New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-04

the upper part Of the city Inere is no o'he' sPo'
In the metropolis which the morning sun hgh's up
more gloriously.
The approach to the grounds is at present best
made through Cathedral Parkway TO the odtme
entrance to the Leake and Watts orphan house, as
the large double yellow brick building whch mas
stood on the heights for more than na1 a century
has been known. The name Cathedral PARKWAY j
probably known to very few persons. II IS the
broad thoroughfare now being wdened out OF One
hundred and tenth-st., between Central Park ana
the Hudson River and will therefore become the
connecting driveway between the Park and Morn
ingside Drive. as we'll as with Riverside Drive.
The Leake and Watts grounds now those OF the
cathedral. lie between Morn'ngside Drive ana Am
sterdam-ave. and extend north and south between
old One-hundred- feminist now Cathedral fark-
way and One-hundred- a nd thrteeHth-st the last
being the southern line Of the new St Luke HOS
ptai.
The entrance to the old grounds Is midway be-
tween Morningside Drive and Amsterdam-ave
wooden sign just over the gate gives announcement
that religious services are held in the chapel every
Sunday morning at $3.50 o'clock. The chapel Is IN
the east wing OF the old Leake and Watts house.
which still stands intact among the fine old oaks.
the elms. naples and horse chestnut trees at me
top Of the ascent toward the northeast ana CLOSE
10 Mornngsde Drive.
A abort way up the Did and narrow wooden walk
one IL met by a faithful Waterman Of the place,
who satisfies himself that the visitor Is worthy or
admission to the grounds. 1t is plain at once that
great Innovations in progress. Between the
driveway and Amsterdam-ave. the greensward I'M
der the grand old trees has been smothered under
huge piles Of ragged and rotten" rock taken from
the excavations for the cathedral This rock IL
almost valueess and its dsintegrated character has
been a OF great deal of trouble In securing
. sound rock bottom on which to build tho new
foundations
When Join D. CrmmIns. in 1893. began excavat-
ing for foundations he not long in discovering
that the rock BADLY disintegrated In places that
It largely micacous. and that 1t was full OF dirt
pockets. He had to abandon the work, and then
borings were taken with diamond drill all over
the around to be covered. 1t nearly a year be-
fore the borings were ended. Some Of these showed
that one hole at least ffty-fve feet below grade
would have to be excavated and this directly under
the southern end Of the transept.
THE WORK OF EXCAVATION.
With the bearings and borings thus defined, the
excavations be~un in 1894 by J. j. Hopper.
who secured the work at competitive bidding The
contract called for the excavations only under the
choir and the great tower. the whole covering about
one-half the distance east and west or the entire
length to be ultimately provided for. This work.
embodying some IS 0oc cubic yards Of excavation.
was completed early In the present spring. except
for the southern end Of the transept. which comes
upon the ground still covered by part Of the
Leake and Watts structure The contract for laying
the foundations was given to Sooysmith d Co..
well-known building engineers who have built the
foundations for of the taest office buildings
in this city. They began work before Mr.. Hopper
had finished. With these data in mind one is able
10 understand more clearly than otherwise the con-
diton Of the work on the cathedral at the present
time.
complete view of the present conditions may be
had from the eastern windows of the Leake
and Watts house. where. the third floor. the
ofices OF the contractors To reach these rooms
must pass through door In q high wooden fence
on which :he words Danger and "No ad-
mittance.' and thoughts OF dynamite and giant
powder blended In ones mind But no blasting
IL now going on, and danger is reduced 10 a mini
mum.
The feature at first most noticeable to one looking
down upon the work Is the great array OF enormous
derricks There are seven Of them within space
800 feet square. They are rs feet high and have
arms seemingly long They are all painted white
and used either in handling the large blocks Of
Maine granite or In the management Of the large
iron buckets which carry the concrete
The beds Of concrete next impress themselves
upon the mind of the observer, because Of their
very immensely. although the eye take in
their depth. When one Is told that some Of these
concrete beds will be called upon support a weight
~ 100000 pounds. then he begins to comprehend
why there had to be many and patient borngs for
solid rock bottom and why the beds of concrete had
to be % deep and extensive. This weight will be
caused by the great tower which will rise Just west
Of the choir.
These beds Of concrete run all the way from Is TO
10 feet In width. being widest. of course, at the
north and south ends Of the transept Their depth
averages about thirty feet. while n the big hole
under the southern end OF the transept concrete
has been rammed In to the depth OF Is feet into
wsdge-shaped indentaton. where two lodges OF rock
slope together.
MAKING CONCRETE BEDS
The process Of manufacture Of this concrete 10 In
seresting since II ID generally acknowledged by
sinssrs and builders Of the day be the most per-