New-York tribune., 1911-04-16
This VIII Be Memorable Easter Week New York Church Annals
More Than Twenty Bishops Nearly Four Hundred Other
Clergymen and a Large Number OF Lay Dele
gates Will Take Part in It.

largest number Of stops is believed TO bH
that in wanamakers. Philadelphia. This
instrument has between 40 and $50.
The organs i'm the Church Of ST Sulpice,
Paris: ST. Georges Hall, Liverpool; the
Town Hall. Birmingham, England: the
CRYSTAL Palace. Albert Hall and ~.
Paurs. London. and the instrument IN
the Auditorium. Chicago. each have more
than ono hundred stops. There is also
n very large organ in Riga. Russm. The
instrument in St Bartholomew's this
city. has ninety eight stops. and that in
the Church Of the Incarnation between
eighty and ninety other large organs
on this continent are those in the Roman
Catholic Cathedral in Montreal the
Cathedral Of the Holy Cross. Boston,
which has eighty-three stops; the Music
Hall. Cincinnati, with ninety-six stops:
the College Of the City Of New York.
eighty stops. and Plymouth Church.
Brooklyn. sixty stops.
In the construction Of the cathedral
organ the builder. f. NJ. skinner, Of Bps-
ton, had a great deal OF leeway, for there
was no limit 10 the cost one OF the
things which were attempted was a
standardization Of the location OF the
stops. An effort was made 10 learn tho
arrangement Of the stops in different
organs. and the opinion as 10 what was
the best. The stops were then arranged
in the order which seemed 10 fit mosr
completely with the average. II is said
that as a result two organists who sat
down at the console were able 10 play
the instrument Immediately without any
preliminary study Of the labels or tho
stops. Perhaps the console OF the cathe-
oral organ will become a standard. The
instrument cost $4,000. the money for
which was contributed by Mr.. and Mrs.
Levi p. Morton.
The cathedral. Of course, will he con-
secra ted without any indebtedness upon
it. Up to the present time IL has cost
S2.9f6.9S0. and in addition there is an
endowment of $61S,O71, and funds avail
able for windows in the choir and the
erection of one chapel and nearly suffi-
cient for another With the cathedral
opened for use. work will be undertaken
on the windows and the chapels
The history of the edifice has not been
without crucial incidents. Suggested in
1872 by Bishop Horatio Potter. charter
was obtained in 1879 and three men SUBJ
scribed 100000 each. Unfortunately the
panic OF 1873 caused the failure OF two
of the subscribers, and the money which
they had offered was not forthcoming.
The project lay dormant for twelve years.
In 1887 it was started again.
Action was stimulated by the ap-
preaching death of Bishop Horatio Pot
ter. an event which occurred on January
.. 1897. The charter was i'm danger Of
lapsing. The original number Of trus-
tees was sixteen. but ii had been reduced
10 nine. With the death Of Bishop Pot
ter it would have been impossible TO
elect any additional members under the
terms of the charter. \ meeting was
held in his sick chamber and new names
we're added 70 the list. The only member
to-day who was a member Of the original
board is George Macculloch Miller, the
secretary of the board.
The question Of a site was one Of tha,
questions difficult Of settlement The
committee which undertook 70 solve this
problem was hampered by the fact that
it was limited to a location below 59th
street. It was not thought that the city
would grow as rapidly toward the north
as il has since done The blocks bounded
by 57th and 59th streets and Sixth and
Seventh avenues were selected. The
city was u be asked 70 close 5sth street
between these two avenues. This plan
fell through. and. despite some criticism.
Morningside Heights was chosen, and
the land bought for s750,0O0.
Two years were then spent in making
tests and laying the foundations for the
great central tower Owing 20 the