Blaze sweeps New York cathedral

Fire broke out today at the historic Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, with flames shooting from the Episcopal church that has been under construction for more than a century.

Part of the roof appeared to have caved in, but no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was not known.

The fire took more than two hours to bring under control after up to 200 firefighters were called to the scene at about 7 a.m., an hour before the first Mass of the day at the largest church in the United States. Smoke poured from a gift shop in the rear of the church and scores of onlookers stood by.

Each year, half million people visit the cathedral on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Two Masses are traditionally held on Christmas, each of which typically attracts as many as 5,000 people.

The cathedral is home to many priceless artifacts, including a collection known as the Barberini tapestries, which date to the 17th and 18th centuries. The tapestries, woven on the pope's official looms, depict the life of Christ. It was uncertain if the tapestries were damaged in the fire.

The first stone was laid in 1892, but construction has never been completed, and work has continued. When construction resumed in 1982 after a 41-year break, jobless local youths were trained in old-fashioned stonecutting methods.