The times., 1899-09-18
DESCRIPTION OF THE EDIFIcE.
Gloomy Subterranean PASSAGES md
Bright Shrfnes

dedicated yesterday Is monastic struc- 4
ture unexcelled in the United States both
as TO the natural beauty Uf its location, its
stupenduous proportions, and the quaintness
of its architecture, The monastery is sit
uated on Mount St sepuichre, an eminence
comprising forty-four acres of the old Nc
Ceney estate, In Broekland and the yellow
dome of the massive Structure can be seen
rising against the asky for many miles
around. Promises of most beautiful land
scape effects are already observable in the
spacious grounds surrounding the build
ing, long winding avenues of young trees
having already been set out, and banks of
shrubbery artistically placed
+ The monastery, which Is the first OF its
kind in America. is yeritably surrounded
| on all sides by the structures of Catholic
orders.
Only quarter of a mile away is the
Catholic University OF America, near which
is the College of st. Thomas. the house of
the Pauiist Fathers. Just beyond the uni
yersity the College of the Holy Cross, a
magnificent structure of white stone is
nearing completion, whiie closer at hand the
| Marist Fathers, who have heretofore occu-
pied the old Brooks mansion, have broken
ground for a new bnilGing To the south
| east of the university gate the Sisters of
Notre Dame have begun the erection OF a
! convent and seminary for young ladies,
whose work will be closely allied with that
/ OF similar institutes. In this vicinity also
| st. Vincent's Orphan Asylum and Academy
! for Girls, which is now located in Washing
ton, will soon break ground for a new home
The edifice, which is seemingly divided
! into two parts, the monastery and the
church, the two being connected By huge
archways, looks toward the rising sun.
| The monastery is 210 feet square, with a
! central court 10 feet square, two stories
/ high, with a basement. Spac GUS open cor
ridors overlook the court, which has well
! Of cistern water in the center, surrounded
| by lawn dotted with flowers and shrub
berry. The north side of the basement is
| devoted to the laundry and simi ar de-
/ partments the east side to the kitchen,
and the south side TO workshops, whe.e lay
students may learn such trades as carpen-
/ try, masonry. shoemaking tailoring. AMI
! the like. The west side OF this floor con-
1 meets with the underground passages TO
/ the grottos or shrines.
! Offices of the Cosnmissariat
On the south side of the first floor. are
the offices of the Comnissariat and Aneri-
can College for Missionaries in the Hoy
! Land The east end is taken up for the
most part by two large dining ROOMS. one
/ for the lay students and the other for the
monks. The remainder of this floor com
prises study and class rooms and sleeping
apartments for the monks and professors.
The next floor is devoted almost exclu-
sively to the lay students. On the north
! side is the dormitory, series Of small
/ rooms connected by narrow arches Here
! also are the library and several study and
/ class rooms The floors of the entire
building are of cement, and everything is
/ of the plainest description. No space is
/ left unused, and no more room is given for
/ any purpose than is actually needed. The
open court lets in the sunshine and air
and every precaution has been taken to
make the building thoroughly sanitary.
! The edifice is of yellow brick, plain AMI
substantial.
The church or chapel is of the same ma
terial as the monastery, but is more elabor-
ate The top is bordered by a cornice of
yellow terra Gotta. The outside is orna-
mented with columns of brick with Cor
inthian capitals of yellow terra Gotta. On
either side of the main doorway is a
niche for statue. and above the door is
iye-told cross, the coat-of-arms OF the
Holy Land. The church is in the form of
this coat-of- arms. which is a large Greek
cross with a small cross in each of the
squares formed by the arms of the large
cross. The main cross forms the body
Of the church. while the smaller crosses
are represented by chapels. over the two
chapels in the fore part of the church are
galleries for the choir and the students
and monks. The main altar is raised about
twelve feet, beneath which is the shrine
of the Holy Sepulchre. The altar and the
galleries are reached by two marble STAIR
cases. The shrine of Calvary forms the
back of the altar, around which is a semi
circular arch OF electric lights. Aside
from the chapels and shrines indicated
there are two others in the main body OF
the church, located in the large alcoves
terminating the transepts. These are
raised four feet and are reached by stair
cases on either side. From these altars
j lead the passages 10 the underground
shrines ~
In all, the ediice contains eighteen chap
els and shrines, each different in design.
shrine of the Holy sepuIchre.
The shrine OF the Holy Sepulchre is an
exact reproduction of that found in the
Holy Land, with an outer and an inner
) chamber. In the latter is highly polished
slab, representing that upon which the
Saviour was laid. In order to make this
, as real as possible even the crack is imi-
tated in the slab. 1t will be interesting TO
note that the early Christians purposely
cracked the slab ON which Christ was laid,
so that the Turks, who were always look
ing for fine marble, would not steal it. In
each chamber of the shrine there will be
, an altar. The exterior and interior finish
consists of artistic and elaborate designs
in white fresco. This shrine is quite dark.
In front of the handsome arch which forms
the entrance to the shrine of the Holy Sep
. ulchre is a deep pit, as a representation of
! purgatory. The ceiling of the church is
frescoed in white ro5ettes, about eighteen
: inches square. The large central dome and
, the semi-domes over the chapels on the
north and south sides add greatly to the
design. Slender white columns support
the galleries. while the entire finish of the
/, church is in white and yellow the papal
! | colors. The floors Of the church and small
chapels are ornamented with q large Mo
! | sale Greek cross. On the west side, over
the main entrance, is the organ loft.
, The labyrinth CT underground passage!
I and shrines of the church. which are reach
ed by stairs from the body of the church
are most interesting. Here Is to be fount
the chapel for the dead of the monastery
e On the north side is the shrine of BethIe
e hem, which consists OF a niche for tn
C shrine and near by q representation of tn
: stable in which the Saviour was born. T,
the left OF the shrine is bench OF ma
IS sonry, where sits, in the original In Beth
y lehem, Turk guardian of the place
: On the south side is the shrine of Naza
d reth, having the form of a cave partly di
II vided by wall, with the rugged rock
a well initiated by cement In order to max
e the representation exact the architect ha