Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-02
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society
PUBLIC


promote American art will meet at
Portland, Oregon, next month.
Such will be the practical result
1t is predicted, of the findings OF a
commission on church architecture
which. after three years study Oh
the subject, will report to the Epls-
copal General Convention.
Church architecture is 9. matter
of interest to members of all denom-
nations and to members of no de-
nomination at all. One goes inside
a church by preference but he
scarcely can avoid the general effect
of churches upon the artistic en-
semble of his community" remarks
a bulletin from the Washington. II.
c., headquarters of the National
Geographic Society.
Geo. Washington Planned Cathedral
when George Washington au-
thorized L'Enfant to lay out the
national capital he saw to it that q
SITE was set aside for a monumental
church. Yet, today, among the
capital cities Of the world. Washing
ton alone possesses no such struc-
ture.
1.-TWO are in contemplation. The
| cornerstone has been laid for the
national shrine of the Immaculate
| Conception, a majestic edifice on the
| grounds of the Catholic University,
which will take thirty years to COM
plete.
Already the recently completed
apse of thy New Protestant Cathe-
dral of Saints Peter and Paul lifts
it's delicate beauty upon the sum NIT
of Mount st. Alban, overlooking the
City of Washington, a location call
ed by one writer the noblest site OF
| any cathedral in the Old World or
the New"
Has Conspicuous Site
A shrine to Episcopalians, this
edifce will have that interest to
every beholder which attaches to all
monumental buildings. public and
private, in the nations capital city.
In a communication to the National
Geographic Society, j. Bernard
Walker says:
Conspicuous from any point IN
Washington, the 500-feet stretch of
nave and choir, crowned by the lofty
towers of the western front and the
crossing, will be visible also through
out a far-flung radius of the sur
rounding country.
1.-The site, comprising sixty -acres
Of beautifully wooded land. lies on
the crest of a hill. at an elevation
of nearly 400 feet above the Poto-
mac river. In every direction the
ground falls away from the cathe-
dral close, with the result that. from
whatever side it is viewed, this
superb structure will be revealed
against the skyline il. all it's unob-
structeG majesty. 1t will rank with
size.
I'm respect OF its proportions, the
Washington nave escapes the exag-
gerated length of the English and
the disproportionate height of the
FL ench cathedrals. AS a rule, the
English c~athedrals are too long for
their height, the French too high for
their length
Proportions Majestic
Majestic will be the long 500-foot
sweep of the nave, choir, and apse,
lifting the ridge of their roofs to a
uniform height of 1874 feet above
grade, and relieved by the bold pro-
lection of the transept and by the
suitably proportional masses Of the
two western towers and the great
central tower at the intersection of
nave and transept.
an an exterior view Of the cathe-
dral it's browning glory will be
found in the great central tower,
which rises 262 feet above grade.
Or 33 feet higher than the lovely
Angel Tower at Canterbury, which
Gin all justice be it said) may be
surpassed in height, but in beauty
Lever.
THE Washington tower, in spite
of it's greater mass, possesses the
charm which is inherent in good
n NL;tAof,~ NcNyNoOt -
Canterbury. the vertical lines are
horizontal-an effect which is due
chiefly to the absolutely plain,
square masses which form the COR
ners of the tower and extend with
out a break from roof to parapet.
The same motif reveals itself, with
even greater emphasis, in the tow
ers which flank the southerly front
Of the transept.
Turrets Add Variety
Additional variety is given to
the southwest view of the cathedral
by two octagonal structures-a tur-
ret stairway built against the wall
Of the nave at the fourth bay from
toned baptistery, access to which
from the church Is had through a
groined corridor.
THE lofty central porch, 90 feet
in height. and the two side porches,
60 feet high. not only correspond In
strict proportion to the nave and
side aisles to which they. ~severally,
form the entrance, but by their
great height and width, and the fact
that they are recessed fully 40 feet
beyond the face of the facade, they
challenge comparison with Peter
boroug.., the finest of the English
e~xarxples. and with the justly fam
GUS porches of Rheims and Amiens.
The treatment of the western
towers is marked by the fine re-
straint and well-balanced sense of
proportion which characterizes the
whole fabric of the cathedral. The
establishment. in the form of statu-
airy and decorative carving, Is rich
without being excessive.
1.-THE b~uttressing is strong, simple,
and so drawn as to emphasize the
height of the towers. Moreover (and
this marks always the true artist in
monumental building), there is an
ample and satisfying area of plain,
undecorated wall surface"