Evening star., 1894-12-15
NEW YORk'S GREAT ORGAN.
The Largest on the Continent Recent.
ly Erected.


ly Erected.
From the New York Herald.
Workingmen put the last finishing
touches on the great organ in st. Bar
thoIomew's Church last week, and the
work of construction on this mammoth
piece of muscical mechanism, which has
occupied the last fifteen months. is now
complete. The organ in st. Bartholomew s
is not only the largest organ in the city,
but the largest church organ on the con-
tinent If the echo and stage organs Of
the huge affair in the Auditorium of Chi
cago be included in the estimate that in
strument contains a slightly greater num-
ber Of stops. Otherwise they are about
equal in size.
Neither of these instruments can COM
pare in point of the number of pipes with
the monstrous contrivance which was con-
structed and put up in sydney, Australia.
The Sydney organ has. however, been
only a moderate success in it's general
features, while in some OF It's radical
departures 1t has been practical failure.
1t is safe to say that in the brilliancy of
it's effect, in it's magnificent tone and in
it's marvellous construction as well, the
completed instrument in st. Bartholomew S
takes rank with the two or three finest
organs in the world.
To readily appreciate all the varied ca
Iacitics of the completed organ, its deli
cate shadiEgs, it's superb tone mass and
the magnificence of its crescendo peals
needs only that it's manuals be swept by its
organist. But it's unique mechanical con-
struction and the varied devices and means
by which it's effects are achieved are re-
yealel only by a careful examination of its
almost bewidering details.
The construction of the organ involved
at the outset a problem often met with and
rot always successfully overcome-namely,
that of building up from an old founda-
ticn. st. Bartholomews already contained
a fine organ placed in the gallery In the
rear of the church. When it was decided
to enlarge IT was determined to build two
other organs on either side OF the chancel
and to bring all three divisions not only
into perfect harmony, but under the con-
troll of a single key desk. This last was
attained by a wonderful system of elec-
trical coupling which has been applied to
the entire key, pedal and stop action.
A Successful Development.
The idea Of building an organ in parts
and locating it in different portions Of the
church Is by no means new. Neither Is the
idea of applying electricity to the action
instead Of the old fashioned and clumsy
mass of levers and rods. But the new
organ represents a successful development
of both of these ideas perhaps beyond any
thing hitherto attempted.
The largest division of the organ Is plac-
ed in the gallery Immediately above the
main entrance, and contains what is tech
nically known as the solo organ, together
with parts of the great swell and pedal
organs. The chamber at the south Of the
chancel contains the entire choir organ,
and another part of the great and pedal
organs, while the third section, located In
the chamber on the north chancel con-
tains the pedal dulciana and part of the
swell
The console, or key desk. is situated in
the choir underneath the south chancel d.
vision. This latter is. on the whole, one
Of the most wonderful things which have
ever seen. Perhaps only an organist can
fully appreciate it's possibilities. There are
four key manuals and eight-seven0spea
ing stops twenty-three couplers, nineteen
adjustable combination knobs, and twenty
pedal movements. This key desk has con-
troll over a total Of $3.50 pipes.