Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-12-22
OUR NEW YORK LETTER,
First Holiday Service in the Cathedral,
of st. John the Divine.

Building Yet Projected In America
Progress of Its Growth-Its Young
Architects.
NEW YORK, Dec. 21.-[Special. Tho
first holiday service in the Cathedral
of st. John the Divine, on Morninqsido
Heights easily the most ambitions
ecclesiastical edifice ever projected in
America, will be held next Sunday
preceding Christmas day, in the crvnt
the only part of the great church vpt
thrown open to the public. On Christ.
mas day itself, which falls on Monday
this year, there will be other services
Of a special nature.
Though even yet the mass of the peo-
pie here do not fully comprehend the
nature of the vast house of worshin
which is slowly lifting itself on one of
the most beautiful sites ever chosen
for church, their eyes are gradually
being opened to the facts, and at the
regular Sunday services in the crypt
the place is crowded every week.
The Cathedral Crypt.
The site of the Cathedral of st. John
is more than 100 feet above that mart
Of Manhattan which is located north of
One Hundred and Tenth street. This
section of the island contains from
100000 to 100000 population at the
present time and will be more densely
peopled in the future. To all these the
skeleton of the cathedrars stone
framework is now by far the most
prominent object in the view when
ever they look in its direction. When
finished, it will dominate absolutely
over everything else. The white mass
Of st. Luke's hospital, near by, is now
most prominent, and it can be seen
easily miles away, especially to the
eastward, for it's pinnacles are not less
than 300 feet above the streets in that
direction. The cathedraPs main tower
will be almost twice as high One Of
the great stone arches on which this
tower will stand is nearly as high as
the hospital. Were it partly fallen
down, this arch would be considered
a remarkable ruin indeed.
The crypt, as it's name indicates, will
be far below the larger portion of the
completed cathedraps mass, yet its
floor is higher than the roofs of that
part of the city. mentioned above, and
thus it is, and always will be, dry and
wholesome and easily ventilated.
Though it will be only a minor part of
the completed structure, its furnish
ings even now are more costly than
those of many a pretentious church,
for they include the famous Tiffany al
tar, which was exhibited at the Chica-
60 Worlds fair, and the equally ia
nous Baberini tapestries. The altar
was given to the cathedral by Mrs.
Wallace of Chicago in memory of her
deceased son. and she paid $4,000 for
1t to the Tiffanys. The tapestries,
which are more than 200 years old, are
II in number and represent II scenes
in the life of Jesus. They cost $780,
900.
One of the worlds Great Churches.
The statement that the Cathedral Of
St John will be one Of the worlds
great churches is fully borne out by
the fact that the height of its main
central tower will be 445 feet above
the floor, only 80 feet lower than the
Washington monument, only feet
lower than the top of the cross on the
dome of st. Peters in Rome and 81
feet higher than the highest point OF
the dome of st. Paul's, in London. The
y monolithic pillars to be set in the
chancel-54 feet 6 inches in height, OF
the average diameter Of 6 feet and
Weighing 100 tons each-are the lar
gest stones built into any edit1ce IN
America and larger than any other
monolithic pillars in the world except
those in the facade of st. lsaacs ca
thedral at st. Petersburg.
Only the choir is to be built in the
near future, according to the present
plan, but 100000 or $3,OOO,OOo VIII
have been spent by the time it has
been completed, and it will furnish an
auditorium quite large enough tor
most occasions, since it will seat nearly
1000 persons. 1t would be gratifying &c
many friends of the project II the
great CROSSING" which will be direct
ly under the central tower, coulu pt
inclosed at the same time. IL "ouio
more than double the seating capacity
and the added impressiveness thl'
would give to the structure would nc
doubt make the task of getting tn'
money with which to build the DIE
church correspondingly easier
An Imposing Monument.
Helms & LaFarge, the firm OF youns
architects to which this great Wort
has been intrusted, are. not unlnlnul
Of the magnitude Of their task Du
they do not allow it to lift their heau'
unduly. In fact, they are incnneu y
learn therefrom the lesson OF true nou
esty.
1t will be at least Dozen maybe
Bcore, of years yet before the structui'
will be finished, and, therefore III
certain sense, 1t will form the DuiA y
their life work. Surely 1t VIII De
most imposing monument 10 me
taste and skill. Although their cnie
plans have been finished for years. ~
plans in detail for many of the cathe
draPs parts have not yet been declue o
upon. In view of the circumslane
that the architects can gain no prae
teal knowledge, first hand" concern
ing the erection of such churcn Gu
fee, it is quite as well that the woIn
to proceed with relative mouera., w,
since +bis will 0ive them plenty OF tlIn