The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-10-28
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eurate as possible and then divided into sec
lions, each one Of which was 10 be enlarged
once more four times. No further changes
could now be made; the sculptor could only
ann az great precision and subsection ey-
erywhere OF minor details
Inc sections were reproduced quadrupled
IN plaster ON frame OF lath. Each nall
mead and point had to be measured six times
ana Verifed as often; and with 1900 points
some lo,OOO measurements were necessary.
Wooden moulds were then fitted 10 the plas-
ter cast, and the copper sheetlngs hammered
out roughly. The profile Of the forms was
then taken In detail with sheets of lead and
lne copper sheets worked over more ae-
Once in shape they were knit together
Iron point to point by iron braces, which
were forged into the form Of the copper when
Its outline was completely modelled. The
copper pieces were then brought together
and fastened on the powerful trusswork Of
iron beams, which now serves as support
Tor the whole envelope of the statue. me
core Of this trusswOrk Is sort OF pyl0n
with four points of attachment, each point
held 10 place by three bolted braces SIX
inches.in diameter and running twenty-five
feet into the masonry Of the foundation 10
frame Of iron beams.
These details are given because they serve
to settle cOnclusiyely the question Of the
statues power Of resistance 70 high winds.
Taken as a basis the iercest hurricanes re-
corded In either Europe or America, calcula-
tiOns have shown that the goddess could
Withstand any known gale.
The statue measures lol teet and inch
from the bottom Of the plinth 10 the tin of
the torch flame, and stands In all 3O5 feet
and IL inches above low water mark The
forednger Of the goddess right hand is over
seven feet long and over four feet In eircum-
ference at the second joint The eye il two
feet wide and the nose more than three feet
long. The total weight Of the statue Is about
twenty-five tons; IL cost In making over
million OF francs
The Goddess Of Liberty Is the largest
work Of Its kind that has ever been complet-
ed. The legendary Colossus Of Rhodes could
not possibly have had the shape or bigness
attributed TO II. The colossal statue Of Ar
minus, In Bavaria. IL about "a feet In height.
that Of st. Charles BorrOmeO, on the shores
Of Lake Maggiore, 75 feet. The Virgin OF
Puy comes next, - feet, ana the statue OF
Bavaria last, scarcely more than foot short
er All Of them shrink out Of cOuntenanee
beside the gigantic copper figure on Bedloe's
The colossal in art, It Is generally under
stood, can be used TO express only limited
number OF ideas. II must represent, II pos
slDle, some vast abstraction, and carry with
1t always the suggestion OF power, majesty
or inhnity. Its peculiar effect Is that Of the
sublime, touched and heightened
by the idea Of moral sublimity. And SO il i
not the mere legendary goddess. with more
than manly strength, and more than woman
ly stateliness, clear-eyed, and wise and pa
tient, like Minerva, that the sculptor means
really to represent.
The figure Of a graceful, deep-browed
woman is there, whose richly pleafed robes
hang in soft. rounded folds about her shape
" breast and limbs, the pure, clear face, and
the luxuriant hair crowned with a sparkling
iiadem Of light. But through It all shines.
as 1t ought TO shine, the suggestion OF that
eager, proselyting passion for liberty for
winch the men OF the Revolution spilled
their blood In France and In America, and
which, II In modern days only one Of a sheaf
OF memories, is for both countries the most
priced Of them all.
This, at least, Is the inspiration Bartholdi
has striyen to put into the great statue. IL
5 on this that he and M. LabuOlaye have
'onnted for the figures 'far-reaching moral
fleet"