The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-09-16
Description Of the Great
Structure to Be Erected
By Newark Diocese.
SURROUNDINGS IN DETAIL
How the Exterior and Interior
Will Be Beautihed-Among
the Churches.

tne most imposing ecclesiastical SJruc-
lures on the continent, If the plans Of the
architect are carried out in their entirety.
Bishop Wigger has from the first de-
clared that nothing shall be allowed to
modify these designs. II has been stated
that the cathedral win cost a million.
Those in a position to know admit that a
couple of millions may nave to be spent
before the pile is completed.
AS is already known by the readers of
The News, the architect, Jeremiah
O,Rourke, won from three other compete
tors, and his firm was employed to SUI
pervise the construction. Work was be-
gun two years ago, when the excavations
were commenced, and has been prosecuted
steadily since. The first contract was for
the foundations, A new contract viii be
let within a few days. The new contract
will be for the construction Of the first
fifty feet above the foundations, and will
carry the walls up to the caves. The
work will be let in sections, from time to
time. and ten years will be required to
complete the construction.
The architecture will be thirteenth e
fury gothic, a typical Roman Catholic ca
thedrialI, complete in all its parts, with
w La wei AAd ~ 6AA e&IAN9- -
transepts and a large chancel with ambu-
latory. There will be a spacious atrium
and y~estibules. and the choir loft will be
directly over the organ gallery. Around
the chance ambulatory will be eight
chapels, two Of which will face into
transepts. One of the chapels, to be
konwn as the Lady Chapel" viii be
quite large and will be supplied with a
separate sacrisity and clustered passage
to n from the futue episcopal residence,
which will be built adjacent to the new
cathedral.
The foundation walls are. Of granite.
The tital interior width will be eighty-six
feet. mad the interior widths 0 fthe tran
septs win be forty-four feet. The total
interior length of the building, exclusive
of the front atrium and rear chapel, will
be 25S feet. Th etotal exterior width
across transepts will be $50 feet. Exterior
length from front to rear walls, 300 feet;
height Of nave ceiling, ninety-six feet;
height of ailse ceilings, forty feet. The
total floor area of the church and chanc
will be about 25, 600 square feet. There will
be seating room for 1900, with ample
standing room for $500 additional.
The crypt, or cellars. VIII extend under
the chancel, chapels and sacristies only,
with iron beams and brick arches to sup
port the floors above. The substratum
unde the site will be of gray sandstone.
and foundation walls and piers will be
level in solid rock.
The diabonal position of the towers
gives great breadth and effectiveness to
| the facade, and variety and beauty to the
perspective effect. The eastern, or
aGesu" tower, will consist of four square
stages, one ~octagonal stage and the spire,
| and will be $50 feet high. The second
tower, called the "B. v. M, tower, will
| consist OF three square stages, two oc-
| tagonal stages and the spire, and will
be 325 feet high.
In the elevation the towers and spires
| will not be treated alike. They are diff
| ferent in design and in height. This car
| ries cut a recognized rule Of ecclesiasti-
| cal architecture. as well as an old Cath
ollie tradition and custom. The "Gesu"
tower and spire is distinguished py
| strength and dignity in its treatment, the
| square plan developing into the octagon
| at the fifth stage. The western, or b =
| NJ, tower, is treated in a more elegant ana
graceful manner, the square plan de-
veloping into the oetagon at the 1ouroh
| stage. The eastern tower is emblematic
of our Lord, while the western tower is
embIematie of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The three spacious front entrances will
admit the congregation from a large
piazza or platform. from which, by three
low and easy steps the ground may DC
reached. Each of these entrances VIII De
ska feet.
In each tympanum over the front en-
trance doors will be bas-reliefs in stone
and stained glass windows. with appro-
pirate subjects thereon. The transept en-
frances viii also be spacious, and will
be treated in a similar manner
All interior masonry arches are to be
built Of best hard burned brick. The nave
and chanceI columns are to be OF polished
/ scotch or American red granite, made as
small as is consistent with correctness OF
proportion and the weight they are in
blended to carry. The carved caps of the
columns will be of white marble. The
bases of the nave columns will be granite,
moulded and finished. but not polished
The internal construction frame will be
of steel. The roof Will be covered with
| porous terra Gotta and blue or red slate.
The main floor throughout will be Of mar
BILE. The sanctuary ratings. and chapel
ratings viii be of marble also, and will
have bronze metal work gates.
All windows are to be filled with heavy
stone tracery, and stained glass windows
enriched with S%criptural groups and en-
blematic and symbolic designs.
All the wood furniture, doors and trim
mings throughout will be Of the best
quartered oak, designedf built and finished
in harmony with the architecture of the
church. The interior color decorations
are to be light and cheerful. The edifce
will be heated with hot water, and will
be piped and wired for both gas and cleo
trio lighting.
In the design submitted by the success
full architect no expensive ornamentation
has been INDUCED in other than is re-
quired to carry out the style selected.
The site on which the new cathedral will
be erected was selected by Mr.. O'Rourke
in 1870. The late Archbishop Bayley. whe
was at that time Bishop Of Newark, had
delegated Mr.. O'Rourke to choose a site
The Bishop was absent in Europe and
Mr.. O'Rourke, through Monsignor Doane,
cabled the Bishop the figure for which
the site could be purchased. Bishop Bay
ley at once cabied Instructions to accept
! the offer, and the formal transfer was
made Immediately after his return.
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