The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-06
Why the City Hall Statue
Should Not Be Made of
White Metal.
THE VIEWS OF LOUIS DE ROME.
Bronze Would Be More Durable and
1t Is Endorsed by Sculptor
Wells and others.


angel which will surmount the apex OF the
new City Hall dome is to be made IS ere
ating considerable comment outside OF the
Board of New City Hall Commissioners
where it proved to be a subject with any
thing but an angelic side to 1t. Inc IoI-
lowing statement received yesterday from
Louis de Rome, stating objections TO ILe
proposed white metal, speaks Tor ltseI'
The objections to the proposed white-metal
composition are manifold. The cOInposlt!on
in question is entirely unsuitable Ior castiIls
OF this size and construction IN tne n1S'
place, 1t would be impossible 10 SECURE s pea
feet mixture in melting as 10 gel unlIoIO
tensile strength throughout. 49,,
The statement as made is the result Oh acI tt
experience on our part. Furthermore, the
statue would have to be made IN small sec
tions, then soldered and boltec togetner anu
on to or around a steel or iron frame properly
braced inside. that IN point OF "elSHt II
would be fully 80 per cent heavier IMAM d
bronze casting made in four sections from the
same model and keyed together, without at
all com pairing with the latter III punt OF
strength and beauty.
As regards the wings the estimated weight or
each is ABOUT 100 pounds, ana II would be
absolutely impossible TO brace these wings
properly and fasten them securely TO the body
OF the statue, they measure seventeen feet
from shoulder 10 tip, and once IN position the
slightest vibration would undoubtedly prove
fatal. The size of the wings at the point OF con-
nection with the shoulders of the statue is too
small to permit OF a brace sufficiently large to
steady them 10 the END OF the wings being In
serted therein. Compared TO the bulk of the
statue these wings are long and mparatively
slender, and, as before stated, the composition
referred TO would hardly make them strong
enough to sustain their own weight, not to
speak OF other interfeTenceS.
Again, If made in white metal the sections
would have TO be put together before being
hoisted in position on the dome, and IN order
TO secure II properly so as to prevent bending
or breaking during this operation it would
have TO be firmly built around an iron or steel
frame and extra care taken in securing the
wings. This point is so well understood by the
architect that proposition was made by him
10 the sculptor to leave of the wings entirely.
tits we consider, an almost foregOne conclu-
sion that the weight of the metal itself would
certainly cause a bend a breakage during
the operation. Even if it were put in place
without accident, the statue thus secured
would be far heavier and more cumbersome
and inartistic in appearance than bronze
statue besides the cost, including extra charges
for steel, iron and labor, would undoubtedly
bring 1t TO higher figure than the bronze
would come TO.
The sculptor, Marion Wells, who is an artist
OF large and varied experience IN his profession,
is OutSpOken in his objections to the compost
ton referred TO, and we are informed that Mr..
Shea, the architect, is also in favor of bronze
composition, and Mayor Sutro is strongly OPP
posed TO white metal or in fact, any other
composition than bronze. Commissioners
BroderIck and Cresweu also personally favor
bronze.
Experience has shown that bronze is the
only metal OF which TO make statuary work for
permanent wear, and certainly the Commits
SIOners desire TO place on the dome OF the new
City Hall a figure which will do justice to their
selection twenty years from the present time ::
and, on the other hand, a white metal compo-
Sl1on, composed OF zinc, copper and tin in the
respective proportions OF seventy, ten and
twenty, would certainly show the effects of
wear, and within comparatively short space
of time after being put in place, as it would
have TO resist the many storms accompanied by
wind and this we contend the white metal
statue, and especially the wings, would not
The original contract with Sculptor Wells
was $4,000, TO which sum was added $500
when the composition was changed, and the
extra cost for labor and material in properly
bracing the white metal statue vii! amount to
say $500 with an additional $3.50, which has
been allowed TO Professor Price for inspecting
and testing the composition.
Now, as to the cost OF hosting. The rigger's
estimate on placing q bronze statue is $500,
approximate, whereas he would not attempt to
hoist the white metal statue, constructed as
this one is to be, and guarantee TO place it on
the dome inside OF $500 or $4,000, approx
mate, all OF which would bring the cost price OF
the statue TO Inquire several thousands or dol
lars higher than was originally intended and
fully as high as q bronze statue, without at all
comparing with the latter.
At the time OF the inception OF this PROPOSE
- ton the sculptor received bids from several
founders for this work in white metal, but now
that they have had opportunities OF inspecting
the model and realizing the magnitude OF the
job before them it is more than doubtful
whether any OF them would care to under
take il.
If made in bronze the statue would be cast in
four pieces and keyed together in way that
would make il fully as strong as if cast in one
solid piece. 1t would not be necessary TO put
D the parts together, however, until they had
been EOisted separately to the dome, which
operation could easily be carried through
without q risk, as staGuary bronze is one OF the
toughest and strongest of composition metals.
The wings If made out of bronze land this
is our greatest argument in favor OF the latter
metaD could be easily attached and secured to
the body of the statue and would require no
inside bracing whatever, and once in place
would constitute permanent figure. Then,
again, a number of bolts secured from the dome
to the base OF the statute would be sufficient
TO hold 1t securely in place. whereas in the case
Of the whire-metal statue these bolts would
have TO run from the tips of the wings to the
shoulders of the statue and from the shoulders
or the head clear down through the base and
into the dome. This would be necessary owing
TO the liability of the white metal TO bend or
twist at the slightest proyocation.
1t might be well to state that atmospheric
influences have the effect OF improving the ap-
peaTance OF bronze statuary as it puts a solid
tone thereon, whereas in q white metal statue
containing such large proportion of zinc, the
exact opposite would be the case, all state
ments to the contrary Notwithstanding.
It might be we'll here TO state that this pro-
posed statue will be the second largest in the
United States, and if cast in bronze will be the
largest ever cast in the United States.
In view of these facts it certainly seems some
what ridiculous that a white metal, necessarily
soft, should be mentioned as the composition
for such an important piece OF statuary Tor the
dome Of the new City Hail.
At the time we took the contract to manu-
facture the Lick statuary ii was openly stated
that we would be unable to bring the job to a
Satisfactory conclusion and, we can only refer
TO our successful efforts in this connection as
% criterion OF our ability in the manufacture OF
bronze statuary.
LOUIS DE ROME OF WHITE & DE ROME.