Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-09-21

During the past so year over 100000 has
been expended upon the fabric. This large sum
has been obtained partly through the temporary
suppression of of the Abbey canonres and the
use OF the income for the fabric partly through
subsidies supplied from time 70 time By the &C.
cleSiastical commissioners in answer to urgent and
pite0us appeals. AT the present moment are
indebted TO the extent Of several thousands of
pounds in respect of moneys borrowed from the
ecclesiastical commission for essential repairs.
Now, however, we are faced with a desperate
state of things. The of money which more
than 30 years ago was fixed for the maintenance
If the fabric and for the services of the Abbey has
become utterly inadequate for these purposes The
immense rise in the cost of materials and in the
wages of the staff, together with the greatly in
creased standard of efficiency demanded in the last
half century from every branch of service to
church and nation, has brought TO the verge of
bankruptcy. 1t has even been necessary, while
fabric repairs have unavOdubly been postponed, to
divert TO the absolutely essential duty of keeping
up the services and worship of the Abbey the in
adequate sum of money which had been ear
marked for keeping the fabric in repair
We are no longer able to pay way.
AT the same time there is urgent need for
81. The repair of the two great western towers
-. The reparation of the external stonework
of Henry Wis chapel
%. The renovation of a large portion of the
parapet running round the roof.
II. The repair of the clerestOres and flying
buttresses.
There is besides continual large outlay re-
CURED by the maintenance in proper repair Of
Il. The much decayed cloisterS, and
~. The ancient dwellings which, at the present
scale of prices, can not be kept in suitable struct
uraI repair Gas has hitherto been rpquiredD at the
private cost of the officials who the temporary
occupants. =
"But the Abbey must not be allowed 10 suffer
The English speaking peoples of the world glory in
s-fv,,iy, ,fNn
thought that its structural condition should suffer
through lack of adequate funds. They will expect
me to take them into my confidence. as I do.
Il know well, after residence for over nine
years in this place. and l know we'll from the ex-
traOrdinary experiences in the Abbey during the
years of the Great War, how dear is this church
to the people of this country to our brothers and
sisters in Canada, Australia New Zealand South
Africa, and India; and in peculiar degree to
brothers and sisters of the great Republic of
America.
4 ask for the sum of f25OOO0 OF this, the
of 100000 is required for structural repairs
in the immediate future"
The safety of the Abbey and its relies was of
great TO the dean during the period of air
raids during the OF this he writes in the
London Times:
when the broke out it was hardly be-
Iieved that London was likely to be assailed from
the air. But as time went on the menace became
evident Inc couhselS Oh those VINO at first had
said. Oh there is no practical danger; they will
never get far London, and if they do YOU
safely take the risk of not being hit could
not possibly be followed by those on whom the
chief responsibility rested We decided to do all
that was possible for the protection of the chief
treasures of the abbey and to give assurance to
the public that nothing had been neglected
Needless TO say, many interesting and fantas-
tic suggestions reached me- displaying more sym
pathy with the security of the building than prac-
teal knowledge of the cost of the feasibility
of the recommendations What did may be
grouped under three heads-Ul The removal Of
treasures TO a safe place; (2) The protection of
certain conspicuous monuments. and (S) The sub
Stitutiou of wood for glass in four of our most an
cient stained glass windows.
"O) The following objects removed to
the crypt under the cloister house: The corona
ton chair; the old professional shield and sword
the saddle. shield and helmet associated with King