Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-09-17
BY 5. v. LEEcH, p. y.

| Imposing Monuments TO Piety.
BY s. v. LEIGH. ID. ID.
To any American pastor the church
es OF old Rome are engirt with In
| tense interest. The largest, costiest
and best known Cathedral OF the
world Is the Basilica of st. Peter. 1t
is supposed 10 stand on the grounds OF
Emperor Nero's immense circus, where
so many magnificent Christian mar
tyrs surrendered life rather than re-
nounce their faith Ia Jesus Christ.
! When Constantine was converted TO
Christianity he ordered the erection
OF Christian church on these hlstor-
ical acres. About the middle OF the
| fifteenth century one of the Nicolas
popes began the erection OF the pres
ent tremendous building. During the
following century the eminent archi-
tect Bramante was placed in charge
OF the enterprise, and he resolved that
its form should be that of a Greek
cross, with the four naves OF equal
length. Later on one of the Leo
popes appointed the immortal Raphael
chief OF the three superintending ar
chltects. He determined that it
should resemble Latin cross, with
one nave 3 times the length of any one
OF the other three. Later on after the
death of Raphael, Michael Angelo was
in charge. He changed the plan TO
that OF Greek cross, and he designed
the facade and the mighty dome. La
ter on another pope selected Carrie
Maderno as chief architect. He re-
solved To change the form back to
that Of Latin cross, which is the
present shape of the stupendous
structure. After fifteen architects
| and tWenty-eight successive popes had
superintendent the progressive work
| for period Of 176 years, the ediflce
was finally dedicated In the nth CEN
tury. When the writer was chaplain
of the Senate OF New York senators
complained that the new capitol had
cost twenty millions and consumed
| period of Is years; and they affirmed
| that the politicians controlling the
great parties intended to keep the
structure in progress eternally.
There must have been much complaint
at Rome, for hundred millions OF
dollars have been spent ON ST. Peters
church, and | saw many workmen
still toiling on improvements about
it. Immediately Ia front-of 1t is the
vast piazza of Saint PETER and
back Of it is the extensive Vatican
palace aud its great museum. The
piazza is fianked with rows OF mighty
colonnades, embracing las immense
columns, each one 45 feet high.
Fountains, each 46 feet high are in the
centre OF this square; and the tall
Egyptian obelisk that stood In the
center OF Nero's circus, In the days of
Caligula, stands near to the foun-
tains. The portico OF the church is
255 feet long; AZ wide and SO high.
Thanking it are the great statues Of
Constantine and Charlemagne. The
edifice is 651 feet In length, and at the
TRANSCRIPTS it Is 445 It. wide-while
the SPACE between the top OF the cross
on the dome down to the vast marble
| floor of the cathedral is 470 feet. The
diameter Of the base of the dome is
| 140 It. The tallest sssky scraper'a OF
| ing--is 308 1T. high. On its roof an
other building of 1872 IT. would make
the two structures as high in mid air
as the top OF the cross over st. Peters
! church. It's enormous interior walls
are covered with rare marbles, pictures,
carvings, mosaics and paintings; and
many costly chapels open into the vast
auditorium. Countless millions Of
people have kissed the extended foot
of the bronze figure OF Peter, as he
sits on his marble throne under the
dome of the High Altar.
| The canopy OF bronze above 1t weighs
So tons. Beneath it tradition claims
that Peters body rests. Before this
altar Is marble balustrade. In the
rotunda Of the tomb eighty lamps,
made OF silver and gold, burn contin-
ually through the passing centuries.
In one of the transcripts the great
council assembled that pronounced
the Pope infallible. Many magnia-
cent monuments to dead pontiffs, and
eminent adherents OF the papacy,
adorn the interior of the EAighty
church. 1t would take columns Of
type to describe all OF these splendid
decorations. Tourists are shown for
fees, the relics in the treasury Of the
church. Among many impostures are
such as the following: The point of
the lance with which soldier pierced
Christ's side, the handkerchief which
4 Veronica handed to Jesus to wipe his
! face on hiSw to the cross and which
he returned to her bearing his exact
likeness, "a piece Of the cross OF Je-
sus, etc.
| Scores Of Roman churches are vast
in size, ancient In their institution,
surprisingly gorgeous in their interior
finish and adornments, and many Of
them occupy interesting historical
sites, but no one is SO respondent as
Str Peters.
! The Church of ssSt. Andrew Dele
Vale occupies the site Of the theatre