Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1889-08-14
BRONZE IN ATHENS.
The Use to Which tho Metal Was Put in
.... Works of Art.


... Works of Art.
Bronze was used by the Greeks for
works of art of many sorts. but very
few ancient bronzes remain to us. The
metal having considerable value, capa.
BILE of being coined into money and
always in demand for decorative ap-
pliances, is sure to DO melted down
when found or seized, unless the love
of art or display prevents it. So it
happens that the Naples Museum alone
contains moro large carly bronzes
than all other museums together, and
that nearly all these works Of art
come from the one villa, which was
explored in Herculancum between
1850 and 1850. The earliest Greek
works in this magnificent collection
are the so-catled dancing girls-stately
draped figures Of life-3ize and larger
than life, statues Of extraordinary
dignity and refinement Tho noble
head called a portrait of Plato, and
also by various othor names, not orig
inally q bust, but evidently cut out of
a bronco statue. which probably had
boen thrown down and ruined, is also
of great epoch in art. Half dozen
largo statues, and twice as many busts,
all in the samo hall, are Of value in
ferior only. to those that have been
named. The opinario. or boy extract
ing thorn from his foot, in the Cap
itol Museum at Rome. ard the So
called Idolino at Florence, are also
e5rfy bT6nz6s' Of great Importance, and
the Victory at Brescia and the Pray
ing Boy az Berlin are works of o. later
pe"iod.
Bronze was so much used by the
Greeks for weapons and armor that it
was natural for them to decorate these
arms more richly than could have been
the case with steel. Accordingly, very
elaborate decoration was given to parts
of this suit of defense, the Sirius
bronzes in the British Museum being
the most elaborate specim ems so far
discovered. These are shoulder pieces
having figures in high relief upon
them; more commonly engraving was
used, and subjects of many figures
were given by this means to breast
plates and helmets. Bronze mirrors,
too, were decorated in this way, their
backs being covered with engraved
designs; and there exist also engraved
disks which were not mirrors, but ap-
parently votive offerings. But richest
Of oil were tho cists of boxes of sheet
bronze. circular or oval ir plan, with
straight, upright sides having cast
feet and handles, but decorated other
wise wholly with engraving. .-Chau-
tauquan
Arrangement of Canal Locks.
Quite an achievement has recently
bcen achieved by French engineers in
the arrangement or working of canal
locks, by which the principle of
the common hydraulic elevator is
in part applied to the raising of the
boats. One Of these locks, or, as they
may be termed, elevators, has been
for some timo in successful operation
on the limo Of tho Ncuffossc, in the
northern part of France. This sys-
tenn, briefly described consists in rails.
ing and lowering canal boats by simply
ntiebhSlhS 9AtSlh ISS pSCIlNe weights, GnO
process being assisted by hydraulic
pressure. Tho traffic on the canal in
question, f..om tho Atlantic to the
highlands of Northeastern France,
through the Department of Pas dc
Calais, is sai6 to have reached some
eight hundred thousand tons per year,
and in order to raise each boat up. the
ninety-eight feet incline at Fontinettes
has required, under the ordinary sys-
tom, some five or six hours. The en-
gineers having learned of the con-
struction in England OF a hoisting ap-
paratus for .eighty-ton boats on the
canal connecting the Trent and tho
Mersey, it was decided by them to
adopt that plan for this purpose, en-
larging and strengthening the
.'chambers' so as to raise O. boat Of
three hundred tons, and on this prin-
ciple the traffic is now carried on. IN.