Evening star., 1901-12-28
Is Every Feature in the Mckinley
Death Mask.
THE RESEMBLANCE TO NAPOLEON
How the Precious Relic Was Pre-
pared for Exhibition.
IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM

Written for The Evening Star.
The Mckinley death mask. which has
just been deposited in the United States
National Museum for safe-keeping, is quite
the most artistic cast of the kind ever
nodded upon the features of a public man.
Many who have had the privilege of view
ing it have remar rked upon the striking
semblance between it's features and those
chiseled upon the face OF the statue of Ma
pOleon adorning the CorcOran Art Gallery.
Immediately upon learning of President
MckinIeys death on Saturday September
IA, Mr. f. l.. a. Pausch, New York sculp-
tor, telegraphed Secretary Cortelyou for
permission to perpetuate the face of the
nations beloved martyr in plaster. Mr..
Pausch being the first sculptor to make the
proposition. his request was Immediately
granted over the wire. Packing his appli-
ances, he took the next train for Buffalo,
arriving there at pm. the day of the
Presidents death. He made the mask at
the Mnburn residence at { o'clock next
morning, the President having been dead
twenty-nine hours The negative cast was
removed the same morning, the positive
was Immediately nodded from it and the
finished product vas locked carefully away
In safe deposit vault in Buffalo No pho
tographs of it were allowed. On Tuesday
Mr.. PauSch personally delivered il to Sec
retary COrtelyou at the White House
Bearing a note dictated by Mr. Cortelyou
the sculptor delivered his work at the Of
flee of Secretary Langley of the Smithso-
nian Institution at pm. the same day.
Real Hairs Cling to 1t.
The head is slightly inclined forward as
If reposing upon pillow. Framing the face
and forehead. but exposing part of the
throat, is the cast of a nodded drapery,
the texture and even the embroidery of
which are most skiIfully reproduced. The
left ear is entirely exposed but only the
lobe of the right ear is visible
number of the dead Presidents own
hairs adhere to the right temple of the
cast One of his eyelashes rests upon the
right cheek.
The features are expressively calm ard
peaceful. The prominent brow is smooth
and furrowless Two irregular vertical lines
between the bashy brows are the only
relicS or care imprinted above the features
proper. The closed eyelids with their long
lashes, bear the soft imprint of spirituality
The cheeks, more sunhen than in life but
less so than during the lying-in state in
the rotundd of the Capitol. bear the sad
deSt reminder of the nations tragedy and
the hellish accomplishment of anarchy. The
traces of a peaceful, benevolent smile re-
main about the lips and above the proui-
nent, dimpled chin
\ The sharp, Napoleonic profile is the most
striking view which can be obtained. AS
the sun changes, the shadows playing over
tl4t mag LlIilCtHI FEATURES, bring the
beauty OF expression when the view is fuu
face or three-quarterS
Inc east rests upon a purple cushion of
richest velvet, upholstered to the ebony base
OF the containing case The sides and top
OF the latter are of beveled plate glass a
half inch thick and are secured together
by nickel bolts
The Mold Destroyed
This cast is the only one taken from the
mold made upon the dead Presidents face
The mold was destroyed in Buffalo.
As an aid to sCulptors designing the hun
dreds Of Mckinley statues 10 be erected in
the new and old world Mr. Pausch has
compiled a detailed chart giving all of the
angles OF the profile, its exact measure
mehtS from the center line. the perpendicu-
lar and horizontal measurements of the full
1ace. These data were obtained by appIy-
ing calipers to the mask. They will make
II unnecessary TO remove the case from the
cast and expose ii to injury Incidental To
future measurements. Scluptors who use
this chart as a basis for future work will
OF course, give greater rOtundity to Their
sketches of the face if their purpose he 10
portray the dead President as he appeared
In the vigOr of life. Such alterations will
probably be based upon the numerous pho
tographs of President Mckinley But as a
matter OF fact. the late President was too
sensitive to the camera to ever obtain a
perfect Photographic likeness. A Washing
ton photographed, who perhaps took more
pictures of Mr. Mckinley than any one else
tells the writer that he was the most diff
hcult TO pose Of all public men with whom
he had had experience.
How the Mask Was Made.
The Mckinley death mask was made by
application of the most modern methods
known to the sculptor's art. The features
OF the dead magistrate were carefully