The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-09-14
DARTH0LDlS GREAT STATUE.
A fienchman's Description of it, and the
Process of Construction.

The immense Scaifoding that can be
seen in the direction of the Rue de
Chaselles, reaching over the highest
houses in the neighborhood, Oh close ex-
animation displays the lines of a human
form, and the gigantic folds of the robe
that Grapes it. 1t is in truth a statue,
the greatest that was ever constructed
up TO the present time--the statue of
Liberty which the sculptor, Bartholdi,
conceived and which is destined to serve
as beacon at the entrance to the port
of New York. From eighty to ninety
artisans are kept constantly employed
upon the work. The statue is already
completed to the chest. Perhaps in its
present condition it can be seen to the
best advantage. Its extraordinary pro-
portions can be viewed, and, as it is not
completed, it is possible to take in all
of the construction of this gigantic
work, which will probably remain I'M
equaled among the works of bronze.
The plaster molds of the enormous
limbs thrown across the yard, and the
busy workmen covering them with in.
Vulnerable pieces of wood that repro
duce all the contours and lines, remind
one OF the well-known scene of CULVER
at Liiliput. The men look like tiny
dwarts endeavoring to bind q giant.
And, if by miracle that great hand
could become alive and simply open its
closed fingers, all that solid woodwork
would fly in splinters, and the immense
scatlolding would come down ike
castle of cards.
The first model was enlarged four
times. Then it was cut into slices. and
these slices are taken one after the other
and again enlarged to four times their
original size, and thus the dimensions
OF the colossal statue are obtained. At
present the workmen are engaged upon
the portion that forms the chest The
model of it can be seen in the she'd 1t
looks like a little hill, over which the
men are constantly crossing. When
the draught or model of portion Of it
is made impressions are taken of ii. In
order TO DO this, it is necessary TO gather
together hundreds OF little planks, cut
precisely upon the outlines of the model,
and in this way a mold is obtained, that
is divided into as many fragments as are
necessary. Upon these fragments the
copper is cut and hammered until it
copies the precise forms Ten Chinese
gongS would not make a greater noise
than is made all day long in the corner
of the shed where the copper is ham
mcred. and this continuous and deafen-
Ing noise contributes not little to the
strange impression that one gets from a
visit
When the shaping Of apiece Of the
copper is completed, it becomes a part
of the statue, and there is nothing fur
ther 10 do with il except TO put il in its
place. Just now they are engaged in
the work Of finishing the left hand. The
nail OF the first finger would make a
good-siaed shield The top Of the finger
would make q helmet for the largest
head, and, in default Of better cuiraSs,
William the Conqucrer, who passed for
the biggest man Of his time, might easily
get into one Of the phalangcs
In six months the whole work will be
finished. There remain only the chest
and the let, arm 10 complete The
head, which is large enough to contain
forty people has already been exhibit
ed, IN 1876, and the right hand has Just
come back from America, where it was
sent to give some little idea Of the size
OF the statue After the Partisan, have
had ample time 10 admire the work. il
will bc taken down and sent to New
York in more Than BOG pieces