The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-29
TIMES DECAY IN GREAT ABBEY
GEsrMINSTER SORELY IN NEED
or SPEEDY RESTORATION.
Finances Of the Management Inadequate
for the Work Income 10 Only olOo.o0O
n Year place OF Stone work Fails
Recently Fully $4,000 o Required.

for the Work Income 10 Only al 900
n Year Piece OF stone work Faiis
Recently Fully $500. 900 Required.
LONDON, July 1s.-For many years lthe
condition OF the fabric OF Westminster
Abbey has given rise TO anxiety. This 10
natural, considering the extreme beauty
Of the building, the most lovely and low
able thing in Christendom. y coupled with
its matchless historical associations, being
as it is practically the centre Of the
English speaking races. Any disaster to
Westminster Abbey would be a disaster Of
worldwide bearing.
1t is not surprising that the building In
the process OF time should display ominous
signs OF decay. The Abbey Is an extremely
ancient erection. True, there only remain,
a certain number OF fragments OF the work
Of King Edward theGonfessor above ground,
but a large part of the building was erected
in the reign Of King Henry ILL.,, the choir
and transepts having been opened for
eerviceo OH October 10, 1909, well nigh six and
@ half centuries g
The remainder OF the building OF course
is of later date, but there is nothing save
the two western towers, erected either by
the great Sir Christopher Wren or one Of
his pupils in the reign OF George H., which
Tail II ON a later date than the reign OF
hing Henry VII. Thus 1 we regard the
~sIDject simply from u purely chronological
point OF vieS the signs of decay are fully
10 be accounted for.
There era, however, other reasons for the
decay. The most cursory glance at the
exterior of the Abbey will show that II is
iull Of detail On its surfece there are to
he seen en- immense Eumber OF elaborate
mculdings. Unlike the famous East Min
ser, lin Cethedr / Church Of 81, Paul, whore
the ,uriace is smooth and comparatively free
from detail IL, tho Abbey displays a face which
is extremely vulnera ble to times deca ying
hand. When you add to this fact the de-
eterious effect of the general atmosphere
If lond n, fer which u variety Of causes
are assigned, IL IL scarcely surprising to
learn that there are persons living to-day
who can remember when the exterior OF
tine Chapel Of King Henry VII, at the east
ern end Of the main building, was entirely
refaced, and yet n ca reful inspection Of the
surface Ct the st N work hero reveals the
fact only too cles rly that a large qua nifty
of it is at this moment in on alarminely
rerishable condition.
EIohN Ctiit w bESu "
time to time to era pple with the decay, and
the reservation has been conducted upon an
extensive scale. A great deal was done
in this way by Sir Christopher Wren. who
found tho exterior OF the Abbey in an ex-
tremely parlous condition, and his work
was ca FRIED on by his pupil, Hawkesmoor.
All this was good. but in Tho. century and
q half which interviewed betweeH that time
A.l 49, Haas - klA I.kA 49, Az Wa.
Rev. DR.. bradley. to Westminster Abbey
an imnense amount OF mischief took place,
so much 50 that the dan said over and
over again that when he arrived he found
partsof the great building in 40 unsatisfac-
tory condition, notably the great north
transept, that he could think Of no better
comparison than to say that the Abbey
presented to his eye all the appearance Of
a quarry.
Something, 1t was clear, would have to
be done. and that speedily; but the dean
and chapter found themselves conf ronted
with a new and most serious situation.
Many people were, and indeed still arc,
under the impression that Westminster
Abbey and Its clergy are possessed of
enormous wealth. Such was the case
during bygone years, but those days have
long since vanished forever. Between the
years 1880 and 1870 the dean and chapter
OF Westminster were compelled to hand
over all their valuable estates to the Ec-
clesiastical Commissioners, receiving In re-
turn lands which were estimated to pro-
duce an income OF something hike
10000 a year. 1t must ba said in passing
that the dean and chapter had the option
Of deciding whether they would actually
coneent to accept An income Of this figure,
paid over to them by the Ecclesiastical Com
m~issioners, or whether they would ac-
cept, as already indicated, landed property
calculated to produce that particular
amount,
They edopted the latter course with dis
as'rcus results, as the history Of the ne xt
few years showed. They were placed In m
extremely trying position. A greet deal OF
the land which they surrendered to the Ec-
cicsiEstical Commissioners was property In
London. in the city OF Westminster itself,
end in the we'll to do suburb of Hampstead
and as such in the courte Of the nineteenth
century it came 10 possess a most lucrative
value for building purposes. The lands or
part Of the lands which the dean and chap
Ter then received rs the equivalent OF 100000
a year were, comparatively speaking, OF
small value, and with the increase of agri-
cultural depression. which had affected the
rural portions Of England 30 terribly during
the nineteenth century, they began to feel
the pinch.
The income continued steadily to shrink,
and in the year 1882, when the late DR.. Brad
ley first took over the reins Of authority in
the Abbey church, he found that the landed
property in the possession OF the dean and
chapter. 80 far from producing al annual
revenue Of 100000. had already sunk to
Els,Ooo, while there was every probability
Of the descent continuing.
This was the emergency which the dean
and chapter Of Westminster Abbey were
called upon to face in the sos Of the last
century a situation which has been tersely
summed up in the words "a bankrupt
chapter and a ruined fabric First and
foremost the fabric Of their great church
had to be placed as far as possible In q con-
dition Of security. Two bills were passed
through Parliament, In 1885 and 1880 re-
spectively. Under these bills the whole
financial position Of the Abbey was entirely
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