, 1877-05-27
EUROPEAN GOSSIP.
o,.+;no Of a Bronze Statue Of
Dom Pedro l., in Paris.
r,., story of a French Picture--Albert
-" Edward in Trouble.
:, .ecresslse Spirit in a British Camp
.,.Loye- Making in the Rou.
manian Capital.
,mr CASTING OF a STATUE.
1AA~ ,,.-ur,.on,fxncs Nan For: Tnrin

,r CASTING OF a STATUE.
~. cp7yespoaaence .Stm Torx Uorld.
~.s iate in the eycning, about 10 o'clock
- - resched Barbediennc's foundry In thu
NV. s.1 .ncry, and after having shown our per
has -. ~ nassed through large courtyard and
49, l..rea The foundry. twas as large as church.
eu' u, ~, uo1k-benches OF the molders, deserted
~. .ss xorkmen at this late hour, were not I'm.
". nsss. for they we're on each side Of long
~. ., n.<ssge, and divided by two doors. AT
n r. md of the building is the pit In which the
"a tn be cast was buried. This
ns"N r.x about twenty feet deep and
p. p"..n .oua1e, and the mold seemed to
.'; ~; ,..ring ouly few feet Of space clear
~ ,A."ssn -. Il md the walls of the pit This huge
~.d We were told, was to produce statue,
s.,h.r s the lover half Of statue of Dom
na1sot .st vhich now stands in Rio Janeiro. In
..ntre of il the s'core," which was made Of
~ rou1d be- taken out after the hot metal
.,,,dited. and Was to correspond With the
,.nox n.rt Of tue statue. The mold had been
-. ,ronnd this .score," leaving q regular
~. ss... hetEeen 1t and the outer mold, which
sarotnced exactly, in intaglio, the outer surface
,ttbe ttatue- The business Of the bronze was
sy.stsr gsn - model from which the mold had been
Psa. This mold was entirely of sand, for,
is inn hrunxe can only be cast in sand molds;
- -. - ras held and braced together by strong
kinds Of wrought-iron.
"Iss "Tsssed xby The casting took place at so late
m hour. The foreman explained that they had
hse,rn 10 oarnir {Anglice, "put together') the
mid At o'clock that morning, out that the fire
~ - the ,,,rna.e for melting tue metal was never
Ish1sd be{orr that important operation was
asnn1ete a. the slightest accident in assembling
sSs romnonent parts of the mold might cause
w.. ~ seriots results which might postpone the
nac.;nr re-1 i, Of the metal. Now that everything
KS IN is proper plate We were mottoued to c1-
sr1ine The furnace. TLis WAS long, low, brick
an. rrre, The ire, OF coal. was in large iron
sTste about s,1 feet square, and the fame was
d.sr d.sen throueh lar.e horizontal oven fifteen
fss1 iorr aud four wide at the end of this 1t
en1ered into horizontal 1ue parallel to the
arm sni Immediately above it, and weut with
tte smoke " the tall brick chimney Of The fac
tc-r. .bout sxty feet in height From five to
str tuns Of toal are used tor casting OF this
sve. In the oyen was ABOUT si1 tons OF copper
-Aueti.ap Lake Superior coppcr-which, when
re eefe ALLOW cd to look through pecphole in
lie side Of the brick structure looked like mass
e turning gold.
UDr Of the assistants began skimming the
E.r1ate Of this metal through an opening ut the
eoi Of the furnace, his facc, chest, and arms be-
tps covered with vet cloths. He soon took d
bng rod Of clean iron, ard, after stirring the
Eolten metal With it, brought it out without
ans Of tue brnnze sticking to H. THIS, nc were
iu,or1nel. was sigu that the copper and zinc
n tie .urnace we're at proner temperature aud
Ftl mixed. To complete the brouze alloy, tin
i'd to BE- added. bur this is done as late as pos
ffble as tbat volatle metal would soon burn up
d ersporate. The long, thin ineots Of tin are
t!1wn in. and to insure a thorough mixture 4
snh the other component parts of the alloy
taeY poke it with a long wooden poker. twelve
10 f.tern feet long, made out OF = Young pine
tee The green wood in burning 10 the melted
metals produces large amount VI carbonfc
lid, which passes through the metal in
bathes. and insurcs = more thorough
ni1ture Of the component parts Of the alloy.
Ii the meantime assistants have constructed,
b drJ sand, held together By large iron frames,
/ lind Of reservoir or tank oycr the mold. This |
h to receive the melted metal,- it must all |
Eush into tie mold at once; large hole closed |
b; plug separates this tank from the mold. |
1 STEEL chain attached to the plug passes |
through pulley directly above it, but near the
roofs Of the foundry, aud If all is right it will be
pulled up By the foreman, thereby opening the |
moil long trench or gutter OF sand also has |
been built from the mouth OF the mold to the !
tauk, and this is now all ablaze with fire OF |
Eoodkbarings, to warm it SO that the metal |
will not cool and clog as it runs down. Now |
Ehs exciting time has come. 4 workman, hold |
ng loug iron lever terminated by sharp |
Fedce, nears the brick opening Of the furnace |
from which the bronze is to run; two men fol |
!oE him, With large sledge-hammcrs. to assist !
bin. Another man is lowered with a |
'ope INTO the pit &c holds q lighted
to;rh, with which he Is to ignite the |
uses that escape from the vent |
aeles 1t the bottom of the mold, the draught !
'roduced bs these flames drawing all the ar |
rom the mold. he whispers to his assistants |
odraw him up quickly once his work is done, |
ot, as the foreman tells INC, If the sand in the
nold VAS At all camp, and cela ponrrdf bier |
q II might happcn), the mold would explode,
Faea the led-hot metal came in aud the poor
tAoF might be crushed to atoms. Now an
kiQl silence prevails, only broken By the blows
ne men breaking the furnace open. The
oetl rnns out clear stream Of melted bronze,
l1n little blue flames lowering over 1t; it accu-
M IN the tank, lighting up ali the foundry
ln blush, golden light. Now the plug is
AVN up! The man lights the vents; he also
! anEn up safe. Agurgling sound is heard as
9 molten bronze fills the mold, streams of
4ae aame and golden sparks fly from the vents,
% tue figure Is cast. The workmen are treated
earet bY the "boss'' and We retire, hoping
ai eal The other half of Dom Pedro ]. may be cast
uncut accident, as the first half was.