Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-06
THE CHOIR COLUMNS
History From Quarry to Ca
thedral Grounds.
SET INSIDE TWO HOURS
SIX YEARS SPENT IN CLARIFYING
AND MOVING.
And as Many Weeks in Preparation to
Put in Place-Great
Value.

Written for The Evening Star by Samuel L. VII.
let's.
No end of trouble has been caused to all
concerned by the eight largest columns in
America, which are destined to form the
choir of the Cathedral of ST. John the Di-
vine, New York, the largest religious ed
flee to be started since the middle ages,
when thousands of zealots worked their
lives away rearing Europe's famous cathe-
drals.
The period Of trouble and anxiety
stretches over six years. from the time
these enormous blocks began to be quarried
down Maine way to the present day, when
they are being set on foundations in
every way worthy of them. These founda-
tons, of granite. are eight feet square.
stand twenty-six feet above the surface and
go down seventy feet to a rock ledge. 1t
may be truthfully said of the columns that
they have the eternal rock Itself for foun-
dation.
Anything short of such a foundation
would scarcely do. The lower half of each
column, placed in front of the average
three-story suburban house. would over
top 1t; 1t is thirty-eight feet long and its
weight is the staggering one of 10000
pounds, or ninety tons. In addition six OF
feet long, with weight of forty tons, while
two support stones two feet longer and
weig hing four tons more.
These caps, which are extremely 'hefty"
in themselves, were quarried parts Of
the bases, for 1t was the original intention
to have monoliths instead of columns.
Eul it was found impossible to turn so
big block in the great lathe. which was
especially constructed for the work of pol
ishing the monoliths and represents the
last step in such machinery. Three Of the
monoliths while in the lathe broke from
the twisting strain due to the turning,
hat hmm
Then the contractors and the cathedral au-
thorities surrendering to the inevitable
and sinking their disappointment, cut all
the monOliths in two where the three had
broken Off while being turned. OF course
the monoliths could have been saved If
they had been polished by hand, but that
would have taken years, ana the cost
would have been something enormous 30
the monoliths were out OF the question.
This was Just one Of the troubles incident
to the securing of the great columns. each
of which weighs 100 tons, or 26OOoO pounds
placed side by side along the curb of New
York street, they would completely hide
from view two four-story and basement
brown stone front houses, for each column
is "a feet long and feet in diameter.
Set With Ease.
Yet these mammoth columns are being set
with an ease that Is astounding to the lay
man. The big half Of the first column to
be set was lowered into position in an hour
and forty minutes, while the cap was raised
and set in a few minutes. and only six men.
under w. F. Rowland, the veteran stone
SETTER who Is known all over the country
by men similarly engaged. are employed on
the work.
The setting of these stones and the pre-
paratory work are by no means the least
interesting features in the history Of the
columns.
Straddling a foundation is a derrick of
the trunks Of two Oregon mrs, each e6 feet
long and 20 inches through at the top. Mr..
Rowland spent two weeks selecting these
logs and in choosing them he gave them
no other test than that Of sight.
How did you know merely by looking
at them that they would support such a
great weight?' he was asked.
WELL" he replied. I've been setting
stone a good many years and I've learned
to size up piece of timber by what weight
it will stand.
After the derrick is placed and the cables
properly strung-a matter OF a weeks
steady work-cribbing is laid to one of the
big stones and track Of equally heavy
timber to the base of the foundation. This
track is heavily soaped and then the stone
is rolled upon the cribbing and over 1t on to
the track by means OF what riggers term
par buckling it's butt resting on a shoe that
has q tenon fitting into q groove in the
track, SO that there will be no danger Of
the shoe leaving the track.
On the end Of each of these big stones
is a projection of several inches, on which
great WOODEN clamps are set. Thls gives
shoulder to lift against, for the cables are
fastened around the clamp and the shoe put
under the butt so that nothing will touch
the polished surface, which would be
marred by the slightest contact with a
cable.
Their Wooden Coat.
When the stone is in this position Its
wooden casing il stripped off-15.000 feet of
lumber were required to encase the sixteen
stones-and 1t IL slid upward along the
soaped track to the base of the foundation.
Then 1t II all ready to be lifted.
Two engines are used In this task, and
thar combined horsepower IL Increased In
effect to 800 by doubling the cables attach
ed to the stone. While the end 10 hoisted
up the butt is kept steady By means Ct