The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-12-30
ENTHRONE
ARCHBISHOP
English Catholics Conseerate New
Westminster Cathedral.
AIN EPOCH In CHURCH HISTORY
No sseh Spectacle Witnessed In Lon
doa since the Reformafion-High
PreIates, Dukes and Lesser
Noblemen Assist.

Ioadon, Dec. 3oFor the FIRST time
since the abbey passed from their hands
when Henry Will rebelIed against the
pope the Roman Catholics Of England
have again great cathedral in the an
cIeat city Of Westminster.
With all the ceremony Of the Catholic
church and with all the pomp that mod
err England can afford for royal cere
mony, in the presence Of archbishops
and bishops of England, Ireland, Scot
land and Wales, the Duke of NorfolB
and scores of the mobiles and gentlemen
Of the British isles, as well as great
! numbers Of supplied priests and mem
bers Of religious orders ia their robes OF
varying colors, besides a multitude Of
the common people, the Most Rev
Francis Bourne was enthroned on the
marble chair of the archbishops OF
Westminster on the feast day of st
Thomas Of Canterbury, and the great
new edifice was consecrated.
Such a spectacle has not been wit.
messed in London since the reformation
begun Eight Years Ago.
The building was begun only eight
years ago, though It was projected BY
Cardinal Wiseman and was planned by
Cardinal Manning in 1865. It is situat
ed half a mile west Of Westminster alb
hey and is magnificent structure Of
the Byzantine style, similar to that OF
St Sophia at Constantinople, with
great eampanile OF red brick banded
with Portland stone standing 300 feet
high and crowned with a metal COY.
cred dome, surmounted by q double
cross Of bronze.
The extreme length Of the new cathe.
dral outside ii 800 feet; width, 156 feet
height Of nave, III feet. The internal
measurements are: Length from the
main entrance to the sanctuary, 232
feet. depth Of the sanctuary, 62 feet
and Of the raised choir behind 1t, 4s
feet. making the total internal length
342 feet; width Of the nave, 60 feet
width across the nave and aisles, 9s
feet. and across the nave and aisles
and side chapels las feet; height Of the
main arches OF the nave. 80 feet, and
Of its three domes 10 feet. The whole
building covers an area of about o4'-
600 square feet.
The great west front has noble en-.
trance arch, which is four feet wider
in its span than the arch of st Marks
at Venice.
The three great doors are executed in
teak, and II is hoped that at some time
they may be covered with bronze
plates, like the famous doors Of st
Marks
The weight Of the material Of each
of the three domes Of the nave Is about
700 tons.
Largest Nave In England.
The nave IS higher and much wider
than any other nave in England. On
each side are twelve lower arches sup
norting the tribunes or galleries I'm
der the arches are the private chap
els There are eight Of them, aud two
at least, are as large as many private
churches.
The high altar is 81 solid stone
weighing twelve tons, Cornish granite
unpublished but tihe axed. IL stands
twelve feet long and four feet wide
without any gradus The six grea
aandlesticks, with central crucihx o
impressive size, are alone upon the al
tar, as in st. Peters at Rome
The archiepiscopal throne is an exac
facsimile OF the papal throne IN II
Johns Lateran's, Rome, and i com
posed chiefly Of white statuary marbl
and mosaic, with heraidic bearings. |
was made in Rome.
The general view of the inner wall
is still one Of bare rough brick.
The scheme is to cover the whole o
the lower walls and the piers TO tn
height Of about forty feet with marble
Ali the upper part and the vaults AM
concrete domes will be decorated witt
mosaic work illustrating the history 0
the church.
The total expenditure on lie entir
edifice up to the end Of October wa
Just over million dollars That tigur
IS exclusive Of the work on the sid
ehapels, which are the gifts Of privat
donors