Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-08-15
TaE GREAT sTaTUEs PEDRs-
TAL.
Plans AdOpted--DescFiptiOn OF
the Work 60 zse D0ne--Pe-
desial and Foundations.



The subcommittee of the Execu-
tive Committee on the Bartholdi
statue met yesterday morning at No.
III Broadway for the transaction of
important business. All the members
we're present, Messrs. Pinchot ,SpauldI
ing, Potts and Moore. The 6rst busi-
ness considered were the plans pre-,
sented BY Richard Hunt, for the De
destal, which were finally approved.
The wooden model made By Mr. King,
the builder OF the pedestal, after the
first plan, differs 10 some important
respects from the final plan of Mr..
Hunt, and therefore new one was
ordered, embodying the changes that
have been made The changes are
not in the exterHal appearance, but In
the method Of auchoring the great
figure. The system of internal sup
ports will be connected at the top Of
the pedestal with the system of sup
ports inside the statue and anchored
in the mass Of concrete that forms the
foundation.
General Stone said to Tribune res
porter yesterday that the system en-
ployed for the Colossus of Rhodes was
simply to build the masonry Of the
piers up through the huge legs of the
figure and connect them above the
hips, carrying the internal stonework
as high as the navel. Many engineers
have doubted whether this would
have been sufficient, and have ad-
vanced the theory that the Colossus
OF Rhodes did not wait for an earth.
quake, but tumbled at the FIRST stiff
Levanter that blew. General Stones
system is one more in accordance with
the science of modern engineering and
he believes it would remain steadfsst
even in an earthquake. When the
new model is finished by Mr.. King, it
will be placed on view in some public
place Mr.. Hunt said to the Tribune
reporter that he had sent copy Of his
proposed pedestal to Barthoidi, who
wrote back that he was delighted with
it, and that in his opinion 1.-THE mar
riage between the ramparts OF the old
tort and the pedestal itself had been
most admirably accomplished"
The pedestal will consist of three
parts, The lowest will be OF granite
or some other dark stene-ashlars dec
GRATED with broad shields bearing the
arms Of the different States Of the
Union, and separated from the middle
part by bold cornices. In the middle
the stonework will be of rugged
style, such as was used by the Etrus
cans, in which the masses are squared
but left round In front; above this will
come the third aud highest part with
upper and lower galleries, and with
graceful row of pillars with Ionic cap
itals. Above this will stand the colos- |
sus.
Underneath sloping circle of green
turf broken by broad staiFways will be |
the work Of General Stone, hidden but
of paramount importance. 1t will be |
foundation 48 feet high, of concrete. |
rising pyramidally from base 80 feet |
square. From the retaining wall oil
the rampant will spring an arched |
vault that will at one and the same
time serve as as a flying buttress sys-
TEN to the inner wall of the rampant, |
and a supporting vault for the beauti
full sloping ring of the turf, with its
four stairs facing each wall of the
pedestal. All the rains that fall, all |
the waters that sipe. must drain into
this vault around the concrete foun,
d4tion, and will be carried off by four
cutters connecting with the shore of
the island.