Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-12
AMERICAN WESTMINSTER.
New York's Great Cathedral May in Future Become
the American Westminster Abbey

Emperor Williams big Evangelical
Cathedral at Berlin, intended to be the
Protestant St. Peters and the Walhaiia
OF the e(irman race, was consecrated. IL
will be remembered, short time ago
with imposing ceremonies in the pres
ence of distinguished congregations
among whom was Or. Luther, one OF
the Last descendants of the reformer
Delegates from all the Protestant
nations were in attendance and Il con
gratulatOry telegram 20 the German
Emperor and German Leroy was not
least among the noteworthy features or
the occasion. This telegram bore the
signatures of Bishops Potter of New
York Whitaker of Pennsylvania and
Lawrence OF Massachusetts, represent
ing the Protestant Episcopal Church:
Bishop Andrews Of the Methodist
Episcopal Church: Reverend President
F:unce of the Baptist Church: Presi
dent Hall OF the Union Theological
Seminary: Pastor R"lersnyder of st.
James Evangelist Church of New York
ana Pastor Krotel Of the Evangelist
Lutheran Church Of the same city.
The Emperor has said that this
church is to be q cathedral for the
| Pr otestants Of the world; but. further
than this. his design. which continue;
that of me Emperor Frederick in whose
reign the building was cegun. is to es-
| tablish a TeutOnic w -StmEster Abbey.
1t is built Of yellOwish sandstone, in the
Italian Renaissance style, and the in
terror columns are OF costly marble and
onyx. IT is 3il feet long. The cupOla,
with its lantern. rises 325 feet. The bell
| towers at either end Of the porch flank
| are 21l feet high. Tho CHURCH has four
| main divisiOns-navc. for divine serv-
ices: the crypts. which are to be ID
pantheon for the family Of Hohenzol-
Icrn and the great men of the empire:
4 chapel. for marriages and christen-
| ings. and 4 long porch. The organ is
| one Of the largest in the world.
In the crypts already lie the bodies of
eight?-sevcn HOhenzolern:'. and here
after the bodies of illustrious Germans
will also be placed there. Whatever
| may be the success Of Emperor Will
lams ambition for a w0rid-cathedral,
all must acknowledge that the plan for
4 national memorial is grandly patrio-
tic.
Here in the United States there is 4
chrnce to follow the example he has
set. Our great men who have passed
away rest for the most part in obscure
or isolated places far from great centres
and main lines of travel where very
few Americans can ever visit their
sraves-sraves which too often are un-
caren for and neglected or destitute of
worthy monuments. Even when this is
rot the case the sepulchres of scores of
those who once bore great parts in the
uTbuilding and development Of our
country lie widely separated. How
many of us have seen .Jrfferson's tomb
at Monticello. Lincoln's at Springfield.
Stoncwali Jackson's at Lexington, Or
Garticld'S at Mentor?
But now that the gigantic arches
and massive moholithic pillars of the
Cathedral of st. John the Divine begin
to rise upon Morningside Heights in
New York, it is seen that a building
will soon come into being which may
be the natural resting place of the |
bodies of our illustrious dead. Its sit |
uation alone would recommend it for |
this purpose. New York is not only |
the Metropolis of the western hemi- |
sphere and the second largest city i'm |
the world. but is also the most accessi- |
Bile S,.ot on this side of the Atlantic. |
Almost every one who is at all con- |
cerncd witt, the activities of modern
life finds occasion To visit ii from
time to time, and, like ancient Rome.
all roads load to it. Nowhere else.
probably. ir the country can a more
suitable place be found for a national
memorial. and it is not likely that any
church better calculated for such an
end than st. John the Divine will ever
he erected on American soil.
In considering any plans for this
purpose the mind ut once revertS tn
Westminster Abbey. No other church
in the world is so truly national rs
'the abbey church of ST. Peter at
Westminster The history of Eng
land for more than eight hundred
years can be read on its tombs, its
memorial tablets and its Inscriptions.
Twenty sovercigns have here been
crowned. and here repose the re-
mains of many of the men-sOldiers.
sailors. statesmen. philosophers. poets
and ScientistS-whO have made
the Ang!o-SaXon race what it is.
1t stands alone i'm these respects,
for the French st. Denis was desecrat-
Ell and stripped during the Reign of
Terror NOtre Dame was never such a
church at all. and st. Peters is the
cathedral of the Popes. not the people,
Ii is true that the Pantheon at Paris .
was meant to perform much the same
Office for Frenchmen that Westminster $
Abbey does for Englishmen-that of !
providing place of burial for dis ,
tlnSulsheG citizens, or at least a re-
pository. of memorials of them: yet the s
French were unable to remain constant /:
to this purpose. 1t was at first the +,
church of Ste. Genevieve, but the G