The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1903-07-29
Statue Of Henry Clsy Shattered by
a Storm.

ALI bnC ~
trio storm, which did great damage
over Central Kentucky early wed
nesday morning, Assistant Super
intendent Nichols, of the Lexing-
ton Cemetery, saw the headless
statue of Henry Clay surrounding
the pedestal, where, during the past
forty-two years it had stood, the
pride of Kentucky and the Mecca
of all visitors to Lexington.
At some time during the storm
of the night, the head had been
riven from the statue and hurled
to the ground one hundred and
thirty-two feet below. The nose
was broken, as was one ear, ana
the lips were abrazed. Small pieces
of stone were Clipped frow the Jaw
and head. The head was broken
squarely off. In the back part OF
the neck was an old fracture OF
considerable length and depth.
The statue is made of sthree Sec
tions. The first sectionAi ncludes
all that portion from the feet to
the hips; the second section, from
the hips to about the bust line and
the third section included the
shoulders and the head. Connect
ing the three sections are iron rods
within, to render the joints more
secure. The third section joining
the trunk at the shoulders appears
to be riven. With the aid of a
glass. however, it is seenlthat the
section has been inclined backward,
and would probably have fallen had
it not been for the iron rod.
In falling, theI head struck the
fretwork just above which the
statue stands, and broke from 1T
small fragments. 1t struck the
coping of the mausolcum, breaking
considerable fragments from that.
To what the wrecking sof the
statue was due is undetermined.
The frsS theory advanced was tha:
the lightning had struck it. An
other is that an earthquake shook
the monument, causing the upper
section to be loosed as it now is and
the head to be broken off.
The head of the statue weighs
$50 pounds and is two and a half
feet high.
The effect of erosion was plainly
visible on the statue. On the face
were several abrasions. The hair
was worn almost smooth. sThe
head is quite pondrous, while the
neck is frail and insufficient for the
support of the great weight. - -
The superintendent of the Gene
terry does not believe the head and
features could be replaced with any
degree of satisfaction. He believ-
es that an entirely new statue
should be made.
The entire shaft and base are
badly in need of repair and of some
measure which would protect them
from the erosion to which they are
rapidly giving way.
SKETCH OF THE MONUMENT.
The monument cost in the neigh
borhood of $4,000. The expense
was borne by private.subscription
and by an appropriation by the
Legislature. The corner stone was
laid on July 4, 1857. The monu-
ment is built of Kentucky magne
sian limestone and is OF COrlnthlan
architecture, consisting of sUereo-
bate, pedestal, base, shaft, capital
and statue. The statue is twelve
and one-half feet in height. the
base of the statue being,one hun
dred and twenty feet fromlChe
ground. Henry Clay died In
Washington on June 2, 1852, and
the funeral in Lexington was held
July 10. Of the same year, whcn
the body was placed in a public
vault. 1t was later inferred beside
the remains of Henry Clay's moth
er, but in 1857 wss placed in g
marble sarcophagus in the! mauso
leum there ready to receive it,
Later, in 1854, the bodyssof Mr..
NlovsS u,ifa ucratia Claw xUao