Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-29
Magnificent New Cathedrals That Are Now Being Built
Xn karOef Being Consfrucfed for Religious zurposes.
ST. JOHNS CATHEDRAL. NEW YORK.

document placed under the foundation stone, it was one of the late Emperor Williams last commands that the cathedral should be built by ''the ruler and people of Prussia to commemorate the victory over the French in 1871 and the foundation of the new German ,empire.'' The share of "the people of Prussia in the enterprise seems to be confined to providing, through their parliamentary representatives, the res 'quired money.
 The building is to be in the style ot the Italian renaissance. It has been a type that would not find much ap- jproval in this country at the present time. The emperor, however, pursues the even tenor of his way unmoved by criticism, and the Prussian diet has been induced to vote $2, ,5o0,000 for the carrying out of the work, but on the
 understanding that no further sums
 are at any future time to be asked for. The foundation stone was laid by tho emperor in 1894, and the work is ad-
 vancing steadily, but without the signs
 of popular interest and the incidents
 of zealous self-sacrifice and voluntary effort which, in more democratic com munities, sometimes make the story of the building of cathedral so att ltractive and impressive. The com ipletion of the building is looked for
 some time in 1904.
 The seventh of thislist of cathedrals is the one now building in New York city. Though placed as seventh in order here, it is by no means the least
 of the number, either in point of att tractiveness or cost, but in both these points is classed ahead of all the oth- CTS. The cathedral of St. Johns, New York, will be one of the largest, in the world, and by far the largest and finest ecclesiastical building in America. In city of tall buildings a lofty structure was inevitable; as a matter of fact, the central tower of New York cathe- dral will be, with the exception of Ulm Minister and the Eiffel tower, the high est structure in the world. From the street level to the top of the cross the height will be 445 feet, or about half as high again as the campanile of new Westminster, which now forms such "a conspicuous landmark in the west of London. As the cathedral is being erected on commanding site on the Washington Heights, it will as com pletely dominate the city of New York as St. Paurs cathedral dominates the city of London.
 The foundation stone was laid in December, 1892, though nearly 20 years before that a committee had been formed and some money collected. The architects, Messrs. Heins & La Farge, whose plans were selected in an open competition, have designed a building on the most magnificent scale, and one which is calculated to cost, before it is completed, more than $5,0o0,0o0. Of course, it will be very long time before the great work is fully accomplished. The progress dur ing the past ten years has not been very rapid, but chapel under tho choir has for some time been open for public worship, and the erection of the superstructure is being steadily pro- ceeded with.
 The style adopted by the architects IS mOulneQ rOrm or komaneSque. The most striking feature of the ex- terior design is the group of seven towers, two at the west front, four smaller ones at the angles of nave and transepts, and the great central tower with it's spire rising high above them all. The choir ends in an apse, into which open seven chapels, each ac- commodating 15o worshipers. The in- tention is that in these chapels divine service shall be conducted every Sun day in seven different foreign lam guages-French, German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Armenian and Chi nese. Such feature, which is prob ably quite unique, is an interesting indication of the spirit in which the enterprise is being carried out mod ern and local needs are to be kept in view, rather than ecclesiastical tradi- tion. New York is one of the most polyglot cities in the world, and al- ready, in different parts of the city, services Tn connection with the Epis- copal church are held in nine different languages. HUGH B. PHILPOTT