The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-03-04
NJ CATHEDRAL.
Beautiful R. G. Church Now
in Course Of Erection
in Newark.
TO COST A MILLION DOLLARS
A Work in Which the Whole
Diocese is Interested ~
Among the Churches.
TO COST. 4 MILLION DOLLARS
A Work in Which the Whole

Among the Churches.
Although the work on the proposed new
cathedral in Newark has not progressed
very far, and there is little prospect that
the enormous structure will not be COM
pleted for years, a description of the plans
for this beautiful building will no doubt
prove interesting. When the g Kew
Bishop Wigger of the Newark Diocese,
called for plans a few years age, dozens
were submitted. Those of Architece Jere-
miah O'Rourke of Newark were selected.
The structure he has designed it is esti-
mated will cost about $1,G00,O0o. Just now
much of this has been raised is not
known. Every parish in the diocese has
been assessed according to its size and
wealth.
The site, a beautiful one, was selected
in 1870, by Archbishop Bayley, then Blsh-
op of the Newark diocese. From this IT
will be seen that the plans regarding a
cathedral are by no means new The
property is situated on a block bounded
by Ridge street, Clinton avenue and
Fifth and Sixth streets. The property on
Clinton avenue is eight hundred and
twelve feet in length and two hundred
feet VIDE. The site overIooks the Branch
Brook Park, and has an uninterrupted
view. of New York to the eastward and
southwark to Staten Island and the High
lands of Navesink.
The many branches of work on TINS
stately ediice will be given out on sepaf-
ate contracts. Architect O'Rourke gave
out the contract for the foundation last
June, and since then the work has been
pushed as rapidly as possible. Barring a
few stormy snaps. no time has been LOST.
SS5. 900 is the contract price of the founda-
ton. 1t is limestone granite and WHITE
haven stone. The foundation viii reacn
about ten feet above the street level, or
to the height of the water table. In
some place the depth of the foundation
is three feet while in other ten feet. The
granite rests Upon solid rock
The Bishop is the head of the Building
Committee, and up to the time he was
taken i'll with the grip he took great
pleasure in supervising the work. II VIII
be called the Cathedral of the Sacred
Heart. The building will face south,
fronting on Sixth avenue fifty feet from
the curb line.
II L. DC oty pfNS
Cathedral. complete in all its parts, with
nave. aisles. two transepts and chancel
and ambulatory. The choir loft will be
over the organ gallery. AROUND the eiiai-
eel ambulatory will be eight chapeis, W
of which will open into tr~ansepts. one
of the chapels viii be very large ana
will be supplied with a separate sacrlsly
and will have a clustered passage leadlng
to the episcopal residence. This Will ao-
ioin the Cathedral and will be occupied
by Bishop Wigger, who now resides at
Seton Hall College.
The building viii be in the thirteenth
century Gothic style and will have two
imposing towers. There will be but one
cellar. and that will be beneath the
chancel chapels and sacristles- Inc toeai
length will be three hundred and seven
faet and one hundred n fifty feet III
breadth. The floor space will cover aooue
twenty-five thousand square 1eet IA
there will be seating room 1or Two lhou-
sand while twenty-five hundred more Can
stand. From the floor to the cenlng the
dist noe will be ninety-six feet, ana the
aisle ceilings forty feet.
The two towers will be of stone ana the
snires viii, he of different height. me
taller, which is to be known as .he 1esu7
tower will have a spire reaching three
hundred and fifty feet in the ar OF Oyer
Ave hundred and fifty feet above the sea
level The western tower will be deslg-
nated as the Blessed Virgin Mary tower
and will rise from two hundred n nfty
To three hundred feet in the air. IL VIII
he lighter and more graceful IN aesisn
that its loftier neighbor. Modern steer
CONSUMPTION is to be used in the building.
The walls will be of stone, but the grace
has not yet been decided. There are 70
be three spacious entrances. Tne nave
columns will be of polished marble caps
and bases of unpublished granite. Quartereo
oak is to be used on the wood work, ana
the interior colors will be light and cheer-
full. The floor will be of white marble
and the roof of red tile. Bronze doors
will be used at the main entrances. Inc
chancel and nave will be two hundred and
feetlong and the width OF nave
and aisles eighty-six feet. Across the
transepts will be a width of one hundred
and forty-two feet, and each transept
forty-four feet wide The dimension of
tiled vestibule is to be twenty by eighty
feet.
Although the work was begun last fali
| the foundation has not been completed
and probably won't be for several months.
No other contracts have been awarded.
The architect said that the work would
be advanced as the money was raised.