The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-05-08

up to the main floor, have been elm
mated and easy inclines substituted
In the event of panic in the audience
and sudden rush for the exits, this
feature might prevent the terrible
loss Of life which frequently follows.
The audience room is reached
through a wide and spacious vestibule
extending the full width of the front
of the building and terminating at
both ends in handsome stairways
leading to the gallery. Two wide
doorways lead to the audience room,
where fine proportion harmonious
colorings, rich opalescent glass win
dows and artistic furniture combine
to give an effect that is highly pleas
ing.
BoWIed Floor.
A "bowled" floor and circular pews
provide comfortable seating for $50
persons below, while in the gallery
above, 200 more are equally well ac-
commodated
The sanctuary with it's enriched
arch and vaulted ceiling is the cen
trail and striking feature of this room
Here again appears departure from
the conventional which has decided
merit. Instead of the customary win
dows in the rear wall admitting light
| directly into the faces of the audi
ence, a concealed skylight has been
placed overhead, which greatly in
creases the lighting efficiency and at
the same time contributes to the COM
fort Of the audience.
| Deserving of more detailed descrip-
ton than is here possible, are the
altar, the pulpit and the art glass win
of expert artists in their line, and are
said to be without equal in north Ne
braska.
A large and complete sacrsty is
| placed on one side of the sanctuary,
while the space on the opposite side
is devoted to the choir and organ.
Both of these rooms have indepen-
dent outside entrances.
The woodwork is pine given a
golden oak stain. Above the green
wainscoting of dark green the walls
are buff colored with the metal cell
ing a dead white. The high altar and
finely designed pulpit, which brings
the minister directly before every per-
son in the congregation and which
opens off the sacristy, are of white
enamel and Furnished gold. All of
the windows of the building are of
| a rt pl Of hn Ill =, ,b;
Heated With Steam.
The entire building is heated with
steam and is supplied with a modern
and highly efficient system of ventila-
ton which provides for a liberal sup
ply of fresh air in both summer and
winter. A private gas plant will be
used for lighting at present, but the
building is wired for electric light in
anticipation of the future extension of
the city system.
In size the building is 52xS4 and it
rests on a massive concrete founda-
ton of monolithic construction, this
part of the work alone required about
200 barrels of Portland cement.
Work was commenced last June but
owing to a long delay in receiving the
art glass windows, it was not fully
completed until March, which result
ed in the dedication being deferred
until after Lent.
The general contract was executed
by Kellner & Woerth of Scribner, and
the heating was installed by the Nor
folk Plumbing & Heating Co.
1t was on December 1906 that the
congregation of st. Paul Ev. Lutheran
church voted to build new church
| building. The members of the con-
gregation did not have a very definite
idea of the nature of the building they
were to erect but it was probably the
general idea to erect a frame church
costing about $4,000. AS the time
for building approached the ideas be-
came more definite and the members
of the congregation decided finally on
building on the style of the best
modern Lutheran churches.
The building committee was named
early in January of 1907. 1t consist
ed of e. w. Zutz, chairman Fred
Grimm, secretary; Fred Klug, Carl
Voecks, c. F. Winter, William Klug,
Obed Raasch, August Braasch and
William A. Wagner.
This committee through the COOPER
alton of Mr., Stitt who was engaged
as their architect, went into an in.
vestigation of recent Lutheran church
buildings erected in this section. They
sought what was faulty aid what had
been approved. The Lutheran church
is altogether a house of worship, con
sisting Of a simple church auditorium.
Working along these lines Mr., Sutt
drew up the plans which met with APP
proya and which have been executed
into the beautiful church now ready