Evening star., 1932-09-25
CATHEDRAL RITES
IN 1907 RECALLED
Foundation Stone Was Laid
rs Years Ago Thursday
With Ceremonies.
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
The foundation stone Of Washington |
Cathedral was laid quarter century |
ago next Thursday. Friends of the |
sacred enterprise recall the occasion |,
with pride and affection. 1t marked |
the actual beginning of construction !,
work on Mount st. Alban.
story. Saturday, September %, 1907, |
was day of heavy rain. Sunday morn !
ing, the feast of St. Michael and All |
Angels, brought threat Of renewed
doWnpour. Gray clouds hung low upon |
the horizon. Arrangements had been !
made to accommodate congregation |
Of 10000 people on Mount ST. Alban.
but it seemed likely that the throng |
would be kept away by the unpleasant
weather. 1t was comparatively late be- !
fore there was any Indication that the
every section Of the city and from towns |
in Maryland and Virginia the more !
courageous members of the invited null
titude started for the scene OF the cere-
mony. BY 10 o'clock the sun had mani |
tested disposition to favor the people. ,
and hundreds of pilgrims to the hillside |
became thousands. BY carriage, trolley |
car and afoot they came. At II o'clock
the newly purchased close was crowded. |
At noon it seemed that the population
of the entire city had arrived. Over
head clouds and the sun struggled Tor
the mastery Of the day. The procession
Of the clergy came in sight from behind
st. Albans Church. AS it advanced
President Theodore Roosevelt was es- |
corted to seat on the main platform.
ha poorrhinp In lineS
of four, came the white-robed boys OF
the enlarged choir. They were followed
by the Marine Band and by the men OF
the choir. Then came the visiting
clergy and the clergy Of the diocese,
young men and old The Cathedral
Council and the Cathedral Chapter were
next in order, and the bishops OF the
church last Rev. DR.. Henry Yates
Satterlee, first Bishop of Washington,
was at the end of the line. .!
AS the service began few drops OF |
rain fell, but the congregation did not
stir Rev. DR.. Randolph H. McKlm
pronounced a call to the people. begin
ming. We are gathered together in the
name and presence of Almighty God
to begin new sowing for the Master
and for man" The Lords Prayer was
then repeated by the entire assemblage,
and Rev. Dr. W. H Huntingdon Of New
York read the collect. The choir and
congregation sang All Hail the Power
of Jesus Name"
Liberia Bishop Leads Greed.
The lesson was st. John. ILLS. 1t
was read by Right Rev. Enos Nuttall
Archbishop of the West Indies. Ie
Deum of Laudamus' was sung, and
Right Rev. S. D. Ferguson, Bishop OF
T 1ad IN 40 rpnotitiOn nf the |
Greed. Right Rev. w. c. Doane, Bishop |
of Albany. read the suppiications.
Bishop Satterlee. escorted by the ofh- |
GERS Of the Potomac Lodge, F. A. A. M, |
approached the stone as 1t hung sus-
pended by a small derrick. The mortar |
was spread, the trowel used for the |
purpose being that which George Wash |
ington employed at the laying OF the |
cornerstone of the Capitol. September
ls. 1898. The bishop read St Mathew:
1925; st. Luke, ii.1-22; the Eplstle OF
ST. Paul to the Philippians, 1i.5-l2, and
the Epistle of st. Ignatius OF Antioch to
the Ephesians, xviii.2 and xix.1.
AS the stone. brought from the |
Jordan Ford where the Savior is tradi- |
tionally supposed to have been bap-
tized, was slowly lowered the sun broke
free from the veil of cloucs and seemed
to smile" His face uplifted to the
lllC biSiiOP OAHU w PAO
nounce duly and truly laid this Foun-
dation Stone of Washington Cathedral"
He spoke of the projected church as |
being dedicated as "a house of prayer ,
for all people," AS he returned to his
place on the platform the choir sang |
Gloria in Excelsis."
Bishop Satterlee then introduced Mr.. !
Roosevelt, and the President paid
tribute to the high and liberal ideals of
Christian fellowship in evil times and !
good He closed with the words DO |
the work of the Lord pest by doing |
His work for the people Dest.'
Right Rev. Arthur Foley Winning
ton Ingram, Bishop of London, ad-
dressed the congregation. He brought
the greeting of the Church Of England |
and wished the work Godspeed.
Right Rev. R. A. Gibson, Bishop Of |
Virginia, read the offertory and the
choir sang. The final prayer was read
by Right Rev. William Paret. Bishop |
of Maryland. and the benediction was
pronounced by Right Rev. D. S. Tuttle,
Bishop of Missouri.
The choir and clergy returned to st. !
Adams Church as it had come. Long |!
of people remained on the hillside where !
today approximately one-third of the |
great design has been completed.
While the laying of the foundation |
stone marked the beginning of actual ,
construction at the Cathedral, it marked
the close of long period OF prepara-
ton.
A church for national purposes had
been included in Maj. LEnfant's origi- |
nal plans for the Capital. The site in
tended was that now occupied by the
Patent Office. Changes in L'Enfant's
ARRANGEMENTS eliminated the cathedral
suggestion. But the idea did not die. |
From time to time it was revived and
discussed among churchmen who felt
that a great church edifice was needed
in the Federal City. Among these was
Joseph Nourse, secretary and friend of
George Washington and first Registrar
of the Treasury Nourse purchased AL
ban Hill from the estate Of Gen. Uriah
Forrest, and 1t is said that he was ac-
customed to pray that "at some future
date God would build church on the
site" His granddaughter Phoebe left
by will 40 gold dollars "for free
parish church was built in 1855.
Rises 400 Feet Over City.
The tract Of land has been called
ideal for the purpose to which 1t was
dedicated in 1898 when Bishop Sat-
terlee arranged for its purchase for
S245, 900. About 60 acres in area, 1t
The Best Burner Made