New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-16
Capital Prepares for Com
ing of the Popular
Evangelist
Revival to Begin Jan. G
Great Tabernacle Cost $780,
600, Covers an Acre and Will
Seat $4,000 People

WASHINGTON. Dec. 5.-The Rev.
Billy Sundays Washington workshop,
the huge tabernacle being erected in
front of the Union Station and within
the shadow Of the United States Capt.
toI itself, will be completed next Thurs
day.
Merritt o. Chance, City Postmaster of
Washington, will make the dedicatory
address at great meeting in the tab
crnacle lust previous to the arrival OF
Mr.. Sunday and his workers from At
lanta, Ga. where a campaign is now IN
progress.
The Sunday meetings here will begin
January and continue six weeks. When
the tabernacle ceases to be place TOT
urging peace among all men, II Will
be utilized for war purposes. kither
the Y. NJ c. A. will procure the DulIu-
ing as a recreational centre for soldlerS
and sailors in training in and near
Washington. or il will be converted 10
the use Of the Signal Corps OF me
army. which is badly in need OF addi-
tional Office facilities.
The tabernacle, now nearing compile
ton, covers more than an acre ana IL
the first structure for religious pur-
noses that has ever been erected on
Federal property here. The land 1t oc--
cupies. at First and ID streets and
Massachusetts Avenue, Northeast, Is a
mart of the property known as the Cap
itol Plaza. which was procured by the
government for park purposes more
than q year ago. The temporary use
of the acreage was granted the Wash
ington committee on Sundays cam
paign by special permission of Vice
President Marshall, Speaker Clark and
Elliott Woods, superintendent Of the
Capitol.
Tabernacle Costs $4,000
The total cost Of the tabernacle will
aggregate $4,000. Between 100000 and
800 900 feet OF hard Southern pine has
been utilized in the construction OF the
main auditorium. and the restaurant,
which is a separate building. Work
began October IS. under the direction
Of J. II. Speice. Sundays special archi-
tect, and l.. l.. Wilson, supervising fore
man. with a crew of thirty-five carpen-
ters and fifteen laborers. Failure TO
procure sufficient lumber delayed the
work fully n week, and the builders
claim credit for erecting the entire
structure in six weeks Of actual work.
The seating capacity Of the auditor
ium is 1000. The choir lofts and the
rostrum VIII accommodate an addl-
tional 2.250. Two carloads of sawdust
were necessary to provide the re-
nowned SUNDAY sawdust trail
Sufficient hardware to stock small
store was employed in constructing the
huge building. Seventy-two kegs OF
nails Of all sizes, each key weighing
100 pounds, were used; hundreds Of
padlocks, hinges, pulleys, hasps and
screws make the thirty entrances and
the two hundred full windows and
small ventilating spaces open and shut
easily. Twenty-Five hard coal stoves,
set in foundations Of sand, are placed
at intervals about the auditorium and
in the rest rooms.
Washtubs for Collections
A private bathroom. with tub and
shower and facilities for the maSsaging
of the strenuous evangelist after each
sermon, is provided. Lining the walls
of the Office of the tabernacle are piled
two large washtubs, twenty-five dozen
two-quart pans and three dozen one
quart pans, into which the Sunday col
lections are 10 tinkle. A postofiice is
maintained in the office.
The massive choir lott is reached by
eight. stairways and two subway en-
frances. Lining the evan2el.sts ros-
tIum is provision for forty reporters.
The building is lighted with three hun
dred l00-watt incandescent lights.
Washington evangelical churches are
prepared for Sundays company, with
all the preliminary organizations act
lively working and ready for the man
they will assist for six weeks in in
creasing the sanctity of residents in
the caDital