Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-09
GREAT CATHEDRAL'S GRANITE
How the Stone for an American Westminster is Being
Quarried for the Splendid Edifce.

ornamental purposes UEdergOeS, Is
completed by means of steel shot
gradually lessening in size and giving
place finally to emory sand, the granite
surface shines like. oiled mahogany and
The strain of the stone is apparent
Some idea of the great weight OF these
shining blocks may be gained from the
fact that a cubic yard Of it, about two
and quarter tons. constitutes truck
| load and twelve yards tax the capacity
| of an ordinary fiat car ,.
1t is a curious fact. which has not
yet been satisfactorily explained. that
two shades of stone. one a trifie darker
than the other and divided from each
other by lines as straight as though
drawn by some giant hand. are found In
the hill. Although the difference in
shade is but slight, it has been specified
that the seven Chapels of the Tongues
are to be built of the darker stone and
the choir itself of the lighter. OF these
chaDels, the central one known as st.
Saviour Chapel, is now almost completed
externally. The walls have none of that
cold, gray appearance which has long
been associated with the word granite,
and the choir built of the lighter shade
of the stone should he even more distinc-
tive.
In selecting the stone for the Cathe-
dral durability had to be considered by
the trustees fully as much as the beauty
of the moment. According to tests made
by expert mineralogists. the granite
from Lake Michigan was found to have
n resistance of more than 10000 pounds.
a nd IN ha oil OF
metal. This latter qualification is more
important than it seems to the novice
in building for it is to iron and sulphur.
when decOmpOsed by the action of the
weather. that the destruction of granite
coloring is largely to he attributed. Just
what is the cause of the remarkable
| difference between this granite and the
stone found in the immediate vicinity
is still 4 matter of conjecture. Professor
Dubois Of Cornell. to whom the question
was submitted cOntented himself with
the statement that the pigment of the
feldspar, in its unmiXed state a sal
mon pink color, must have undergone
some changing process before the stone
hardened, peculiar to this one hill and
experienced by no other on the face of
the globe. What the peculiar process is,
he made no attempt to explain. The
trustees of the Cathedral. however,
were so convinced that the process really
was peculiar that in order to protect
themselves in case the quarry should
pass into unfriendly hands, they Sc
cured a ffty-year lease, with right to
| renew, on n small strip of land on the
HILL which in case of necessity they
can work themselves. 1t is not probable,
however. that the trustees will ever go
into the quarry business themselves.
AS one member Of the Cathedral Corpor-
alton said recently, the lease is merely
Il club secured for self-defense. Under
any circumstances the Cathedral of st.
John the Divine. in spite of the years
which must elapse before it can be fin
shed. will not resemble 4 stone patch
work quilt
Built of any material. the Cathedral
could not avoid being impressive through
its size and the dignity of its arch-
tectural design. With this warm glow
ing granite one might, mitatS mutand-
dis. apply to it Ruskin's description Of
the dazzling facade of st. Marks as
one sees it from the great Piazza of
Venice. Our Cathedral has. however,
one great advantage over the mediae-
val masterpiece in it's location. The first
RAYS of the morning sun will strike the
spre of ST. Johns towering above tho
streets of Harlem. and the great ediiice
will reflect the last of the evening glow
behind the Palisades that front IT across
the Hudson. ST. Marks nestleS half
hidden in the square of Il dying city;
St Johns will stand out above the
metropolis of the New World almost as
the statue of St. Michael looks down
firm it's spire upon the abbey church and
old Norman rock of mont St. Michel.