Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/188

 160 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [August, Remarkable Mirage. — A mirage was visible lately at Dover, England. The dome of the Cathedral and Napoleon's Pillar, at Boulogne, were to be seen from the Crescent Walk by the naked eye ; but with a telescope of ordinary power the entrance of the port, its lighthouse, its shipping, and the surrounding houses, the valley of the hillside of Capecure, and the little fishing village of Ported were distinctly visible, whilst on the eastern side the principal features of the country, the lighthouse of Cape Grinez, the adjacent windmill, numerous farms, and villages, with their windows illumi- nated by the setting sun, stood out with extraordinary clearness. Whilst these were under observation, a locomotive was seen to leave Boulogne and travel* some miles in the Calais direction, by its puffs and wreaths of white steam. Shortly after sunset the mirage subsided. A Mirage in Western New York. — A correspondent of the Rochester Union, writing from Batavia, N Y., June 3, says : On Monday last, while walking in the suburbs of the village, I was sur- prised to see, stretching away to the northeast, and apparently on a level with an adjoining meadow, a lake, the undulations of whose waves were plainly visible, and on which four steamboats and two sailing vessels were to be seen moving slowly along. Far away in the distance was the Canadian shore. The pale blue-green tint of water was per- fectly reproduced. The delusion was heightened by the rising ground in the meadow forming a bank from which the lake appeared to roll. It was almost impossible to reject the temptation of crossing the fence and gathering the shells and watching the breakers which it seemed must be at the foot of those little hills. I watched the mirage for nearly an hour, but returned before the disappearance of it. This mirage far exceeded the fine one of Lake Erie seen some weeks since at sunset, and which attracted universal attention. A New Cathedral. — The ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of the new Catholic Cathedral of Brooklyn took place June 21st. Announcements had been made during the past two months, that this event would be at- tended with circumstances of no ordi- nary interest ; that it would be wit- nessed by thousands of people, and that it would be the occasion of a demonstra- tion the like of which had never before been seen in Brooklyn. These an- nouncements and predictions have been fully verified, and the scene of yester- day, in which bishops, priests, and the lait} r of every grade, and trades, asso- ciations, and temperance and benevo- lent societies bore their part, passed of! with an eclat not usually displayed on similar occasions. The cathedral will be in the style of French Gothic of the thirteenth century, and is to occupj 7 a prominent site on Lafayette avenue, be- tween Clermont and Vanderbilt avenues. The extreme length, from the towers in front to the rear of the chapel, 354 feet ; length from front entrance to the rear of the apse, 264 feet; extreme breadth at the transept, 180 feet ; extreme breadth of nave and aisles, 98 feet. The large towers in front will be 50 feet square at the base, and 350 feet in height from the surface to the top of the cross. The small towers at the transept, 27 feet at the base and 185 feet in height. The top of the nave roof will be 112 feet high above the level of the street in front. The aisle walls will be 85 feet high above the floor ; aisle ceilings 56 feet. The cathedral will be well lighted. The sanctuary is to be 54 feet deep and 88 feet wide. The manufacture of rubber heel- stiffening, a new thing in boot and shoe manufacture, has recently been begun at Chelsea, Mass. These stiffenings are said to be superior to leather, for the reason that they will not "run down," and are unaffected by water.