was hr'ston" from
q CANYON four miles distant. When the walls came
tn lc built cut granite from Little Cottonwood canyon
eighteen mile, distant. chosen rs the most suit
able material. PhOr to the advent Of th" railway
I'm I-7o. thi, rock had to be hauled by OK and mule
teams.
ON February g. 1853. ground was broken ana
90 men were pul at work on the excavation. ON
Apr q following the corner stone was laid. sixteen
feet below the surface Of the ground. When johns
ton, army through In lHJS. the ioinda'loh 81
the tcmple wa, entirely covered with earth ani
the people moved south from salt Lake for a time
Four y,ors after this work was resumed the
huilding and with the exception 0f two ycarS-lo" o"'
and l-,o-whcn the workmen Of the territory were
mostly employed I'm constructing the Union Pacific
and ether railroads. has continued without serious IN
terruption The cap,tone laid April o. loo., al
which time the date for dedication was fixed Tor
kprl g. 1903. the sixty third anniversary OF the or
eanizatlon of the Mormon Church. and forty wears
from the day the temple corncr-ston"s were laid.
The building Is ls6 :. feet long and % icet Wld'
With the towers. 1t covers area of :lssO square
feet The foundation wall Is l6 feet thick and IL
feet de.p On thi, the granite walls are . feet thick
ON In. bottyn and narrow TO feet nj the square.
There. nrc s!N towers three on the cast and three
on the west Tie corner towers are 20 feet square
at the base Those on the east are 200 feet high
and on the west 1914 feet TIE Yves; central tower
f. ..A - feet high. Surmollltrd by Il hSur" with
,rnmuct TO his lips. prociIning the Gospel The
architecture of the building Is without II known
uarocl IN ancient or mGdcrii times. There iour
door, ia The trmulr two IN H." vcst and two In the
ca # corner towers The cost OF the temple. neal
ms can be- asrcraincd Will br slightly I'm excess OF
s. o:o 600 The buildng IL provided with all the
modern appliances for lighting, heating, vcntilatinS
and sanitary arrangements. The assembly room, In
tnc fonrth story Is the largest In the building aud
il Was I'm this part that the services were conducted
II accommodates per ons or 5000 persons at IN,
tvo sessions TO he held each day. Arrangements have
been perfected TO admit between c0.o0o and 30.
900 persons before th" >,rvlces are at an end. ana
There f., strong probability from Official reports
received that the latter number vi" =" exceeded
The services In the temple were rs secret rs a
Masonic lodge. The main feature Of the ceremonies
WIS th, d,diratory PRAYER by WllfOrd woodruff. the
mark, by Apostle JC-epr r. -miih. Il nephew Of the
ori,iual prophet, aud 10y Apostle George 2. Cannon
Thr choir of 300 voices rendered AN hens especially
compo, fer the occasion. The morning services l>t"l
Licl dignitnrics Of the church were admitted once
the services had bcgnn II Il anticipated that tile ccIe
non,,s will extend over period OF fourteen days. but
the chief Interest centred In today's proceedings.