The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-06-24
WORK OF YEARS
New York's CT ledral tie Fin.
est in the Union
Total Cost, Including Improve
t,@Ements, $1,000, 900.

Imposing church editice in the United
States, says writer In Men and
Women. The completion of the Kelly
Memorial chapel is the final fruition
of the dream of the ,poet-archbishop.
whose brain planned the beautiful
structure, the purchasing and erection
of which occupied the last years of his
life.
The block of ground in Fifth avenue
upon which the cathedral stands, first
became church property in 1929, when
1t was purchased by Francis Cooper at
chancery sale, for two churches
st. Patrick's and st. Peters. The
price paid was $500; thirty years
previous to that time the same piece
of land had been conveyed to Robert
Sylburn, by the authorities of the city,
for few dollars and an annual rental
of four bushels of wheat. The great
difference between the consideration
for which the transfer was made on
the first occasion and that for which
it changed hands the second time, In,
dicates the rapid growth of property
values in New York city even in that
early period of the history of the me-
tropolis. Fifth avenue had already be-
come the central thoroughfare of
wealth and exclusiveness. The next
quarter of century witnessed even
more rapid strides in land valuation
and when, in 1854, St. Patrick's con-
gregation purchased the half interest
in the ground owned by st. Peters,
| they paid the latter church $59,50O.
Four years later, upon this rocky
site, so rocky that it furnished stone
designed for use in the construction
OF the edifice, the cornerstone of the
cathedral was laid. This was on Aug
ust is, the Feast of the Assumption
of the Blessed Virgin, and the impos-
ing ceremony, at which Archbishop
Hughes officiated, was witnessed by
100000 persons Of all denominations.
At this time more than thousand
persons had made individual contribu-
tions of $1,000 each to the building
fund. The earlier construction work
was thus insured from delay because
of financial reasons; and the principal
marble quarries of the United States
were soon transporting material to
the site Of the future stately edifice.
The cathedral and chapel are of. the
Gothic style of architecture, yet dis
tinct and original, and stamped with
the genius and thought of the concep-
|tors-Archbishop Hughes and Mr..
James Renwiclk, architects of the ca
thedral proper, and Mr.. Charles P.
Matthews, who designed the Lady
chapel. as the Kelly Memorial Chapel
is officially designated. The cathe-
drals of Rheims, Cologne, Amiens, the
Dominican House of Studies at Wash
ington, and the naves of Exeter and
Westminster, are opponents of the
same form of architecture.
The ground plan of St. Patrick's is
in the form of a Latin cross. It's in
terror length is BOG feet, and the
width, including the side chapels, 100
feet. The length of the transept Is 40
feet, and its height 1OS feet. At the
side aisles the height is "a feet.
The front wall, facing Fifth avenue,
has central gable flanked on each
side by tower, whose spires Of mag
nificent proportions rear their stately
height far into the sky.
The building Is of white marble,
with base course of granite, and still
retains, after the lapse of years, much
of its pristine beauty of coloring. The
interior does not dispel the impression
of grandeur received from a view of
the exterior. Massive columns of
white marble, arranged in clusters,
support the roof. The ceiling is
groined, with richly nodded ribs and
foliage bosses. The organ gallery, in
| the nave between the towers, is of ash,
! richly carved on front and ceiling. A
large grand organ is placed here, and
smaller one permanently installed
in the sanctuary.
The center altar is 40 feet high. Its
table is of pure Italian marble, inlaid
with semiprecious stones. The Pas
sion of our Lord is portrayed on the
panels in bas-relief. The tabernacle,
also of white marble, is decorated with
Roman mosaics and precious stones,
and has door of bronze in gold leaf.
| There are many affairs in the cathe
dral one among them, dedicated to the
Holy Family, is made OF white Ten
nessee marble, and the reredos is of
Caen stone. Over this altar hangs
Costazzini's famous painting of the
Holy Family. The Sacred Heart altar
is also a handsome one.
The altar If the Blessed Virgin, on
the eastern side of the sanctuary, is
Of French walnut, beautifully hand
carved. st. Joseph's altar, to the west
Of the sanctuary, is of bronze and
mosaic. Behind this altar the sacristy
is located.
The pews are of smooth, evenly
grained ash, and seat $500 persons.
The aisles afford standing room for
as many more: On Easter Sunday