The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-02-18
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WRITES ABOUT
THE NORMAN TEMPLE


| from Mr.. j. G. Hicks, who is winter
| ing in Pasadena, California. It is .
! continuation of the contribution to
this paper which he sent in and which
was published in last weeks issue.
Mr.. Hicks will contribute more ar
ticles dealing with the sights of the
west while he is out there and they
will be published in this paper as we
receive them.
Editor Banner-News:
/ appreciate your let
ter of recent date, and smiled when !
noted your comments concerning
earthquakes in California, silence on
that subject is one of the unwritten
laws of conversation here and the
mere suggestion of the matter to a
resident, causes an abrupt change of
topic, of course where one is sur
rounded with so much that is beauti-
full, attractive and satisfying when
compared with zero weather back
home, its easy to agree, in a measure
at least, with our friends in this sec
ton, that this particular part of our
great country is blessed with more
than ordinary facilities for an ideal
life. However, if / am to follow the
thread of my previous letter, relative
to the Norman city, must dismiss. at
least for the present, further discus.
sion of the very delightful environ
ments found in the Crown city, as
Pasadena Is designated.
The Temple at Salt Lake City is not
made use of for ordinary church SER
vices, but conforms to the idea of the
old Jewish Temple and the holy of
holes, none but those who are es-
| pecially fitted to conduct services of
nature, which are considered in
keeping with biblical training such as
| the tribe of Levi had, are allowed to
enter the temple. No one not men,
Der of the Mormon church was ever
permitted within the structure, except
a party of city and state officials and
invited clergy of all denominations in
the city, when the building was COM
pleted in 1893 the invitation being ex-
tended to afford them the opportuni-
ty to inspect the building, decorations
and regilious symbols, but visitors
now are allowed to view only the out
side of this wonderful piece of archi-
lecture.
The building was commenced in
1868 and finished after forty years
of continuous work, at cost of four
million dollars. The dimensions of
the building is one hundred and eighty
six and one-haf feet long, ninety feet
wide and two hundred and twenty two
feet high. Foundations walls are six
teen feet deep and above the ground
the wall varies in thickness from six
to nine feet A view of the building
convinces one of statements relative
to the amount Of labor and cost of
material and other detail which went
toward its completion.
The decorations are of the same
material as the main structure and
are emblematical of scripture sowings
and explanations given by the guide
were most interesting, instructive and
of nature none could object to, as
the suggestions were such as to cause
the listeners thoughts to dwell on the
better things in life, and lead to that
which is for the uplift of mankind in
general.
The material in the temple is Utah
Granite, hauled by oxen from a quarry
some twenty miles distant, the size
of the stones used being of dimen-
sion that but one stone could be haul
ed by four OK team.
The Tabernacle in which all services
are held was built at cost of three
hundred thousand dollars, taking five
years to construct. This was built at
time when all the material, not ma
tive to Utah, had to be hauled acress
the plains at an immense cost Of time
men and money, consequently the en-
genuity of the head of the church was
taxed with problem, which in the
present day would be turned over to
the Structural iron contractor. Mr..
Young and his co-workers, however,
gave convincing proof of their ability
to construct for future ages without
the use of structural steel.
The building is an immense audi
forum, elliptical in shape and seats
eight thousand people, is two hun
dred and fifty feet long by one hun
dred and fifty feet wide and eighty
feet in height The self supporting
wooden roof is remarkable work of
engineering 1t rests on pillars of red
sand stone, which stand ten feet
apart, the whole circumference Of the
building. The roof was constructed
of native wood framed in circling
shape, pinned together with wooden
pins and dashed at the joints with
raw hide in a manner to make it self
supporting Every two and half
feet over the entire surface of the i'm
mense convex covering of the taber-
nacle, are openings two inches in di-
ameter to insure at all times pure
air for those in attendance at services
held in the building. BY making use
of chairs in the aisles the seating ca
pacity can be increased to about
twelve thousand persons.
A balcony encircles three sides of
this great amphitheatre and is sup
ported by wooden pillars, several
hundred being use1, about ten feet
apart, two rows all the way around
the entire circle, except the space oc-
cupied by the great organ and pulpit
Immediately under it. These pillars
are about two feet in diameter, made
of plank, two inches thick, fastened
together with wooden pins, and were
worked into shape by hand.