VENTILATION OF CHURCHES.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 8071, 14 January 1892, Page 6

VENTILATION OF CHURCHES.

TO TH» BDXTOB Off THB FRBS3. Sib, —If you can find space in your valuable paper, the congregation of a certain church in your city may be grateful to mc for having brought the following matter into public notice. lam on a visit to Christchurch from the Old Country, and on Sunday last I attended divine service in one of your Presbyterian churches (St. Paula I think it ie named.) I was most surprised to find that such an imposing and comparatively new building should De so wanting in proper ventilatory arrangements. The heat was almost unbearable during the whole service, although bo mc of the doors were wide open. I flatter myself that I can endure a considerable . amount of heat, and yet I should certainly have gone outside had it not been that I was sitting at some distance from the door and did not wish to attract attention. Aβ it was, a lady sitting downstairs fainted, and had to be assisted out, and I believe this is not the first case of the sort which has happened in this same church. It may be that the want of proper ventilation is felt more in the gillery of the church than elsewhere, as I observed some of the members of the choir (a choir whose vocal efforts must add considerably to the enjoyment of the service) using their hymnbooks as a means of fanning themselves, notwithstanding that there was a door open quite near, From a con* versation which I entered into with a gentleman on leaving church, it seems to be well known amongst the congregation that the church is not sufficiently ventilated, and yet no steps have been taken to put this matter right. It is a serious matter, and one which I am sure must prevent people from attending service as regularly as they might otherwise do. In building a church the comforts of the congregation should be taken into consideration, a matter which in this case seema to have been overlooked. Be this as it may, however, this is a want which ought to be easily supplied, and which if not attended to soon may lead to serious results.— Yours, &c.,

Britisher.

Chriatchurch, January 13th.