A CATHEDRAL SAVED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 23, 23 December 1932, Page 7

A CATHEDRAL SAVED.

WORK COMPLETE AT LINCOLN. The complete restoration of Lincoln Cathedral was achieved last month, and the Duke and Duchess of York attended a thanksgiving service there. The repairs have cured ills which had accumulated over a very long period. In the twelfth century the cathedral was partly destroyed by fire and later split by an earthquake. In the thirteenth century the centre tower collapsed, and in 1547-8 the spire of tho centre tower came down and caused further damage. The cumulative effect of these disasters and 'the repairs which did not cure, and in some cases accentuated, the movement of the building caused wide cracks to appear in several parts of the fabric (says the London Times). Prompt action had to be taken by the Dean and Chapter in 1922 to preserve the cathedral. At first it was thought that the work could be done for £50,000, but when tho full extent of the disintegration was realised it was obvious that more than twice that amount would be needed. The actual restoration has cost about £130,000, and only the use of the most up-to-date and scientific machinery has restricted the cost to this sum. On the advice of the late Sir Fra.ncis Fox, as consulting engineer, a system of grouting by means of compressed air was adopted. Aliout 11,000 cubic feet of grout has been pumped into the fabric and more than 13.000 stones have been cut from the cathedral’s own qiiarry to displace old masonry. A considerable part of the cost has been subscribed by American ..citizens. When the late Dean Fry visited America he received a warm welcome and a generous response to his appeals, which resulted m more than £30,000 lieing added to the funds. This money was earmarked for the work on the centre tower, which in its restored condition stands as a monument to the generosity of Americans of all creeds and classes. There have also been many special gifts from the same nation. The grant of £20.000 from the Pilgrim Trust when the funds were exhausted enabled the work to be completed.