temporary doorways and enter the Crossing (3), so-called from its
location at the intersection of the long and short arms of the cruciform
ground plan. In this space, 100 feet square, floored with concrete, are
1500 chairs for the congregation. To the eastward, the Crossing opens
into the Choir (10) and Ambulatory (12-12). On the north, west and south
sides the spaces between the ponderous piers of Maine granite are filled
with temporary windows and concrete walls which will be removed when
the Nave (2) and the North and South Transepts (4 and 5) are built. The
removal of these temporary walls will improve the acoustics. The rough,
unadorned piers on the north, west and south sides will eventually be
faced with Frontenac stone like those on the east side. The massiveness
of this masonry may be judged by the fact that a single pair of these
piers with their connecting arch weighs 4000 tons. _The Dome_ of the
Crossing, 162 feet (just the height of Niagara Falls) above the floor,
is a remarkable piece of construction, the tiles having been laid by
the ingenious Gustavino method without the support of scaffolding. The
present dome is temporary; the permanent vault will be 200 feet above
the floor. Mr. J. P. Morgan, Mr. George S. Bowdoin and Mr. Harris C.
Fahnestock were large contributors to the building of the Crossing.
[Illustration: THE NAVE FOUNDATION AND CROSSING]
=The Pulpit=, a memorial of Bishop Henry Codman Potter, is made of
Knoxville, Tenn., marble, an uncrystalline limestone favorable for very
fine work. On the newel posts of the stairs are the figures of the two
great prophets of the Old and New Testaments, Isaiah (south) and John
the Baptist (north.) In the five principal Gothic niches are as many
scenes in the life of Christ (north to south): The Nativity, Jesus Among
the Doctors, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Supper at Emmaus
(Luke xxiv. 30-31). In the smaller niches are the figures of eight great
exponents of the Holy Scriptures and champions of human freedom (north
to south); St. Jerome, St. Gregory, St. Chrysostom, St. Peter, St. Paul,
Hugh Latimer, Bossuet, and Bishop Phillips Brooks of Massachusetts.[17]
Beneath these niches runs a moulding of grape-vine design symbolizing
Christ the true vine[18] (John xv. 1) and beneath this one of roses
symbolizing Christ the Rose of Sharon (Cant. ii. 1). On the base are the
symbols of the four Evangelists: The winged man for St. Matthew, winged
lion for St. Mark, winged ox for St. Luke, and eagle for St. John.[19]
The pulpit is surmounted by a carved oak canopy of Gothic tracery, upon
which is the beginning of the Gloria in Excelsis:
“Glory be to God on high and on ‖ earth ‖ peace ‖ good will
towards ‖ men. We praise thee ‖ we bless thee, we ‖ worship
‖ thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks ‖ to thee for thy
great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King.”
[Illustration: THE PULPIT]
On the side of the stairs is inscribed:
“In Memory of ‖ Henry Codman Potter ‖ the gift of ‖ Mrs.
Russell Sage ‖ A.D. 1916.”
The pulpit, which cost $30,000, was designed by Mr. Henry Vaughan and
executed by Messrs. John Evans & Co. of Boston.
[Illustration: ONE OF THE BARBERINI TAPESTRIES]
=Barberini Tapestries.= The tapestries in the Crossing and Ambulatory
were woven in the first half of the 17th century on the papal looms
founded by Cardinal Barberini under the patronage of his uncle Pope
Urban VIII. They were executed under the direction of the master weaver
Jacques della Riviera from cartoons painted by Jean Francois Romanelli.
The cartoons are now in the Vatican. The tapestries, originally designed
for the throne room of the Barberini Palace at Rome, afterward a part
of the Ffoulke Collection in Washington, and finally presented to the
Cathedral by Mrs. Elizabeth U. Coles, are twelve in number and represent
scenes in the life of Christ. Four of them hang in the Crossing as
follows: In the northeast corner, the Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter;
southeast corner, the Last Supper; southwest corner, the Adoration of
the Shepherds; and northwest corner, the Flight of Joseph and Mary with
the infant Jesus into Egypt. Seven hang in the Ambulatory, as follows
(north to south): Christ’s Baptism, the Annunciation, the Adoration of
the Magi, the Crucifixion (directly behind and above the High Altar,)
the Transfiguration, the Resurrection, and the Agony in the Garden. The
twelfth, a map of the Holy Land, is not at present hung. These works are
all 15 feet 8 inches high and average 14 feet 1 inch wide. The Delivery
of the Keys to St. Peter, the Last Supper, and the Flight into Egypt are
more than 17 feet wide. These tapestries appear more like paintings than
products of the loom.
[Illustration: THE INTERIOR OF THE CROSSING AND CHOIR]
=The Litany Desk= at the eastern end of the middle aisle (often removed)
is of carved oak. Surmounting the ends are two praying angels, while on
the front are statues of St. Michael with sword, St. John with chalice,
and St. Gabriel with lilies, all facing the Altar. An inscription reads:
“We beseech Thee to ‖ hear us Good Lord ‖ Grant us Thy Peace
‖ Have Mercy Upon us.”
The desk was given by the Laymen’s Club.
The Choir
=Architecture.= The Choir (10) may best be surveyed from the eastern
end of the Crossing. (Visitors not admitted to Choir during service
time except by permission.) The half-round arches and other features
exhibit a late Romanesque style with Byzantine influence, which is
not inappropriate to the eastern end of the Cathedral, and which will
relatively become a local detail as the prevailing Gothic style of the
whole Cathedral develops.[20] The interior facing is of Frontenac stone.
Numerous symbols from the Revelation of St. John the Divine will appear
as the description of the Choir and its environs proceeds. The first to
attract attention is the broad course of red jasper from South Dakota
seen at the base of the piers of the great Choir arch. This foundation
course, which appears in the Ambulatory (12-12-12) running entirely
around the Choir, recalls St. John’s description of the Heavenly City:
“And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all
manner of precious stones. The first foundation was of jasper” (Rev. xxi.
19). The green moulding above the jasper is Pennsylvania serpentine.
The floor of the Choir has three principal levels. From the Crossing 5
steps lead to the Choir proper, which contains the stalls for the clergy
and choristers and which occupies the first two bays. An ascent of six
more steps leads to the second level which may be designated as the
Presbytery. Upon it are the two thrones hereafter mentioned and the altar
rail, the latter a step higher.[21] In the Sanctuary within the altar
rail, 4 steps lead to the third level upon which stands the Altar with
its 3 white steps.[22] Around the Sanctuary stand eight Great Columns
described hereafter. The principal donor to the building of the Choir was
the late Hon. Levi Parsons Morton (Vice-President of the United States
1889-93, Governor of the State of New York 1895-96) who, after the Great
Columns were erected, gave $600,000 toward the completion of the fabric
and the installation of the Altar, Reredos, Organ, Choir Stalls, Bishop’s
Throne, and some other furnishings. This sum was generously supplemented
by Mrs. Morton. The ornate _Altar Rail_ of English oak is inscribed:
“To the Glory of God ‖ and in loving memory of ‖ Anna
Livingston Morton ‖ May 18, 1846-August 14, 1918 ‖ Given by
her daughter ‖ Edith Morton Eustis 1920.”
=The Parapet= at the entrance to the Choir is designed to represent
outstanding characters of 20 centuries of the Christian Era. It is in
two sections, one on each side of the steps leading from the Crossing
to the Choir, each section being 18½ feet long and 4 feet high. It is
built mainly of Champville (France) marble, in modified French Gothic
style. The twelve marble columns, alternately green, red and yellow, are
of Alps Green from Italy, Rouge de Rance from Italy, and Numidian from
Africa, respectively. The figures, from right to left, are as follows
(authorities differing slightly as to some of the dates given): (1) St.
Paul (died A. D. 66) with sword symbolizing his decapitation; (2) St.
Justin Martyr (100-165) with axe and block; (3) St. Clement of Alexandria
(150-220) holding cross in left hand; (4) St. Athanasius (296-373)
pouring baptismal water from a sea-shell, referring to a playful
incident of his boyhood which led to his calling; (5) St. Augustine of
Hippo (354-430) with miter, pen and tablet; (6) St. Benedict (480-543)
in habit of Benedictine monk pointing to scroll; (7) St. Gregory the
Great (550-604) with slave child in broken shackles, referring to his
intercession for pagan children in the slave market; (8) Charles Martel
(688-741) with crown, battle-axe and pennant; (9) Charlemagne (742-814)
with crown, scepter and orb; (10) Alfred the Great (849-901) crowned,
with sword by side, holding three burnt cakes on book;[23] (11) Godfrey
of Bouillon (1061-1100) crowned, with Crusader’s sword and shield;
(12) St. Bernard (1091-1153) in monk’s habit, holding aloft a cross in
his right hand and clasping a book in his left; (13) St. Francis of
Assisi (1182-1226) in Franciscan monk’s garb, contemplating a cross
in left hand, and preaching to birds[24] in tree; (14) John Wyckliffe
(1325-1384) with book and staff; (15) Columbus (1435-1506) lifting the
veil from the globe, symbolizing the age of discovery; (16) Archbishop
Cranmer (1489-1556) with right hand thrust voluntarily into the flame,
symbolizing his martyrdom; (17) Shakespeare (1564-1616) standing amidst
growing laurels; (18) Washington (1732-1799) in civilian attire as
President; (19) Lincoln (1809-1865) standing by a burial cross delivering
his Gettysburg Address; (20) uncarved block. The basis for selecting the
figures was the representative character of the nineteen men selected
in conjunction with their contribution to the development of Christian
civilization. The Parapet was designed by Messrs. Cram & Ferguson, and
the figures, modelled by Ferrari, were carved by John Evans & Co., of
Boston. The Parapet bears the following inscription:
“To the Glory of God and in Memory of ‖ Richard Delafield, ‖
Brigadier-General, Chief of Engineers, ‖ Brevet Major-General,
United States Army. ‖ Born September 1, 1798, Died November 5,
1873, ‖ This Parapet is Erected by his Children, ‖ Albert,
Juliet Covington and Emma Delafield. ‖ Righteousness Exalteth
a Nation: But ‖ Sin is a Reproach to any People.”
=The Pavements= of the Ambulatory and Choir, designed by Mr. C. Grant
LaFarge in Romanesque and Byzantine motives, are related in their
symbolism. The colors in the Ambulatory are reddish, or earthy; while
those in the three ascents of the Choir progress through increasingly
rich designs of greens and whites (hope and purity) to greens, whites and
blues (hope, purity and heaven) until they reach the pure white steps of
the Altar. The risers of the steps leading from the Crossing to the Choir
proper are of yellow Numidian marble and the treads of green Pennsylvania
marble. The pavement of the Choir is richly inlaid with Numidian, Swiss
and other marbles and Grueby Faience tiles. The steps to the Presbytery
are of marble from Hauteville, France. In the center of the floor of the
Presbytery is a magnificent mosaic rug of tiles and marbles, 32½ feet
long and 10 feet wide, with smaller patterns at the ends. In the center
is an oval of black Belgian marble surrounded by violet marble from
Italy, while Grueby tiles of many colors, and Grecian, red Numidian and
other marbles form the rest of the design. The pavement of the Sanctuary,
within the communion rail, in addition to its rich designs of tiles and
marbles, contains, immediately in front of the steps to the Altar, a red
tile surrounded by a square brass border, inscribed:
“Whoever shall have prayed at this spot will have pressed with
his feet a tile from the ancient Church of St. John the Divine
at Ephesus, built by the Emperor Justinian in the year DXL over
the traditional site of St. John’s grave.”
The tile was presented to the Cathedral by Bishop Kinsman of Delaware,
its authenticity being attested by Prof. George Weber of Smyrna, who
procured it from the ruins on the hill of Ayassolouk and who, in his
lifetime, was a leading authority on Ephesian archaeology.
=The Eagle Lectern= of bronze at the north side of the Choir steps is a
replica of an ancient lectern found near St. Albans Cathedral, England,
in a lake into which it had been cast when that structure was destroyed
in the Saxon invasion. The eagle, standing on a globe, is the symbol of
St. John in his capacity as an Evangelist. Around the lectern are the
figures of the four Evangelists: St. Matthew with open book, St. Mark
with closed book and pen, St. Luke with open book in one hand and pen
in other, and St. John with chalice. Below are their respective symbols
(p. 44). The lectern was made by the Gorham Co. It bears the following
inscription, the initials at the end being those of the donor, Mary
Gertrude Edson Aldrich:
“In Memoriam ‖ Horatio Potter ‖ Bishop of New York ‖
1854-1887 ‖ M. G. E. A.”
[Illustration: THE BISHOP’S THRONE, CHOIR STALLS AND DEAN’S STALL]
=The Choir Stalls=, rising in four tiers on either side of the Choir
proper, are of carved American oak. The canopies are after studies of
those in the Chapel of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey used as the Chapel
of the Knights of the Order of the Bath. The finials of the stalls are
figures of great musicians and composers of church music, as follows:
_East._
_Left._ _Right._
Bortniansky Mendelssohn
Handel Haydn
Bach Purcell
Tallis Palestrina
Pope Gregory St. Cecelia
Asaph King David
_West._
The figures, modeled by Mr. Otto Jahnsen, are represented in the costumes
of their day; and the features of all but those of David and his chief
musician Asaph are from portraits.
The high canopied stall nearest the Crossing on the south side of the
Choir is the _Dean’s Stall_.[25] It was designed in the office of Messrs.
Cram & Ferguson and is a very skillful blending of styles to harmonize
with the Jacobean canopies of the Choir Stalls and the Flamboyant note
in the stalls themselves. It has many interesting details of carving,
notably the three panels depicting the Good Shepherd (front), Learning
(east side), and Charity (west side). On the back of the stall is
inscribed:
“In the Name of the ‖ Father Son & Holy Ghost ‖ This Stall
is Dedicated by ‖ The Head Mistresses Association ‖ to the
Memory of ‖ Agnes Irwin ‖ 1841-1914 ‖ Holding fast the
faithful word as she ‖ had been taught herself being not
dis- ‖ obedient unto the heavenly vision ‖ Head Mistress of
the Agnes Irwin School 1867-1894 ‖ First Dean of Radcliffe
College 1894-1909 ‖ First President of the ‖ Head Mistresses
Association ‖ 1911-1914.”
In the Presbytery, on the south side, is the lofty _Bishop’s Throne_ of
carved oak, while opposite to it is one with a little lower canopy for
the use of a bishop other than the Diocesan.
On one of the Choir Stalls is inscribed:
“These Stalls are Erected to ‖ the Glory of God ‖ and in
Loving Memory of ‖ Susan Watts Street ‖ 1818-1893 ‖ By her
Daughter ‖ Anna L. Morton.”
On a tablet in the Choir is inscribed:
“The Stalls ‖ of the Sanctuary ‖ and the Choir ‖ are Erected
to ‖ the Glory of God ‖ and in Memory of ‖ Susan Watts
Street ‖ 1818-1893 ‖ By her Daughter ‖ Anna Livingston ‖
Morton.”
The stalls and the cathedra of the Diocesan were made by the John Barber
Co., of Philadelphia, and the corresponding Bishop’s throne on the north
side by Messrs. Irving & Casson, of Boston.
=The Organ=, seen in the upper arches on either side of the Choir,
contains 7,000 pipes and a chime, connected by electric wires with the
console located in the gallery on the south choir screen. The console has
four manuals and two octaves of pedals, 106 speaking stops, 31 couplers,
and 33 pistons. The organist, invisible to the congregation, can see the
choir and clergy either directly or by means of mirrors. A Gothic tablet
in the south Ambulatory is inscribed:
“This Organ ‖ is Dedicated ‖ to the Praise of ‖ the Blessed
Trinity ‖ and ‖ in Loving Memory of ‖ Lena Kearny Morton ‖
1875-1904 ‖ By her Parents ‖ Levi Parsons Morton ‖ and ‖
Anna Livingston Morton.”
The organ was built by the Ernest M. Skinner Co., of Boston. (See also
Choir School, page 106).
=The Cathedral Flag= which hangs above the choir stalls on the north
side of the Choir opposite the American flag, bears upon a purple field
a white Latin cross, on the crossing of which is a shield displaying
the arms of the Cathedral. The shield is divided by radial lines into
three parts: In the upper left-hand part (as viewed) are the arms of the
city of New York, in the upper right-hand part the arms of the state;
and at the bottom the seven candlesticks and seven stars of the Book of
Revelation (ii. 1) symbolizing the seven churches and seven spirits of
the churches founded by St. John the Divine in Asia Minor. The Cathedral
flag and the American flag were given by Mrs. J. Herman Aldrich. The
American flag which is sometimes carried in the procession and which was
first used in the victory celebration in 1918, was given by Mrs. William
Iselin. (See page 6).
=The High Altar= is of white Vermont marble. The beautiful Gothic
_Reredos_ is of pierre de Lens, quarried in the vicinity of the city of
that name in the north of France which was so terribly ravaged in the
late war. In the center is a majestic figure of Christ. On His left, (in
order from center to spectator’s right) are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and
Moses, representing the Old Testament; and on His right (in order from
center to spectator’s left) are St. John, St. James, St. Peter and John
the Baptist, representing the New Testament. The scale of the Cathedral
may be judged from the size of the figure of our Saviour, which is seven
feet high. Those of Moses and John the Baptist are 6 feet 10 inches high.
In smaller niches on the front and sides are 16 angels holding various
emblems—palm, sword, shield, swinging lamp, crown, trumpet, etc. Under
the pedestals of the statues are clusters of grapes, symbolizing Him who
gave His body and blood for man. The statue of Christ was made by Sig.
Leo Lentelli under the direction of Mr. Carl Bitter. The other figures
were made by Mr. Otto Jahnsen. The great rectangular panel in the lower
part of the Reredos is filled with a rare Spanish embroidery in arabesque
design, 200 years old. The Altar and Reredos were built by the Barr, Thaw
& Fraser Co. Upon the Altar is the following inscription:
“To the Glory of God ‖ and in Memory of ‖ Anna Livingston ‖
Morton ‖ 1846-1918.”
[Illustration: THE HIGH ALTAR]
=The Credence Table=, at the right (south) side of the High Altar, is
supported by a shaft composed of three stones from the ruins of the
ancient Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds, England, in which the Barons met on
November 20, 1214, and swore before the altar to secure from King John
the liberties which they embodied in _Magna Charta_. These relics are of
Caen stone, and may be recognized by their gray color. They were given to
the Cathedral in 1922, with the consent of the Abbey authorities, by the
Marquis of Bristol through Dr. Raphael Constantian of New York. Near the
shaft is the following inscription:
“The Adjoining Shaft ‖ Was Once a Part of ‖ the High Altar
of the ‖ Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds ‖ Upon Which on ‖
November 20, 1214, ‖ the Barons Swore Fealty ‖ to Each Other
in Wresting ‖ the Great Charter ‖ from King John. ‖ It is
Placed Here ‖ as a Symbol of ‖ the Community of ‖ Political
Tradition, ‖ Laws and Liberties, ‖ Which is the Inheritance
‖ of the English Speaking ‖ Commonwealths ‖ Throughout the
World.”
[Illustration: Credence Table with Shaft made of Magna Charta Stones]
=The Eight Great Columns= standing in a semicircle around the Sanctuary
and forming seven interspaces opposite the seven Chapels of Tongues, are
among the marvels of the Cathedral. They are approached in size only
by those in St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Petrograd. The shafts of light gray
granite from Bear Island, near Vinal Haven on the coast of Maine, were
quarried as monoliths and turned on a special lathe which cost $50,000.
When the first two were subjected to the pressure of polishing they
broke, and the contractor then obtained permission to make the shafts in
two pieces. The lower stone in each shaft is 38 feet high and weighs 90
tons, and the upper stone is 17 feet high and weighs 40 tons, the total
height between base and capital being 55 feet and the weight 130 tons.
The octagonal capitals of pierre de Lens by Mr. Post represent singing
angels. The columns were given as memorials of the men whose names are
carved on the bases seen in the Ambulatory (south to north:) “Alonzo
Potter,[26] Bishop of Pennsylvania, 1800-1865;” “Colonel Richard Tylden
Auchmuty, U. S. V., 1831-1893;” “Harry Manigault Morris, 1817-1892;”
“Eugene Augustus Hoffman, 1829-1902;” “John Jacob Astor, 1763-1848;”
“John Divine Jones, 1814-1895;” “Josiah Mason Fiske, 1823-1892;” and
“Joseph Lawrence, 1788-1872.” Each column cost $25,000, not including the
expense of erection. They were made by Mr. John Pierce of Vinal Haven,
Me.
=The Clerestory Windows= of the Choir, nine in number, of which seven
are above the entrances to the seven Chapels of Tongues, are designed
to depict the Book of Revelation of St. John the Divine. Seven of them
are in place. They are of painted mosaic glass made by Messrs. James
Powell & Sons of Whitefriars, London, according to the methods used in
the thirteenth century and cost $10,000 and upwards apiece. Each window
is of three lights with rose window at the top, and is 28 feet high and
17 feet wide. The seven windows above the entrances to the Seven Chapels
of Tongues (north to south) are designed to symbolize in their circular
lights the messages to the seven churches in Asia mentioned in the
Book of Revelation (i. 11), in the order there named: Ephesus, Smyrna,
Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. They are connected
by the inscriptions in their lower borders which read consecutively as
follows:
“Grace be unto you and Peace from Him ‖ Which is and Which was
and Which is to come ‖ From the Seven Spirits which are before
His throne ‖ Jesus Christ the Faithful Witness ‖ The First
Begotten of the Dead ‖ The Prince of the Kings of the Earth.
‖ To Him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever” (Rev. i.
4-6).
These windows, which are of surpassing charm to the unaided eye, flash
out with extraordinary brilliancy of color and affecting beauty of
composition and execution, particularly those called “Christ Reigning
in Glory” and “the Woman in the Sun,” when examined with long distance
glasses (apply to Verger), although the less brilliant windows contain
subtle details well worth studying, as, for instance, the symbolisms of
the elements held by the angels in the window above the Chapel of St.
Boniface. Individually, from north to south:
=St. John and the Seven Churches= are the subject of the window above the
_Chapel of St. Ansgarius_. In the upper part of the central light, St.
John between two praying angels is depicted in the character of Apostle,
beardless, and holding the sacramental cup—the young St. John, symbolical
of love and high ideals and the feeling which filled all his writings;
while in the lower part he appears as the aged exile on the Isle of
Patmos, sitting with book in lap and pen in hand, listening to the angel
behind him who commands him to write (Rev. i. 11). In the side lights
are the angels of the seven churches (i. 11), bearing on scrolls their
names: (Upper left) Ephesus; (lower left) Smyrna and Pergamos; (upper
right) Thyatira and Sardis; (lower right) Philadelphia and Laodicea. In
the circular light at the top are the name “Ephesus” and a shield bearing
the seven candles mentioned in the message to the church of Ephesus (ii.
1). In the lower border of the three lights runs the inscription: “Grace
be ‖ unto you and Peace ‖ from Him.” The window was given by Mrs. E. C.
Ludlow Johnson in memory of Gabriel Ludlow.
=The Natural Elements= upon which the vials of the wrath of God were
poured (Rev. xvi. 2-17) are the principal subject of the window above
the _Chapel of St. Boniface_. In the lower part of the left side light
is an angel holding between his hands the earth (green foliage); in the
middle light three angels respectively holding the air (invisible), the
sun (yellow glow), and the sea (green waves); and in the right side light
an angel holding the rivers and fountains (blue currents). In the upper
part of the middle light is the Lamb that was slain (v. 12) between the
four beasts (iv. 7) which are in the side lights—on the left, the lion
and the beast with the face of a man; and on the right, the ox and the
eagle.[27] In the circular light at the top are the word “Smyrna” and a
shield bearing the crown of life mentioned in the message to the church
in Smyrna (ii. 10). In the bottom border is the inscription: “Which is
and ‖ Which was and Which ‖ is to come.” A tablet in the Ambulatory
reads as follows: