Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-26
Graves of Brituin's Greatest
Guarded by Famous Preacher
Canon Sidney A. Alexander Rebuilt Church
Where Lie Wellington, Nelson, Van Dyke

anoer explains, designed by Car
dinal Wolsey for his own tomb.
Wolsey was assassinated somewhere
in Leicestershire and nobody knows
what became of his body. Henry
the VIII had the tomb removed to
Windsor Castle, where it remained
until it was taken to mark the last
resting place of the victor of
Trafalgar
Most sacred spot in the cathedral
to Canon Alexander is the grave of
Sir Christopher Wren, builder of
the church and of many of the
buildings around it. He is an au-
thority on Wren, whom he consid-
ers one Of the great geniuses of the
English race, both as an architect
and as an engineer and scientist.
Back in the middle 10Th century.
ne explains, Wren was working on
plans for submarine and on a
scheme for turning salt water into
fresh.
An Eerie Companion.
The eeriest of his nighttime COM
panions in the crypt has been re-
moved for safekeeping until after
the war. 1t is the shrouded figure of
the early 18th century poet John
Dome, who himself was dean of
the old St. Pauls-the Norman
cathedral destroyed in the great
London fire which stood on the same
site as the church built by Wren.
ferrous character Toward the end
OF his life he sat In his shroud before
one of the eminent sculptors of the
day. The statue presumably was
placed over his grave. 1t was one
OF the few relics to escape destruc-
ton IN the great fire, and is highly
cherished by the cathedral clergy
There is no record Canon Alexander
explains OF the actual spot under
the floor where the poets ashes were
placed.
another occupant of the crypt with
England's great is Pilot Officer Will
liam Meade Lindsay Fiske of the
Raj, the first American to be killed
IN action IN the Second World War.
He persisted August 10, 1910.
Canon AleXander's devotion to the
historic cathedral has a long back
ground, and it is largely due to him
that the building is still standing,
All around 1t are newer and presum-
/ ably stronger buildings which have
crumbled under the shock of bomb
J blasts. Just before the outbreak of
the war he had finished a l7-year
JOB OF strengther lg its foundations
! and supporting liars at a cost
OF about $500 & largely raised
| through his owl -Aorts.
Pillars Reinforced.
Great architect as he was. Wren
had hardly appreciated the changes
IN environment to which his work
would be subjected through the CEN
turtles. Some of the pillars. it was
/ found, were practically hollow. The
] shakings of centuries had reduced
/ their interiors to dust. They could
/ not be replaced. They were strength
/ ened so as to. stand the stresses and
/ strains OF boring holes through them,
| pumping in concrete and reinforc-
ing it with steel rods. The Job ap-
parently was well done. for night
after night Canon Alexander has
seen the walls shake and the pillars
/ apparently seem to sway. but there
/ has been no sign OF any collapse.
1T took Wren IS years to build
/ St. Paul's," Canon Alexander said
1T took me exactly half that time
! to restore it,"
He has seen, however, every one of
the Cathedrals stained glass win
dows shattered by blasts. Fortu-
nately. he says, the loss is not ire
placable because the glass was of
relatively modern workmanship, ali