The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-02-07
THE '"PETRIFIED MAN."

THE "PETRIFIED MAN,.
Fartieulars OF the Building OF tho
colorado Stone Man-H0vv the Fraud
was kefPetraSed and Dust Thrown
~ the 8yes Of Distinguished Sclen.
tlses-Al1eged Experience Of the Art.
1se In the Manufacture Of Prehistoric
Dird.Tracks.
a New York special to the Chicago
Tribune of Jan. rs saws:
Mr.. Fitch, said to have been engaged with
Hull In making the Colorado Petrified Man.
mas given Times interviewer some further in
tersting facts concerning the swindle. What
Will disgust scientists more than anything vet
is his statement that Hull placed il. the Cow
necticut Valley the famous tablets with tll,;
marks OF supposed prehistoric birtl-tracks Oh
interest. Hull bought turkey not tit to eat
and used its feet to make the tracks. Fitch is
proprietor of factory for the manufacture Of
artificial stone by new process known as
the Rollins carbureted stone process in
the northern part Of this State. He said
Hull, the maker of the Cardiff Giant, called
upon him in February, 1876, and after a
roundabout conversation offered him price
to aid In the manufacture of the new curiosity.
Hull told him what he wanted was to get some
bones into the figure, and he did not know
how. Fitch said he could manage that. A
bargain was struck, and in March, 1876, Fitch
went to Elkland, Pa, where Hull had leased q
farm Of 300 acres. On this farm Hull had
built large fce-heuse of brick, with small
skylight in the top. Here the nontlescript
was manufactured. Hull made the molds and
Fitch did the casting. The mods OF the lower
part of the body as high as the waist were
taken from Hulls son-in-aw, a slender young
fellow over six feet high, with remarkably
were taken by Hull, and Immediately filled
with material by Fitch, who SAYS the marks of
their Jennings were perfectly visible to him
while the statue was on exhibition, and he
cannot conceive how other persons failed to
observe them.
1t was necessary to strip every time fresl,
cast was made, and the atmosphere Of the ice
house being very cold the model was constant
ly complaining, and finally refused to do duty
any longer. Hull was obliged to have impress
sions taken of the upper part of his own BODY
to finish the work. Hull is the exact opposite,
of his soll-in-law short-botlied, thicksct. and
with an immense chest. This accounts for the
disprOpOrtiOn of the statue, something which,
Mr.. Fitch says, it has puzzled him that scien-
titic persons should have passed over without
comment.
The statue was built standing up. Two
were made. The first one was ruined by fall
ing. The material used was simply Portland
cement, with one-fortieth part of metal
lie brown put through to color it.
The cement was made Of the proper
consistency, with water, and, having
been colored with metallic-brown, was rammed
into the molds and set up. n human skelc-
ton was purchased, and portions Of it utilized
in various parts where examination would b:
likely to be made. There are bones nearly all
the way up both legs A straight bone eight
inches long was stuck in the lower portion of
the back, with an inch prOtruding to keep the
| tail from breaking of: To prevent injury to
| COW was inserted through the neck from the
middle OF the head down to the point of the
chest, where the statue subsequently, broke
across in Colorado. piece of skull was also
placed back of the left ear, where the statue
was afterward bored into. Some ground bores
were mostened and rolled into little Jumps
| and placed down the middle of the back t.
provide against a search for vertebra. The
story about blood, and eggs, and ground bones
is nonsense.
brick platform under which was furnace
Over the platform was tent-like structure
covered with tarred paper. Charcoal was
burned to make carbonic acid gas. This was
| let In upon the figure in accordance with the
Rollins process, aud the action Of the gas upon
the wet cement turned 1t into stone inside OF
| week. The familiar process for making artifi-
cial stone is by mcanf, of silicate of soda. The
| carbureted process is little known, and this
was the principal stumbling-blOck in the way
OF the scientists There was no baking done.
The cost OF the material was S4.45
Hull used up his money, 1900 to $1,000,
and then applied to Barnum. Barnum sent
George Wells, of Bridgeport, to examine it.
and his report being satisfactory purchased
! an interest and provided for bringing it out
The statue was shipped as fre-machinc to
Bridgeport, and thence to Colorado Springs,
| where W. A. COnant, an employee of Barnums,
was stat;cn-agent Of the Santa Fe Railroad.
Conant took charge by Barnlim S orders. The
story OF his discovery OF the " Pstrified Man
is known. At Barnums request, Prof. Taylor,
| OF Bridgeport, and Prof. Paige. OF Council