Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-09-16
ERECTING A CATHEDRAL
Intricate Problems That Have TO be
solyed by the Architects.

fntrirate Problems That Have TO no
Solved by the Architects.
Some idea of the magnitude Of the
tasl, Of building the Cathedral of St
John tue Divine on Morningsiue
heights. New York, is conveyed In the
fact that the model Of portion OF IT,
on the scale Of one inch to foot, cost
in the neighborhood of $4,000 and took
more than three years to complete. In
rough dimensions this model Is nrty
feet long twenty eight feet wide and
thirty-five feet high. 1t represents the
choir and chancel of the cathedral with
q part Of the crossing, and the exterior
shows a portion of the roof and the
eastern frontage, including the Bel
mont and other chapels. There Is room
for stout person to stand In the choir.
and if the nave of the cathedral were
completed In the model it would make
very comfortable sitting room.
The model was begun when work on
the cathedral was in contemplation. IL
was intended as a working model ana
not for exhibition. The architects.
Helms s. Lafarge, had 1t constructed
section by section in their studio
downtown. The sections We're careIui-
" studied and were frequently altered
along with the plans 1t was SLOW
construction. Here pillar was MADE
and set in place, there section Oh
wall. and as each bit was added the
architects studied the result. Numer-
ous changes were made as the work
progressed, for many things that seem
satisfactory and harmonious in the
diagrams prove to have technical disad-
vantages when they come into exist
ence and when the varying effects OF
light and shade are first practically
demonstrated.
Changes suggested by the model, OF
course. necessitated changes in the
plans. aud. though the original ground
nlan for the cathedral has been al
hered to. elevations have been altered
so extensively that to the layman the
later plans seem strlkingly different
In devising such Improvements ana re-
Anements the model is an indispensa'
BILE aid
AT first the architects confined their
attention largely to the interior OF the
choir The exterior of the model con-
sisted of great blotches of plaster, re-
sembling some unsightly white mess
dumped into the studio. AS the work
progressed. however, the thing grew
until it practically filed the room from
wall to wall, and persons were oareiy
able to squeeze about. At this juno
ture some members Of the building
committee of the cathedral who had
been looking at the model suggested
that the outside be finished and that II
be then placed on public exhibition.
The architects were In an odd dllem'
ma. They could not complete the
monster model in the cramped quar-
+ers Of their studio and no place large
enough for 1t was apparently avail
able. About the only buildings suit
able in point of size were the city
armorles. and the cathedral building
committee was not able to hire any one
of these. Finally some thought Of the
old orphan asylum building on the ca
thedral grounds. AS there was nc
room in the old building high enough
10 contain the model, two rooms were
transformed into one lofty chamber
bv cutting away the flooring between
, Then the building, which had Ions
: been neglected, was altered to admit o
n proper entrance to the exhibition
J room. TO remove the whole mode
] from the studio downtown was I'm
: possible without knocking away por
ton Of the wall Of the building, so l
2 was sawed into sections and trans
/ ported up to the old asylum, where
j was set together again. Ultimately
| after the exterior had been completed
: 1t was put on exhibition. 1t Is moi
9 however on public view now and /
l shown only to persons having specia
| permission to see It.
/. To the architects all this labor was
| necessity In order that they might hav
some more definite Idea than that al
forded by the most elaborate plans an
drawings Of the ultimate appearance
/ Of their great creation. To the layma
: It affords In some degree an opportun
q ty of approaching the grandeur Of tn
completed edifice which is to crow
e the plateau above Mornlngside pari
e The interior of the model Is practica
r " a finished study Of the choir an
D chancel.
e A suggestion of the intricate prof.
: lens involved In the study OF ID
model and its value is obtained b
considering a single detail. The base
0 Of the eight great chancel pillars, fC
l. instance, were the object Of long an
careful examination. To the layma
o the base Of the pillar seems an cas-
enough thing to plan, and indeed
n the case of an ordinary pillar two fe'
In diameter there are numerous stan'
l. ards to follow, but when the architect
came to consider the question Of base
for columns six feet In diameter the
o confronted an absolutely dinerel
problem, in which the old STANDARD
3 did not serve. They found, when the
s. ideas took visible form in the mode
u that the original plans for the bas'
were entirely unsatisfactory, and Il
plaster models were studied ar
changed again and again. Finally
&c was necessary to make full size
IL model for one Of the bases before VIII
were considered thoroughly satisfa
tory profiles were obtalned.-Brookly
III Citizen.
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