The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-11

ages into which geologists alone can penetrate. the process which created the Palisades on the West bank of the Hudson had presumbly disturbed the East bank as well, pushing one stratum of rock upon another and crumbling all together. The result was a mixture of firm rock suitable to sustain anything. and treacherous areas where the action of water had eaten into the rock through the course of centuries until in some places it could be dug away readily with an ordinary pick and shovel
 Here came an illustration of the ad- vantages possessed by the builders of today over those of several centuries ago. First, diamond drill was called into service. This machine, which may be compared to an enormous ap- ple-corer. has at one end a row of re- fuse diamonds which cut through the rock. When the drill has been sunk to the requisite depth, the core of rock within it can be drawn to the surface and examined at leisure. The condition disclosed by the drill were regarded as rendering the laying of adequate foundations difficult but not impossible, rock of the most solid char acter being found at varying depths be- low the surface. For the spots on which the chief supports of the Cathe- dral were to rest a minimum require ment of twenty feet of first-class rock was fixed and to obtain this 1t was necessary to excavate in one place to the depth of fifty feet.
 When solid rock of sufficient thick ness was exposed, 1t was smoothed and prepared for the concrete, of which enormous masses were used to bring the foundations for the columns from six to eight feet below the level of the ground. Today, one of the great arches with its two completed piers, two others partly built and eight pillars each made up ofwo huge monoIiths the largest ever quarried in this country, are standing as nearly eternal as any, thing made by human hands can be. The work so far accomplished repre- sents an expenditure of about two mill lion dollars, including $750,000 for the land and twelve years of hard labor It marks the beginning, however, of only a portion of the great edifice; the long and lofty nave has not been be- gun.
 There is nothing flimsy or fragile about such work as this. Balloon ing" spectators may rush up baloon- framed houses. like unto themselves; very probably a great many of the
 
 ings may rust to pieces but, though American architects may be obliged to do less than their best when constrain- ed by special considerations and fi- nancial restrictions. they are occasion ally given q free hand, as in the case of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine; and then they show that they can build for the ages with a skill far greater than that shown by mediaeval builders.
 Thanks to the recent gift of $6O0.- 900 from ex-Governor Levi P. Morton, and to other contributions which bring the amount of money in the hands of the Trustees, or already pledged. to SS5O, 900, the fruits of all this work will soon be the existence of the lar Fest church in New York, though 1t will he but a small part of the whole Cathedral. So much has already been done. though but little is visible. that tbe Trustees are confident that in two or three years the choir, crossing and chapels will be completed.