The St. Johns herald., 1901-03-09
A. T. STENART'S TOMB
Magnificent Monument of the Mer-
 chant Prince.
The Cathedral of the Incarnation at Garden City, L. IA Grand Edifcc and Its Fea-
 lures.

With the recent death of former Judge Henry Hilton that portion of so- ciety which is interested in church work has recently had it's attention re- called to very picturesque stretch of land on Hampstead Plains, L. l., made picturesque through the erection of the grand edifce to the memory of Alex ander Turner Stewart and his wife, Cor nelia Nj. Stewart, at Garden City, and by the building of the schools at his desire expressed throughout the latter part Of lis fife.
 It had been a dream early in A. T. Stewards life to erect a model city where he could do good among ToOr people, ard when he commenced to ac- cumuiate his vast fortune he began to put his dreams into some tangible shape. At the time of his death he had pur- chased more than 5000 acres of land from the township Of Hampstead ct value estimated at from $5,CC0,C00 to S8,O00,0V0; Lad planned and started to build the first cathedral in the Prctes- tant EFisc0pal church i'll the United States; had begun the erection Of handsome military school and girls seminary, and negotiations were pend ing for the putting up Of several fac tories to supply q means of support to the residents of his ideal city.
 Shortly after the death Of Mir. Stew art, in 1876, some Of these plans were changed, and instead of making this busy industrial city, as he had wished, no factories CT manufacturing places of any description were allowed on the estate, property was restricted and Gar den City became a residential town fer society.
 St. faul's church school was com pleted September 14, 1880, and opened with large scholarship. Great sue cess w2s achieved, and lieutenant was appointed Ey the United States govern ment to teach military science and tao tics.
 The cathedral is probably one of tie grardCst nor uments that has been erected to the memory of man in private lie for centuries. It cost,more than $2,500,000. The style Of the build ing is gothic; the plan is cruciform, with a single tower over the front entrarce. The spire is 197 feet high, surmounted by a cross ten feet high. This cross is of glass and fitted with gas turner's to be lighted, although it is never used.
 One of the features of the cathedral is the set of centennial chimes which oc- cupied the top Of Machinery hall at the Philadelphia exposition in 1876. There are 13 bells, weighing about 20,CC0 pounds. in the belfry.
 Another grand piece of work is the organ. At the time it was built il was in several respects one of the most re- markable in the world, and at the pres ent has but two or three rivals
 In q small octagonal-shaped room eff the cllancel stands the baptisnal fcnt, which is without doubt CLe Of the richest in the world. The base and basin are of marble and the cover is of carved rosewood. Surmcunting this is a crown, said to be of virgin gold, and it is claimed that every precious stone mentioned in the Bible is represented in the settings of this crown.
 Directly beneath the altar is the crypt, in which rest the bodies of Mr. 1 and Mrs. Stewart. The crypt is of oc- tagonal shape, four sides being taken | up with stained glass windows and the i other four being a marble fence with | brass gates. In the center of the crypt i stands large marble urn, bearing the | memorial of Alexander T. Stewart and , Cornelia NJ. Stewart.
 There has always been a great deal of doubt expressed as to whether the 1 body of Alexander T. Stewart really 1 rests in the crypt, but one who was near by in an official capacity one night early in the sos gives assurance that the body was transferred to Garden City i litter its recovery and now rests in the | place built for it.-Chicago Times-Her- aid.