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PAGE 6 — The Southern Cross, September 12, 1985
Equipment In Cathedral Plaza
BY GILLIAN BROWN
Construction equipment in the plaza
area outside the Cathedral of St. John the
Baptist became an every day sight during
the past year, while major repairs were
made to the mother church of the Diocese
of Savannah. Passers-by on Abercorn
Street became accustomed to seeing con
struction crews at work, scaffolding in
place, and machinery in operation.
For a full report on what exactly has
been going on during all these months of
activity, we turned to Donald Frew,
Business Manager, who has been responsi
ble for coordinating the massive repair ef
fort.
To begin with, he reminded us, the foun
dation problem at the cathedral did not
come as a surprise to those who had been
monitoring the building for some years.
Cracks in the walls had provided a warn
ing that something was amiss, and Hugh
Thomas, of Thomas and Hutton Engineer
ing, had been keeping an eye on the extent
of the damage.
For some time, the building appeared to
be stable. Early in 1984, however, the
wooden timbers underlying the founda
tions of the bell towers deteriorated more
rapidly. The Engineering firm of
Prybylowski and Gravino, Inc., of Atlanta,
recorded a significant movement of the
towers, and recommended closing the
building.
Their report said:
“Since our last visit on March 1, 1984,
there has been an additional lateral move
ment of the top of the south bell tower of
approximately two or more inches. This
has significantly changed the structural
stability of the roof truss resting on this
bell tower wall.
“There is also some evidence of addi
tional movement and cracking at the north
bell tower truss support. “This movement
of the south bell tower since March 1,1984,
is too large a portion of the total movement
that has taken place to date and can only
be detrimental.
“Also, since March 1, 1984, there has
been a noticeable increase in tension in the
tie rod across the structure located at the
choir loft level.
“When all these points are taken into
consideration, we feel that there is a
significant change and danger that did not
exist prior to this last movement. In addi
tion, we have no way of predicting when or
what future change would occur.
“It is therefore my unpleasant duty to in
form you that the cathedral should be clos
ed to the public and not be used for Mass or
any other public gatherings until the struc
ture is made safe again.”
The announcement, made by Father
William Simmons, Vicar General, at a
press conference held at the Chancery on
May 25th, 1984, made headlines in local
papers and brought the Cathedral’s
predicament home to viewers watching
the nightly news on television.
Father Simmons announced that repair
work would begin with stabilization of the
foundation. Major repairs would also be
needed to secure the roof, stabilize the
towers and fill in cracks, he said. Mean
while, weekend Masses would be held at
St. Vincent’s gym, while daily Masses
would take place at the rectory adjoining
the cathedral.
The firm of Raymond International was
recommended for the foundation work,
which involved removal of the old wooden
timbers and replacement with concrete. A
pile of rotting timber (some of it so
deteriorated that it crumbled to the touch)
appeared outside the Harris Street en
trance as the wood was removed, section
by section. As each three-foot section was
removed, it was replaced with concrete,
pumped into bags which were longer than
the width of the footings. The resulting
slab is thus wider and more secure than
the original. Simultaneously, steel work
was being undertaken in the roof. “Before
we started the foundation work, we hired
Williams Enterprises to put rods across
the bell towers,” Mr. Frew explained.
“This was to monitor the building, and to
record any movement as the foundation
work went on.”
“At the same time, engineers designed
truss work to put in the attic of the church.
The new steel truss was designed to rein
force the existing steel work. Its rods went
through the walls rather than being
mounted on top of them, and tied in to the
main roof.” The foundation work was com
pleted in about three months, but the steel
workers remained for another five, accor
ding to Mr. Frew. Examining the towers
for damage, workers discovered that steel
in the upper part of the steeples had rusted
badly, with the combined effects of
weather, pigeon droppings and plain old
age. “Williams Enterprises braced the
steel work and put the bell back on a new
axis,” he explained.
While the work went on, the colorful
stained-glass windows from Innsbruck, in
Austria, which are such a feature of the
cathedral, were removed. “Some were
under pressure, and some needed repair
due to old age,” Mr. Frew said. “The loose
glass was re-leaded by Birmingham Art
Glass, of Birmingham, Alabama.”
Meanwhile, Murray Tile Company, of
Charleston, contracted to replace the floor
in the basement and in the south tower,
and to replace areas of the floor in the up
per church where the marble had become
cracked and uneven. Repairs were also
needed in the main entrance to the
vestibule, where brickwork caved in as the
towers settled. The next stage involved fill
ing in cracks, replastering and repainting.
Churchwell, of Macon, contracted to
repair the plaster, inside and out. Billy
Jones, of Jones Painting Co., Savannah,
did the interior paintwork and later re
painted the exterior. The steeples were
sandblasted and the new steelwork was
later painted to prevent their rusting out
again.
A family of steeplejacks, Jerry O’Neil
and his wife, their sons and daughters-in-
law, arrived to repair roof leaks and to
work on the steeples, mending the slate
and cauking copper seams.
Additional improvements were made to
the cathedral during the repair period, Mr.
Frew said. Brunson and McDevitt install
ed two new cooling-towers and reworked /f
some of the airconditioning. An elevator
was put in, for the elderly and handicap
ped, with an entrance on Harris Street.
David Rock, of PCM Co., did the concrete
and masonry work, and Cutter Plaster and
Stucco Company, the plastering of the ex
terior of the elevator shaft. The elevator
itself was installed by Atlantic Coast
Elevator Co.
A much needed improvement was the
addition of restrooms in the vestibule of
the cathedral—built by Donald Frew and
Scott Clark, of the Diocese of Savannah,
with plumbing by Neil B. Scott Plumbing
Co. and electrical work by Gene Dotson.
In August, a massive crane erected by
Porter Huggins Co. appeared on Abercorn
Street as the final exterior painting began.
Working suspended from the
boom—higher than the steeples
themselves—painters restored the
cathedral to its clean, smooth original
state.
Glenn Miller of Savannah Floor Cover- 0
ing put new vinyl tile in the pew areas.
Finishing touches included a new sound
system by James Rody, of Rody’s Music,
and new srubbery and landscaping by Lisa
Birch.
Crowning the achievements of all who
have worked to repair, stabilize and im
prove the Cathedral was the installation of
a new altar, which will be dedicated
Sept. 15. Created by Joseph Zaky of
Guildhall Studios of Paramus, N.J., the
altar is actually constructed from carved
wood from the cathedral itself. The sup
ports are made from sections of the old
confessionals which used to stand in the
transepts, and the ornamental work is
taken from sections of the wooden grilles
which used to separate the sanctuary from
the side altars.
Crane lifts rod (left) placed on Bell Tower during early part of con
struction. Workmen (below) prepare to replace wood footings with
concrete. Steeplejack (top left) works high above street. Scaffolding
(top right) on front of Cathedral. Father Herbert J. Wellmeier,
Cathedral Rector, (bottom center) inspects rotting timber just remov
ed from foundation. Workman supervises errection of boom (bottom
right) as final work begins on exterior of Cathedral. (Photos by Gillian
Brown).
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