Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-04-20


in sound OF the preachers voice, lighted
from above by doomed lantern OF 10 win
lows, surmounted In turn by central
tower
The site is the most commanding In the
city. on what once was the battlefield OF
Harlem Heights, overlooking the main
plain OF Manhattan, the Hudson river,
and Long Island sound. II occupies three
city blocks, bounded by 10th and 18th
streets to north and south, and Morning
side drive and Amsterdam avenue to east
and west. The cathedral itself Is "A
cruciform structure $40 feet long. 1865 feet
wide across nave and aisles. 23s feet wide
across transepts. having two western
towers In angles made by arms of the
cross. with central tower and spire
planted n n base 100 feet square and rear
Ing Its final cross to height Of 425 feet
As the great dome Of the crossing
dominates the interior 40 the lofty tower
soaring from the lodges Of Morningsidc
Heights. will dominate the exterior.
COMPARISONS or SIZE
Some idea ~ the size OF the cathedral
is to be gained from a comparison with
other notable cathedrals The central
N'N'l VI IAIllNF I HuTfU, iNuSlON HlAH'l w
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 loo feet higher The dome of
81. Paul's London. is slightly wider, but
&c feet lower. The rotunda Of the capitol
at WASHINGTON Ia of tho same superficial
area but the ceiling stands 1888 feet above
the floor and that of st. Johns 252 feet.
Tho total superficial area of st.
Peters, the greatest of all cathedrals.
is 221o69 square feet. little less than
double Tint OF the next largest, nj Sc
vile, Spain which has $4,000. Third
comes tho Duomo of Milan. with 100
600 square feet. and fourth st. Johns
with %, 500. other notable churches are
Cologne Cathedral, 81 asa st. PauTs
London SA.025; St Sophia. CONSTANT
nople. 10000; Notre Dame. Paris, g.
los; Westminster Abbey, 61.729.
The construction is everywhere de-
signed for all the ages. The outer walls
are OF cream colored granite from Lake
Mohegan, y. y, faced inside with a
beautiful. soft. buff limestone from
Frontenac MINI. Tho groincd vaults
above the choir will be brilliant with
primary colors. and the lofty dome of
the crossing will blaze with nosaics
and gold. At is four corners stand four
ma sorry piers supporting the ceiling
Of the dome, ard the weight of the
tower above. Each OF them Is 2s feet
square. its load "a S471SO00 pounds.
a ~ fntlpf - a &c
! heddcd 80 feet below in the living rock
HEAVIEST OF BUTTRESSF.S
Tmpingins upon tho piers. and noW
visible In all photographs Of the ca
thedral. but later to be completely on
closed by exterior walls are four nv-
ing huttressea, the heaviest over built
which will take up the thrust Of the
arches and distribute their load evenly
on tho piers. It was not felt wise II
SO savage a climate - that of the At
| lantiC coast t. expose them, constitute
ing as they do the only guarantee OF
the structural integrity Of the whole
to the attacks of raj and frost, i'm
lperceptihle at first, but implacably de
ftructiva in the course of the centur
les.
No iron and no wood Is used IN the
frame work of the Cathedral proper
Tho floors arc of hollow thing. the wall.
| Of hollow brick, and the roof Of tilna
AGAIN. with copper sheathing over al
needed only for weather screen. Ar
elaborate heating and ventilating plan
is already in operation. Hidden electri'
| lights will rim the arches of the choiI
VI to- or 70 clio CO..
TEN of telephone wires will connect tn,
vast wings for the use OF its governing
clergy. As the choir withdraws in tn,
occasional, its blended voices viii HI
brought back to. the kneeling congrega
ton through sounding horns with aper
lures inside the walls. The building vii
he as nearly i,nperishahle. indestructi
BIZ and responsive to the needs tina
have called 1t into being as IL has bee
possible for human ingenuity to- max
It,