The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1911-04-19

Gothic, it is the Gothic of very early |
period; the time of transition from the
simple Romanesque to the more COM
plex organism" Nowhere is the con-
structive scheme based on the point !
ed arch. The mystery of long yistas
down dim, pillared aisles has been
exchanged for the solemn grandeur
of a great central crossing. wherein
the congregation may mass within
sound of the preachers voice, lighted
from above by a domed lantern of
sixteen windows, surmounted in turn
by central tower.
The site is the most commanding in
the city, on what once was the battle
field of Harlem Heights, overlooking
the main plain of Manhattan, the Hud-
son river, and Long Island Sound. 1t
occupies three city blocks, bounded
by 10th and 113 street to north and
south, and Morningside Drive and
Amsterdam Avenue to east and west.
The cathedral itself is cruciform
structure $40 feet long, 165 feet wide
across nave and aisses, 23S feet wide
across transepts, having two western
towers in angles made by arms of the
cross, with central tower and spire
planted on base 100 feet square and
rearing its final cross to height of
425 feet. AS the great dome of the
crossing dominates the interior, so the
lofty tower, soaring from the ledges of
Morningside Heights will dominate the
exterior.
Some idea of the size of the cath
edral is to be gained from a compari-
son with other notable cathedrals. The
central tower of Trinity church, Bos-
ton, hitherto the most massive in
America, could stand within st. Johns
crossing and leave three-quarters of
| its area bare. The dome is of almost
equal span with that of the mosque
of St. Sophia at Constantinople and
nearly 100 feet higher. The dome of
ST. Paul's, London, is slightly wider,
but SO feet lower. The rotunda Of the
capitol at Washington is of the same
superficial area, but the ceiling stands
| 1873 feet above the floor and that of
st. Johns 252 feet.
The total superficial area of St
Peters, the greatest of all cathedrals,
is 1869 square feet, little less than
double that of the next largest, al
Seville, Spain, which has $4,000
Third comes the Duomo of Milan, with
107,0 900 square feet, and fourth st
Johns, with 99,50O Other notable
churches are Cologne Cathedral, 81,
| 464; st. Paul's. London, S4,025; st
Sophia, Constantinople, 10000; Notrt
Dame, Paris, 61,10S; Westminster
Abbey, 61,729.
The construction is everywhere de
signed for all the ages. The QUITE
walls are of cream colored granite
from Lake Mohegan, N. VI faced in
, side with beautiful soft, buff lime
stone from Frontenac, MINI. Th'
groined vaults above the choir will b.
brilliant with primary colors, and tn
! lofty dome of the crossing will blaz
, with mosaics and gold At its fou
corners stand four masonry piers, SUI
] porting the ceiling of the dome, an
! the weight of the tower above. Fac
| of them is 26 feet square, its load
! 34,718,OO0 pounds. and it stands o
e concrete foundations, bedded fort
! feet belo win the living rock. Impini
S ing upon the piers, and now visible |
i all photographs of the cathedral, bu
0 later to be completely enclosed by tn
S exterior walls, are four flying bu
4 tresses. the heaviest ever built, whie
e will take up the thrust of the archie
anu uISIIlDuJG lhOil lOeiO CfShA1 vi ~
e piers. It was not felt wise in so sa'
e age a climate as that of the Atlanti
! coast to expose them, constituting q
J they do the only guarantee of the stru
T tural integrity of the whole, to tn
l. attacks of rain and frost, impercept
e BILE at first, but implacably destructiy
= in the course of the centuries.
n No iron and no wood is used in th
t frame work of the cathedral prope
i. The floors are of hollow tiling, th
e walls of hollow brick, and the roof
s tiling again, with a copper sheathin
over all needed only for a weatht
/ screen. An elaborate heating and We
e tilating plant is already in operation
f. Hidden electric lights will rim Il
e arches of the choir with incandescenc
S Ia closely woven system OF telephor
IS wires will connect the vast wings 4