Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1883 — The Mormon Tabernacle. [ARTICLE]

The Mormon Tabernacle.

The tabernacle is really a -wonderful building in several respects." With a weary automatic sort of action the guide began- to rattle off the dimehdions and qualities of the building. I was not specially interested until he said: “This room is the most wonderful whispering gallery in the world. When everybody is quiet the faintest whisper is audible in the remotest part of the house. You can literaUy hear a pin fall. Try it once.” So I went to the further end of the room, 250 feet away, and .standing on the speaker’s platform, he addresssd me in a whisper. I had no difficulty in understanding, and , replied also in a whisper. Then het took a pin and dropped it into his straw, hat. I was going-to’ say the report was like that produced when a cfowbar falls over a washboiler. . Certainly the noise was very distinct. It was a matter of keen regrqt to me that I could not hear the great organ played upon, knowing that it was inferior only to the Cincinnati and Boston instruments. Suddenly the guide turned and observed in a doubtful sort of way: “ But you have not asked how great a seating capacity the building has.” • “No,” I answered, fervently. “I do not profess to be perfect, *bnt I will never tempt a man to lie in that way.” He thanked me warmly, and. then remarked: “Since you will excuse me from the customary lies to the effect that this will seat 20,000 people and is full every Sunday, I don’t mind saying that there are about 8,000 seats in the house, and that the galleries are only thrown open in times of conferences. There is no method of heating the building or lighting it save by the introduction of electric lights, which was done in the case of Theodore Thomas last season. In winter, Mormon general services are held in the assembly room, which will seat about one-third as many people as the tabernacle. I can hold up my head and boldly announce that this is the largest self-supporting roof ever constructed by human ingenuity, and you will doubtless assent to that proposition. This festooning has been here some of it eight and some ten years.” I was interested in these decorations that have stood the test of time so remarkably. The elaborate center-piece over the fountain must have occupied a good deal of time in its construction. —St. Paul Pioneer.