Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-20

and from it comes cast, from which the mar
bic cutter can work, quite as good and sharp
as the original, and casts after casts are taken
with every mark of perfection.
Should this mould, by great use and care
iessness, lose its sharpness, then are the earliest
casts from the mould, and but one step removed
| from the original, to fall back upon, and if the
original has been made by a competent person,
they must be perfect. Another word in this
connexlon; although the plaster caster often
needs much ingenuity and mechanical skill to
master his moulds, still it has never been GUS
tomary to consider him an artist; that term
has universally been conceded as implying
conception and creation. Now, the man who
IS casting from Crawford's clay models in Rome,
may be an ingenious mechanic, yet to Craw-
| ford alone, as conceiving and executing, is the
| title of artist applicable. Amateur there
fore, cannot with Mr.. Hubbard, give these men
the rank of artists, nor yet can he Join him in
the sheer at Italian plaster casters with one
| breath he gives them rank in art, and with the
next sneers at authority emanating from such
source. In truth, who should understand
| this process, if not the Italians; in their land
was it earliest practised, and earliest needed,
| and therefore earlier attained perfection.
| The Italian who made the Cambridge mould,
did his work SO faithfully, that when it went into
other hands for casting, Amateur was in
formed seven years ago in New York, that
several hundred pieces of fine wax compost
ton We're carelessly taken from it, in order to
| save little trouble in casting. @
In spite of this, time has yet to show whether
the artists employed at Richmond will be more
successful.
The establishment and indignation of "Ama-
teur," on hearing of the approaching destruc
ton, was by no means confined to that indi-
yldual; it was considered unparalleled in the
history of art, and therefore occasioned properly
that impulsioe explosion.
The original memorial attributed it to the
effects OF moisture, an exposed position, and to
no other causes to these "Amateur' did not,
nor does he yet subscribe. His observation Of
the position of the statue certainly did not lead
him to the very pretty chemical hypothesis of
its destruction, developed in the reply, nor did
Mr. Hubbard at all refer to it in the circular.
"Amateur" therefore, could not attack that
which had not been advanced; but let us now
glance at the value of this suggestion.
The statue is placed in lofty hall, upon a
pedestal, elevating it some feet from the pave
ment; it is said to have bad skylight over
it, which, fit lets in water, must let out foul
air and serve to ventlate; an enormous stove
Is in full blast behind it for some hours; the
carbonic acid and aqueous vapor of the whole
assembly ofVirginia at liberty to pour out upon
it through cloth doors, which also are opening
and shutting constantly; the outside doors
nearly constantly open from sunrise to dark.
All OF these circumstances, we should humbly
consider, tolerably favorable to the dispersion
OF the legislators destroying breath.
The enormous stoveblast would tend to
rarity and dry large portion of atmospheric
air, which, occupying the vault above, would
greatly subserve the purposes of ventilation.
The constant opening and shutting of the doors
would tend likewise to similar effect IF
that enormous stove has any effect, would it
not have a double beneficial end if hot enough
to affect the statue, by drying the air about it,
and by heating the marble, and thereby prevent
ing precipitation or condensation Of aqueous
vapor.
Mr.. Hubbard is undoubtedly right in stating
that the marble contains a small portion Of
carbonate of lime" rs authorities agree that
such is the ultimate construction Of the mate
rial, with occasionally a small per cent. of i'm
purihes, as carbonate Of magnesia and coloring
matter, as oxide of iron. Now, that an aque-
Gus solution of carbonic acid would make
carbonate of lime q soluble bicarbonate, cam
ateur' does not attempt to deny; if marble is
kept constantly wet with an aqueous solution
OF carbonic acid, he can understand that it can
roulghen the surface in the course of time.
he only begs permission to doubt, when he
saw the statue last during session of the
legislature, that it was not wet with such a So
luton OF carbonic acid as to corrode its sur
face. If he had found it plunged into font Of
soda water" he might however, have been
prepared to find such result.
Although freely conceding the truth of
chemical proposition, still he must insist upon
its extremely minute action, and the immense
time 1t would require for carbonic acid from
respiration to reduce marble to the condition
OF softness that sit may be scratched with the
hnger-nail'' or, indeed, to have any appreciate
effect upon it.
1t is generally understood, he believes, that
air so charged with carbonic acid as to be I'M
able to sustain life only contains small per
cent. of the noxious element To thus affect
the statue. he can only suppose that the vir-.
ginia legislators exhale more carbonic acid than
most folks, Though they are not generally so
soporific,) and that the climate of Richmond is
damper than any part even of the British isle.
Although analogy may DO called weak way
Of reasoning, still people will use it, if only for
the purpose Of comparison; we are thus led to
look at similar works under similar circum.
stances In the House Of Representatives here
is beautiful marble clock and figure made hy
Franzoni; now, this holds the same relative DO.
sition to the height of the hall as Houdons
does. There is no doubt that the national legis-
lators, in very badly ventilated hall, exhale
great amount Of aqueous vapor and carbonic
acid, perhaps much more than at Richmond, |
yet the sculpture is just as good as ever.
II such causes could affect them, the sculp-
lures in st. Peters, being exposed to the breath
OF tens and twenties ofthousands upon them in |
the wet season, ought to show still greater de-
cay, and the same might be said Of st. Paul's.
houdons statue OF Voltaire, placed in the low,
damp yestibule Of the Theatre Francois. ought
to be in very favorable position for the exer.
eise OF this influence, yet it was in excellent or
der eight years ago.
But if that immense stove" consumes coal, /
which Amateur" does not now remember,
would it not be well to give it formidable
part to play in corrosive atmospheric influences.
II coal is used, and thus sulphurous acid be
which readily takes oxygen from the
atmosphere and becomes sulphuric, would not
,Na xx1..A.<1 4 ~ " r ~