311rtru3Iulis.
THE COMING SERVICES AT ST. PAUL'S.
The Secretary of the St. Paul's Cathedral Fund has forwarded to the Times an interesting sketch of the works in progress for the adaptation of the dome area of St. Paul's to divine service.
"With a view to the comfort of the congregation, the first thing is to secure a reasonable amount of warmth. To attain this, the crypt, which underlies the whole cathedral, offers considerable facility, viz., by warming the crypt thoroughly, and forming openings in the pavement to allow the heated air to circulate. For this purpose a number of Messrs. Goldsworthy Gurney's patent stoves have been already placed there, and openings have been formed in the pavement, hereafter to be covered with ornamental brass-work ; such additional stoves and gratings will be added as the result of the trial of those at present provided shall suggest. It is for the purpose of this experiment, and this only, that at present the nave is separated from the rest of the church by a screen of white calico, which will be shortly re- moved, when the requisite number of stoves has been ascertained. The ad- mirable foresight of Sir C. Wren permits the chimneys of these stoves to be carried up to the top of the cathedral, without in any way injuring the structure, or introducing danger of fire. The pavement of the central dome, and the contiguous 'parts of the arms of the cross, is to be covered with a kind of matting, called camptulicon ; and almost the whole of the congrega- tion willbe seated on chairs. This space, during Divine service, will be enclosed with crimson curtains of the American leather cloth, which material has been found at Sydenham to be successful in confining sound. The whole is to be so arranged that curtains, chairs, and even the greater part of the matting, can be readily put aside on Mondays and replaced for Sunday's use on Sa- turday afternoon ; so that they will in no way interfere with the architecture, An additional organ will be provided should the present organ be found placed for the congregation under the dome. The lighting will be mainly effected by means of the corona of gas which was left round the Whispering Gallery at the time of the funeral of the Duke of Wellington. The Com- mittee continue to look forward with confidence to the support of the public in the important object of enlivening the present naked and unfinisheds pearance of the interior of the Cathedral by solid and permanent embeiflsfl- meats, in accordance with the views of Sir Christopher Wren, so far as they can be ascertained."
A shameful attempt to extort money has been defeated by an appeal to the Police Court. Catherine Pursell, a servant girl, out of place, accused Mr. Brown, the secretary of the Brazilian Mining Association, with endea- vouring to commit an indecent assault upon her in his office, whither he had induced her to go on pretence of engaging her as a servant. Tested by the magistrates, the case proved completely without foundation. It turned out that the girl was living in a suspicious neighbourhood on the bounty of a lawyer's clerk, and her evidence was shown to be totally unworthy of credit. The City Magistrates dismissed the summons, with the remark, that it was as gross a case as ever came before the Court.
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