The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-27
SAVANNAH'S NEW CATHEDRAL,
THE BUILDING is NOW PFACTI-
CALLY COMPLETE.

IL GEOOaDly tne Chu' CH
Edifice in the South-OnIy Awaits
Now the Interior Furnishings and
OrDRments-AItars, Pews, orgnn
and other Equipment to Be Put in
This mer-May BE Some Time
Before All of Stained Glass Win
doXvs Arrive The New Building
Practically Fire Proof and SUI
periOr in Interior Finish to the
Old.
The contractors for the new Cathedral
of st. John the Baptist Messrs. Miles
& Bradt, have practically completed their
work and expect to finish entirely this
week. The Cathedral is now complete
so far as the building is concerned, inte-
rior and exterior.
Practically all of the interior furnish
ing remains to be done yet, however, in
Guiding the affairs upon which work is
now going on, the pews. the organ, the
stained glass windows. the stations of
the cross and the various ornaments
which go to the proper equipment and
decoration of a cathedral
Some of this work is in progress, but
much of the material is not expected to
arrive before July, and as several weeks
will be required 10 put a in place and
give the finishing touches it is not ex
pected that the church will be ready for
dedication before the early fall.
The building has been cleared, however,
of all the scaffolding and other obstruc-
tions and now presents a very handsome
appearance. The view is better now
probably than il viii be when the pews.
organ, stained windows and other ac-
cessories have been added, being entire
ly unobstructed and the high windows
furnishing ample light. The light cream
color of the ceiling with the ivory tone
of the branching arches gives fine
light effect which will be of advantage
when the colored windows have been
added. In the arches above the win
dows the color is buff shading 10 a light
terra Gotta on the walls. The wains-
coting and flooring is of marble.
Standing in the sanctuary and looking
towards the entrance the church IS an
parently smaller than before. AS he di-
rpensions are the same this effect is prob
ably caused by the fact that he main aisle
and the two side aisles have been widene J,
decreasing the room for the pews some
what 1t is believed, however, that the
seating capacity will be about the same.
The magnificent effect Of the fire arches
of the Cathedral can be best obtained from
the sanctuary and no enc can take this
view without paying a tribute msn ally
to the architect. The building throughout
is a fine specimen of the Gothic type ard
is believed to be superior to any hing #
the kind in the South. Mr.. Baldwin of
Baltimore designed the original building
and prepared the plans fer the res ora
ton on the original lines.
Mr.. Bradt. who personally superintende1
the CONSTRUCTION of the building, s'a e5
hot frpr a cfan5n0inf the
new building is sperior to the old in many
respects. The building Is of fireuroof n
struction with steel beams and Tile arches
the main floor being of marble tile except
the raised platforms for the pews. The
roof is also Of fireproof construction, W tn
steel and metal laths. The body Of TIE
church is about 70 feet in width by about
110 feet in depth, while the sanctuary Is
about 80 feet deep. The towers at
the western end are about 200 feet
in height The old church hal
wooden flooring and wainscoting with pine
finish. The new church has marble floor
ing and wainscotng with antique oak
finish. The fresco work IS exceedingly
handsome, especially in the sanctuary,
which is in imitation of golden tapes try
upon a red background. A VIDE frieze
band in light colors encircles the walls
underneath the arches. The tall columns
are in bronze with gilt capitals.
A Morning News reporter who visited
the church yesterday afternoon in COM
pany with Bishop Kelley found the work.
men engaged upon the two affairs in the
apses on either side of the high altar.
These are known as the affairs of the
sacred heart and of the Blessed Virgin.
The material for The high altar, which
is a memorial to Bishop Becker. is not
expected until July, and will require sew
eral weeks to erect. Two of the win
dows of the apse of the Sacred Heart
altar have arrived and were being but
in place yesterday. In design, coloring
and finish they are very handsome. In
common with all of the other stained win
dows of the church, they were ordered
from Innsbruck, in the Austrian Tyrol.
As the designs for some of the win
dows have not been finally approved of,
il will be some time yet before all the
colored windows arrive. The three large
windows over the high altar, which will
be the handsomest of all, will represent
scenes in the life of st. John the iBap-
tist These windows are the gift of Capt.
John F1annery, being memorials TO his
deceased wife and to Capt. and Mrs.
Mcmahon.
The organ, which is now being con-
structed by Brown & Co. of Whining
ton. Del. will be very large, entirely
filling the large arch under the choir
gallery and obscuring the rose window
of this arch from interior view The
organ will cost $1,000, and when COM
pleted will be one of the finest In the
South. The gallery is to be reserved en-
4irely for the choir, and will not be open