The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-15

hope of all Episeopalians to see Wash ingtons and L'Enfant's dream realized in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul which is to be erected within the coming years on the heights of St. Alban, north of the city. This cathedral will cast $5,- poo. 900 and can be built in five years if
 the funds are ready. The cornerstone
 will be laid on the afternoon of Septem-
 Der 29th-St Miehaels and All-Angels
 Day-in the presence of the Bishop of London. all the bishops of the various American dioceses, and possibly the Archblshop of the West Indies and the Bishop of St. Alban's, England. There are forty acres in the cathedral close and small stone buildings-a baptistry and the little sanctuary" mark the begin
 nings of a great work. The builders go back to ancient England for the type of architecture, and the little sanctuary is a copy of the Saxon church of St. Lawrence at Bradford on Avon, built 1 1900 years ago by Adhelm, first bishop
 of Sherborne. stone near the entrance of this small chapel is from the choir of Columba's Iona cathedral. and the key
 stone of the arch is from Whitby Abbey.
 built on the Yorkshire cliffs one hundred years after Columba's time.
 Many historical reminders of the Epis- copal church are set in the buildings now i in the close. The bishops chair has stone seat from Glastonbury Abbey which
 was built by the first Christian mission
 aries in England, some say by Joseph of Arlmathea himself. And the patron saints of this older place of worship were also Saints Peter and Paul. The altar is from the limestone quarries of Solo, mon close to the Damascus gate of the
 Holy City, and is the gift of all American
 dioceses In, the baptistry Is the large
 octagona bsptismal font. lined with stones brought from the bed of the river
 Jordan and given by the children of Call vary church, New York. who had been baptized or brought to confirmation by Bishop Satterlee of Washington when he was rector there. The font has a central figure of the Christ with a child in His arms, and 1t set about with eight panels with apostolic figures in bas relief, the work of William Ordway Partridge. In the cathedral close is planted a thorn tree, a cutting from the celebrated "St. Joseph's thorn of Glastonbury that dates back to the days of the Holy Grail.
 An Ionic cross twenty feet high com memorates the end of the Spanlsh-Ame ican war. In natural ampitheatre formed by a gentle rise of the hills out door services are held the greater part of the year. Once 35.0O0 people gathered to hear the Archbishop of Canterbury when a choir of 700 voices furnished the music and there were representatives from all the denominations in Washing ton A year before that 1000 people gathered to hear addresses by President Roosevelt and the Archbishop of West Indies while fifty bishops, hundreds Of clergy and choir of 400 men and boys tool; part in the services. The Presby terians, under the leadership of Justice John Fl. Harlan are discussing nation al cathedral for Washington, and the two branches of the Methodist church are making like plans, the southern branch having already been authorized to plan and erect such building.
 The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. on Mornlngside Heights, New York, will take fifty years for the building, but will eclipse all other American cathedrals when finished and will rank with many notable architectural triumphs of tho Old World The movement was started to build this in 1872, but 1t was not until pr. Henry c. Potter was consecrated Bishop of New York in 1887 that active measures were begun. Donations were asked, and sums of money from few dollars up to s5OO,OOo began to come in, and the work advances as the funds are ready The cornerstone was laid on St. Johns Eve, December 27, 1S91' and for several years services have been held in the crypt beneath the slowly growing pile. Four great arches, now being put in place, will support the central tower and spire and smaller arches will serve as buttresses. The great central tower Is sixteen side affair but appears square because of the four turrets It Is of rare type and is similar to that of the old cathedral of Salamanca.
 A feature of the cathedral that proves it's catholicity of spirit, and its eagerness to meet tho needs of New Yorks poly glot population is a provision for Seven Chapels of Tongues to be used by com municants drawn from the foreign ele- ment Services will be held in these little chapels in German. Spanish, Italian, French Swedish, Armenian and Chinese, and when the service is over that has gladdened each homesick foreigner by giving comfort In his own tongue, those of the worshippers who speak English may pass to the English services in the larger auditorium beyond.
 The finest completed cathedral In the United States is the Catholic Cathedral of St. Patrick in New York. It is of the Gothic style of architecture that gave Europe such rare buildings in the thir- teenth and fourteenth centuries, style that is found in the Cathedral of Cologne and in the nave of Westminster Abbey. This cathedral is said to be surpassed In beauty. purity of style and general har-
 mony of proportions by none in the world
 though Europe boasts larger. older and more costly ones The late Archbishop Hughes was the projector of St. Pat
 rlcks and in the presence of 100000 peo- ple gathered on the then vacant lots on
 each side of the Fifth avenue and Eff
 tieth street site the cornerstone was laid August 10, 1858 It was dedicated on
 May 25, 1872, by tho late Cardinal Me
 Closky.
 The next handsomest and finest church
 building in the United States is the Nor
 mon Temple at Salt Lake. Utah. This
 work like most Mormon achievements, came through much difficulty Forty years were spent in the building. The
 stone blocks were brought from Little
 Cottonwood canyon. twenty miles away, it taking an OK team two days to bring
 one slab. A gilded figure of the angel Moroni adorns the highest spire, and ev- cry stone, every tower, every buttress
 bears some especial religious significance. sives some interpretation of the tenets of the faith that Joseph Smith founded. When the church was finished the gover- nor of Utah and 300 prominent men and women of the state. who represented many faiths were invited to visit the temple. They passed from vault to dome. from one great chamber to another, and after their inspection the doors were closed to all persons except Mormons in good standing. and for nearly quarter
 of a century no Gentle foot has trod the qillS