Omaha daily bee., 1916-10-01
Omaha Masons Haze Plans All Laid for
LAYING of Corner Stone of New Temple

Impressive ceremonies will mark
the laying of the cornerstone Wednes-
day of the new Masonic temple-a
temple that will, when completed,
represent an outlay OF more than a
half million dollars and rank as the
finest structure OF its kind west of
Chicago.
Ground was broken for the building
last spring, five floors of the skeleton
steel framework at Nineteenth and
Douglas streets being in place at the
present time. There is one more
floor Of steel framework to be added.
The masonry and brickwork has al
ready been started on the first floor.
The laying Of the corner stone will
take place at o'clock Wednesday
afternoon.
The officers Of the grand lodge of
Nebraska Masons are to be escorted
from the old temple, located at Six
teenth street and Capitol avenue, by
procession headed by the Arab pa
troll OF Tangier temple, Mobiles of the
Mystic Shrine.
Following this body will be the
Blue lodges OF the city. with d.
vision for the visiting brthren. The
Knights Templar, forming special
escort for the officers of the grand
lodge, will come next. When the
column reaches the new temple the
order will be reversed.
z The order issued by Fred Rogers,
imperial potentate OF Tangier tenn
pie, requesting Shriners to wear their
fezes in the procession to the new
temple, has been recalled Shriners
are urged to march either with the
Blue lodge or knights Templar
bodies. Shriners who are members
OF the Knights Templars will be ex-
pected to march with that division.
Although there will be no assem-
blage Of Scottish Rite Masons in a
body they will march with the
Knights Templar and the Blue
lodges.
The grafton will be delivered by
Most Worshipful James R. Cain, IT,,
past grand master Of Nebraska Ma
sons.
Past Grand Master Alpha Morgan
of Broken Bow, S. T. Davis of Te-
cumsa. and John Ehrhardt Of Stan
ton will be here for the ceremonies.
II is hoped To- have the new temple
completed BY next spring. The
structure will be one OF the most inn
posing homes OF Masonry in the
country, and naturally an important
unit among the finer buildings Of
Omaha.
The description, six stories high"
does not do justice nor does it give
but faint hint at the true height
of the structure. In reality the new
Masonic temple will be as lofty as
any ten-story<building the city. The
size OF the plot Of ground upon which
il stands is Ito by l32 feet, situated
on the northeast corner OF Nineteenth
and Douglas streets.
The construction cost OF the build
ing alone is $350,000, 100000 having
been paid for thetlot. With the cost
of the furnishings, ETC., the total will
be brought up to well over million
dollars.
The exterior Of the temple will be
Of Bedford stone, terra Gotta and
brick. The interior will be finished
for the most part in marble and tile,
what woodwork there is to be
quarter sawed oak.
The classic lines of the Omaha
temple are to be somewhat similar
to those OF the one in Brooklyn, N.
Y, where the local building commit
tee obtained many OF its ideas to be
Incorporated in the structure here.
This committee, consisting OF L. Pet
tengill, chairman; M. M. Robertson
and James A. Howard, visited the
larger cities OF the east and inspected
the temples in each OF them in order
10 gain ideas as to how the Omaha
structure should be built The Brook
yn temple was regarded as the finest
Of them all.
The first floor Of the Omaha temple
will be utilized for store rooms, five
facing on Douglas street and one
On Nineteenth street. Offices for
business and professional men are to
DC on the second floor.
The banquet room, which is to take
up the entire third floor, will be one
II the most magnificent in the United
States, with lofty ceiling and rich
Offices for the Blue lodges and
Grand lodge are to be on the fourth |
floor, Lodge rooms for the Com
the Eastern Star and the |