Evening star., 1928-02-22
CATHEDRAL WORK
WILL Be PUSHED
Pershing Announces Letting
of Contracts for Next Step
at Mount St. AIban.


Construction of the choir and cross.
ing of Washington Cathedral. for which
contracts aggregating 100000 for the
work have Just been closed. will be
pushed forward without delay In prep
aration for the general convention OF
the Episcopal Church, to be held here
in October.
This announcement was made BY
Gen. John j. Pershing at the dinner
given by him last night III the Carlton
Hotel for members OF the national and
executive committees for the cathedral
Gen. Pershing formally assumed lead
erShip rs chairman OF the national
committee III the campaign to raise
$4,000. 900 Immediately and $30.000,00O
ultimately for the completion and ade-
quate endowment Of the cathedral and
its associated institutions. Former Sen
ator George Wharton Pepper OF Penn
sylvania Is executive chairman Of the
committee and Secretary of the Treas
ury Andrew w. Mellon is the treasurer
Brief addresses also were given last
night by the Right Rev. James Z. Free
man, Bishop OF Washington, and Sell
ator Pepper.
Gen. Pershing's Statement.
"My chief interests are the building
OF monuments in France to the mem.
ory of the service of American soldiers
In the war, and assisting to build this
great cathedral to the glory of Him tc
Whom We owe all our greatness" said
Gen. Pershing. Many cathedrals un-
fortunately have been destroyed in
wars, and I. for one, should like tC
have hand In building a cathedral
The building program. as announced
at the dinner, provides for a setting oi
approximately $4,000 cubic feet OF
stone in the vaulting OF the choir. the
temporary inclosing OF the crossing. the
erection Of four crossing piers, the in
stallation of several large stained glass
windows. and the carving Of sculptura
figures on both the exterior and in
terror walls OF the ediflce.
Extra crews Of workmen probably
will be added to expedite this work. If
completed in time 1t will make available
for the first time in the history Of the
triennial gatherings of the Episcopal
Church a cathedral auditorium capable
OF seating more than 5000 persons.
Like most great cathedrals. this one
Is being built Of solid masonry SO as tt
endure for ages. Stone for the new
construction has been delivered. Each
stone, separately designed for the space
IL Is to fill, is being cut accordingly
More than 100 workmen are assigned tt
the stone cutting mill.
Building Activities Outlined.
The cathedral building activities arc
concentrated at present on the choir
walls and the four great crossing piers
which ultimately will support the CEN
,ral tower of the edifice. Completion
of this work, which is expected shortly
will find the choir walls raised 10 the
triiorium and extended TO the crossing
and the crossing piers lifted to the tri-
forum roof. The stone. now being pre-
pared in the stone-cutting plant. will
then be transported TO Mount Saint
Alban and set IN place In the vaulting
and clercstory OF the choir. Steel
scatfolding has been ordered for use
during this operation and is expected
10 prove valuable in speeding the work
When this is completed the crossing
will be inclosed and great auditorium
consisting of the sanctuary. the choir
the choir aisle chapels and the cross
ing will be formed 1t promises to be
singularly impressive. aS il Will contai-l
many of the most interesting carvings
and ornamentations planned for the
cathedral. The chapel. recently pro-
vided for by an anonymous gift OF
so00.000. will form a portion OF this
inspiring place Of worship.
Symbolical carvings In this portion
of the edifice include vaulting bosses
which form an important element In
the elaborate scheme OF Christian SYM
bolism Of the cathedral. They include
groups which depict the creed and the
also groups which repre-
sent virtues and their opposites, the
seven deadly sins. The windows which
will be installed will be part Of group
which has as It's theme the story oi
the progress OF Christianity from the
earliest days TO the present time.
New Carvings Introduced.
Among the new carvings to be In
itiated shortly Will be sculptured fig
ures Of ST. John. St Peter and ST. Paul
on the outside eastern wall Of the apse
toward the city OF Washington. Be-
meath the statues will be inscribed
scriptual texts, attributed To each saint
The figures will be carved out OF stone
A1tFA0g u pdAL ia tiIC AaAtICdk AaOk IL
III attendance at the dinner last
night at which Gen. Pershing was hos,
were: The Bishop of Washington and
Mrs. James Il. Freeman. the dean ot
Washington and Mrs. q. G.. F. Brate-
nahl. Mai. Gen. and Mrs. George Bar
nett, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles J. Bell, MIR
and Mrs. Frederick ii. Brooke. the AS
sistant Secretary OF State and Mrs. Will
liam r. Castle. jr: William Fl. Church
Senator Bronson Cutting. Mr.. and Mrs
Charles G. Glover. Mrs. Alvin 7. Hert
Mai. Gen. and Mrs. Grote Hutcheson
Coleman Jennings, Rev. and Mrs. Rob
ert Johnston, Col and Mrs. Francis T
A. Junkin. Miss Bessie j. Kibbcy, Mr.
and Mrs Edwin N. Lewis. Miss Jessie
G.. Mcdonald.
Secretary OF the Treasury Mellon
the Undersecretary OF the Treasury and
Mrs. Ogden l.. Mills, Mrs. James Parme'
lee, Miss Elisabeth Ellicott Poe. Right
Rev. and Mrs. Philip M. Rhinelandcr
DR.. and Mrs. William C. Rives. Mr.
and Mrs. II. l.. Rust Mrs. John ID
Sherman, John X. Sherman. Rev. ant
Mrs Anson Phelps Stokes. Mr.. and Mrs
Corcoran Thorn. Mrs. John Campbell
White, Mrs. Woodrow Wilson. Mr.. ahf
Mrs. Stephen Baker and Mr. and Mrs
Frederic w, Rhinclandcr OF New York
Roosevelt Page Of Richmond, Mrs. Fred
erick s.. Converse Of Westwood. Mass 3.
William q. Mather of Cleveland. Burton
Mansfield OF New Haven. Louis How.
land OF indianapolis. Fairfax Harrison
OF Belvoir. Va: DR., and Mrs. william
Holland Wilmer OF Baltimore, Charles
w Henry. Milton Bennett Medary jr.'
Roland L. Taylor. former Senator and
Mrs George Wharton Pepper. Mr.. ant
Mrs. Arthur w. Thompson OF Phlladel'
phia. Mr. and Mrs. William Cooper
Proctor Of Cincinnati. Henry II Rus
Of Pittsburgh and Mr.. and Mrs. Charles
Eeecher Warren OF Detroit.