The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-04
Duplicate Of the Great Silver Statue
Made at GOrham Works.
MANY WITNESS THE POURING.
A Slight Explosion Caused Momentary
Excitement, But Today, When the
Casing Was Removed, the Cast Was
Fouud to be Perfect One.

The process OF casting the statue Of
| Columbus, reproduction In bronze OF
| the famous silver statue, at the works OF
the Gorham Manufacturing company
| yesterday afternoon, was with ssed by
number OF interested citizens. .whowatched
closely the different phases OF work neces-
sary for the completion Of a perfect
| statue.
Immediately after the completion OF the
| silver statue, the Gorham company offered
to repr duce Co umbus in bronzs with tn
same proportions. for the city as memo
rial OF the Columbian year. The PROPOSE
tion hung fire for some time when brought
before the city government until final
ly the residents of Elmwood bestirred
themselves in raising the funds me- essary.
BY that time the cicy had got around
a consideration OF the question and had
laid out sufficient gu ,rautee to secure
the company, but the Elmwood people
had secured the prize, aed cons, queatly
the foundry yesterday had number OF
the NEST Interested OF the residents of
EImwood watching the proceedings
For eight or more weeks the process OF
making the moulds has been in full
swing The original plaster cast from
which the silver statue was made was
used in making these moulds.
Making tho Mould.
At the foundry the plaster cast was
first put on a soft bed OF sand and covered
with a layer of moulder's sand shaped
into arched shaped secti ions as was the
plaster mould, aud a sand mould thus
formed which could be taken off he cast
and put together again. An outside
frame of sand, beaten hard over the sec
tions. served to keep the layer intact.
After this step was completed the sec
tions were removed and a coating
of liquid plumbago or black lead
applied to the inner surfaces.
The moulder's. af French sand, is of
peculiar nature, containing the qualities
of a pliable clay and a coarse sand. which
will allow, by its porous composition, the
escape of gases generated in the interior.
The lesdcoated sections. after being put
together, were secured by perforated iron
pipes running through the figure in all
directions, like veinous system. "A
second cast was then made from the
second mould by packing he mould
full OF sand mixed with -four paste
so that the PARTICLES Of sand will cohere,
the sand model being held together and
in place by the iron pipes which traversed
the interior of the mould. Again the
sections of the sand mould were removed,
the plumbago still aihering and remain
ing on the inter or surface.
Making Room For The Metal.
The sand model or core, barred from the
outside ell, was then shaved down to
depth corresponding to the thickness OF
metal in which the statue was to be cast
and then painted with layer OF
plumbago as the interior OF
the shell or mould. Both shell and
core were then ready for the oven and
after being subjected to hree days bake
they were dry enough for the op ration
Of pouring. Then the sand shell was
built up again over the core and the
wohe fastened and held together by an
iron frame. Thus the final mould for the
casting consisted or the space bounded
on the outside by the sand mould,
giving the exact outlines of the ori ginal
plaster and clay models. and On
the inside by the sand core. which has
been reduced In all parts, correspond ng
10 the depth Of metal to be cast. The
entire mould was then covered with a
heavy outside coating OF sand through
which channels are cut leading to all
parts OF the interior space. These chan
nels are for the purpose OF causing an
even aud rapid distribution of metal, aud
extend from the t1p or mouth OF the
mould where he metal is poured, through
the outside layer in tortuous pipe shaped
passages to tie various paris OF the
mould.
Preparations for Casting.
Then was begun the preparations for
casting. Four black lead crucibles con-
tanning 1900 pounds OF bronze were placed
in the furnace and were subj cted to a
great heat. The guests were privileged
to look into the furnace, but ole glance
was sufficient the heat almost shriv.
cling the skin even at considerable
distance. These crucib es were placed in
the furnaces at 10 O'clock in the morning
and at yesterd y afternoon the con-
tents were IN readiness for the mould.
Then ensued scene OF the most inuer-
esting nature. One by one each crucIble
was Ii ted by a chain fall and i'm the face
of the almost overpo sering heat,
regardless OF blisteriug faces and
hands, the workmen poured the
contents OF the crucibles into
huge bucket. As each crucible was emp
tied dull roaring shook the building and
a cloud Of de Sc smoke shut the workmen
in. Overhead the bright sunlinght shot
through the smoke and by the strong
rays lghtened the dense cloud Of smoke
somewhat.
A Busy Foreman.
Foreman AllebauIh dashed here aud
there and gave his directions In a loud
voice. and under his guidance the hupe
uckct was lifted slow 3 up, aud up. uni II
u swung directly over the huge oblong
casting box which stood in tue centre Of
the room. A deDse silence hung over the
assenblage IA tie bucket was
.lo..i- tirroI aud al IriIIianA