Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-12-17

TIE: OLD C,AThEO9HL
st. Johns cathedral, being erected
by the Episcopalians at New York, has
been considered the most magnificent
attempt at. church architecture In
America, but within the next six years
the Catholic cathedral, now building
at st. Louis, bids fair to rival in
grandeur and beauty even that tenn
pie. The construction of this new
Catholic cathedral is being watched
with ever-increasing interest. The
laying of the cornerstone short
time ago was the occasion of the most
splendid ceremonies In which distin-
guished visitors from afar, special
representative of the pope, and 10000
Catholics took part
According to Archbishop Glennon,
the Cathedral will be completed with
in six years. The cost of the exterior
will be $1,500,000, and of the interior,
when completed, another million. The
cost of the site at Lindell boulevard
and Newstead avenue was 100000.
The structure will be larger than
several of the famous old world ca
thedrals. Modelled after st. Sophia's
at Constantinople, it will overtop the
latter so feet in height and will be
Ill feet longer. 1t will be two feet
higher than Notre Dame at Paris, and
46 feet wider. 1t will surpass in both
height and width Westminster abbey
in London.
The st. Louis cathedral will be $50
feet in length, ZIG feet in width and
225 feet in altitude at the dome. It's
seating capacity will be 4,500 of whom
1900 can sit in unobstructed view of
the altar and 1000 in full view of the
officiating priest. The floors of the
auditorium, aisles and perambulatories
will be paved with marble mosaic in
harmony with the general color
scheme of the interior.
There will be four separate chapels,
each as large as the ordinary church
In st. Louis, and costing 100000 each.
A perambulatory, supported by great
columns, will surround the entire audi
torium.
The Byzantine style of architecture
economy over the ornate and elabo-
rate Gothic. 1t is declared that Gothic
buildings cost three times as much as
those in the Byzantine style
This Byzantine warmth and variety
of color will mark the interior Of the
St Louis cathedral, with it's countless
columns in rare and beautifully col
hnY.
courses, architraves and balustrades
of rich mosaic, and it's splendid mural
decorations on canvas. Indeed, it is
the purpose of the designers to make
the interior a veritable palace of re-
ligious art. The historian in his COM
ments on st. Sophia goes on to say
that "the memory of past calamities in
spired Justinian with wise resolution
that no wood except for doors, be ad-
mitted to the edifice." The structure
was OF brick, faced with marble, and
the finishings of the interior were of
marble, tile and mosaic. The ST. Louis
cathedral will be even more nearly
fireproof, bronze taking the place of
wood for the doors and solid stone for
the walls, with massive foundations
of concrete. The splendid dome will
be covered with green mission tile
and the heating, ventilation and arti-
fetal cooling of the sanctuary and
chapels during the summer will be in
accordance with the most modern
methods. Everything for beauty, CON-
fort and safety has been provided,
making the building perfect in all its
details. The marbles for the interior
are to be of old convent Sienna, Alps
green, rose Numidian and Pavannazzo,
and the mosaics and mural decora-
tions will be wrought by the best
craftsmen and artists in the country.
AS far as possible the work will be
of American, preferably st. Louis orr
gin.
One of the loveliest features of the
great central body of the church will
be the altar, of exquisite white mar
BILE. overhung by baldachin, not of
silk or tapestry, of which this canopy
is usually made, but of solid silver
Alagree. supported on four pillars of