Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-10-09
No NEW ROOF FOR
THE TABERNACLE.
First Presidency Has No Improve
mcnts Under Contemplation for
Great Structure
NO WOOD 70 STEEL CHANCE.
Morning Contemporary Perpetratcs An
other of It's Lurid Dreams Upon
The Public

The Salt Lake Herald this morning
says, a partial rebuilding Of the Tab
srnacle is under contemplation by the
First Presidency Of the Mormon
Church It is proposed TO put a new
roof on the historic structure that has
been the meeting place of hundreds Of
thousands Of deyou adherents 20 the
faith and the object Of curious obsorv
ance on the part OF many hundreds OF
thousands CO visitors Architects say
that the wooden trusses that support
the structure are beginning to be NJ
tected by dry rot. and that the best
way to remedy the defect and put the
Tabernacle into an absolutely sdte
condition is TO put In steel supports In
the place OF the wooden arches which
now support the roof, When the Tab
ernacle was built In the COS nails cost
such an high price that the Immense
imbers were fastened with thongs
made Of deer hide to save expense,
These great pieces Of wood have been
In place lnsce 1851 without change,
the building having been in course OF
construction from 1864 10 1851 In the
time OF President Wilford Woodruff the
rebuilding Of the Tabernacle was first
agitated. and Architect Don Carlos
Young was asked 10 submit plans Tor
the change Nothing was done at That
time Since then the subject has been
taken up from time to time without re-
suits. and now, under the regime or
President Joseph r. Smith, It Is again
under favorable consideration There
IL a strong prospect, Il Is stated, That
the Improvement Will be ordered.
BEAUTIFUL BUT NOT TRUE.
The above story Is beautiful one
except that II ~ not true in a single
respect. It Is fake from beginning 10
end. II Is made out OF whole cloth
A partial rebuilding OF the Tabernacle
Is NOT under contemplation 1t Is NOT
proposed 10 put a new roof on the MS
toric structure. Architects do NOT say
that the wooden trusses that support
the building are beginning TO be AZ
fected by DRY ROT. They do NOT
recommend the replacing of wooden
arches by steel ones, The timbers were
NOT fastened by thongs from deer
hides when the building was erected
The rebuilding OF the Tabernacle was
NOT considered by President Woodruff,
Architect Don Carlos Young has NOT
been asked TO furnish plans for recon
struction. The regime" of President
Joseph IT, Smith has NOT got the mat
ter under favorable consideration
again" There is NOT a strong pros
pect that the Improvement viii be or
dered.
ROOF IN FINE CONDITION.
Now then Tor few further facts,
Early last spring the whole interior Of
the dome Of the Tabernacle was
thoroughly inspected by experts, The
timber was found to be In condition
bordering on perfection II is hard red
pine and TO all appearances better than
the day 1t was put in. There IL no
suggestion of dry rot anywhere. The
metal roof had few holes In II
through which q little storm water per-
oolated here and there. But only In one
case did Il reach the wood work, but
even then there was not the slightest
damage, When the building was erect
ed the big supporting timbers were fas-
tened together by iron bolts and wood
tlon of weakness In piece of timber
the suspected defect was covered and
bound with green rawhlde, Wherever
extra strength was required that, too,
was done Strange to say that raw
hide is almost as hard as iron today.
It's hrmness Is matter of wonder
ment to the builders who have seen It,
as If the stability Of the whole roof
which to all intents and purposes IL as
good now as when II was FIRST put on,
In fact It Is better Then Il was COW
cred with shingles Now It has splen-
did metal surface over It's entire area.
Months ago Il contract was LEI to BY
water & Groo to repair the roof The
work has been going on all summer
and is now complete, even to triple
coating of paint Besides IL Is guaran-
teed for a number of years to come
Had there been any intention to re-
construct the roof or any part of II
the Church would not have gone to the
expense that Il has in repairing IL as
stated. The story Is just one more
fake.