Stonemasons

Ruben Gibson chisels a medieval saint in limestone with a clear staccato ring, beating an unlikely refrain above his Harlem neighborhood. Gibson also carves gargoyles and other figures for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, bringing Gothic art from 12th-Century Europe to this area, which includes Columbia University on one side, Morningside Park on the other, and overlooks Harlem and the rest of upper Manhattan.

WASHINGTON - The earth shook under the nation's church, snapping some of the 53 carillon bells' cables and causing them to ring in forbidding disharmony. Outside, cracks appeared on some of the wing-like flying buttresses supporting the 100-foot walls and intricate stone arches that mark the Washington National Cathedral as one of the world's greatest Gothic churches. Still the ground shuddered, coursing energy upward to the grimacing or mirthful gargoyles and the 152 pinnacles that rise like twirled candy above the sheet lead roof.

When the Mormon church decided to turn the historic Uintah Tabernacle into a temple, it did more than make another sanctuary for the faithful. The restoration spared the town of Vernal a divisive debate: Whether to swing the wrecking ball at the 90-year-old structure that had stood empty but remained a beloved symbol of the town's roots. "I remember one council member said he would drive the bulldozer to knock it down," said Leonard Heeney, mayor of the town located 125 miles east of here.

Ruben Gibson chisels a medieval saint in limestone with a clear staccato ring, beating an unlikely refrain above his Harlem neighborhood. Gibson also carves gargoyles and other figures for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, bringing Gothic art from 12th-Century Europe to this area, which includes Columbia University on one side, Morningside Park on the other, and overlooks Harlem and the rest of upper Manhattan.

WASHINGTON - The earth shook under the nation's church, snapping some of the 53 carillon bells' cables and causing them to ring in forbidding disharmony. Outside, cracks appeared on some of the wing-like flying buttresses supporting the 100-foot walls and intricate stone arches that mark the Washington National Cathedral as one of the world's greatest Gothic churches. Still the ground shuddered, coursing energy upward to the grimacing or mirthful gargoyles and the 152 pinnacles that rise like twirled candy above the sheet lead roof.

The Washington Monument will reopen to the public Monday, restored by a $10-million renovation that has meticulously patched the marble exterior and updated the mechanical systems of the 115-year-old icon. No ceremony is planned, but the National Park Service is expecting a large turnout. "We are turning the monument back over to the American people," said Vikki Keys, a deputy superintendent who has overseen the three-year restoration. "It's their monument."

High crosses are the most striking reminders today of the Christian monastic settlements that dotted medieval Ireland. The high crosses--so named because of their size, usually 4 to 5 yards tall--were a favored form of religious art for Celtic stonemasons beginning in the ninth century. They are carved from one or two pieces of stone, usually sandstone or granite. About 200 survive, including 80 decorated extensively with sculpted figures.

* HISTORY: Built between 1792 and 1815 by Chumash Indians, under the direction of either a Franciscan priest from the San Buenaventura Mission, trained in hydrology, or of stonemasons brought from Mexico. The seven-mile-long aqueduct supplied water for about 350 mission residents and for crop irrigation. * LOCATION: Only some sections have been unearthed. It begins one mile north of the confluence of San Antonio Creek and the Ventura River, and snakes south to the mission.

Until the morning of Aug. 13, 1961, a growing number of East Germans crossed unhindered into West Berlin. Many came just for a day to work or shop in the West and then returned home. But many more came to stay in West Berlin or go on in West Germany, 110 miles away. .

The team that built the CAA headquarters to its exceptionally high level of finish--proving to Pei's delight that Southern California craftsmen can match the best anywhere--was commanded by managing developer Bill McGregor, chief executive officer of the MacGregor Co. Under McGregor was the contractor, Peck/Jones Construction, who controlled an array of subcontractors to carry out specialized operations, such as shaping the stonework, fabricating the steel and assembling the atrium skylight.

Outside the second-floor sunburst-shaped window that tumbles light into Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton's White House living room, electric saws and pneumatic drills cut crumbling sandstone from 200-year-old walls. The chatter and buzz of stonecutting has been background noise for three presidents now, a constant daytime racket halted only by the visits of kings and prime ministers and the very worst weather.

Leaders of the Church of England, mother church of the world's 70 million Anglicans, on Monday overwhelmingly endorsed a church study accusing Freemasons of blasphemy and heresy. Some Christians find Masonic rituals disturbing and "positively evil," said the 56-page report. It said some found Masonic rituals had a "psychic effect" on individuals. The report was approved 394 to 52 by the policymaking General Synod at its regular summer session. Five synod delegates abstained.