The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-02
VULCAN ATTRACTS
GREAT ATTENTION
Birmingham'S Colossus to be
Wonder at 81. Louis
SOME SIGNIFICANT FACTS
Sculptor MorettI, With Two Assistants,
VIII Come to Birmingham This
Month--colossus VIII
Be Set Up Here.
SOME SIGNIFICANT FACTS

James A. MacKnlght, special representa-
tive of the Commercial club, has returned
from Passaic, N j., where he has been to
assist in the packing of the plaster cast
of Vulcan the iron man which is to rep
resent the Birmingham district at the
st. Louis exposition. He expects the first
shipment of the figure to arrive here
about tomorrow. Last night Mr.. Mac
Knight said:
1.-THE Alabama Vulcan will attract the
attention of the world at St Louis.
you ask my reason for thinking so?
Well, in the first place, the newspaper
talk about the Vulcan has exceeded my
most sanguine expectations, although l
told the Age-Herald at the outset of the
enterprise that 1t would attract as much
newspaper notice as the silver statue
which Montana exhibited at the Chicago
exposition In 1893 Nearly all the leading
newspapers of the United States, and
some in Canada, have requested pictures
and description, and we are supplying
them as fast as we can. 100000 in cash
would not buy for this district the adver-
Using 1t has already received from this
work of genius
Newspaper Comments.
1.-THE other day the Newark, N. j., Daily
News devoted almost its entire first page
to the Vulcan, and the purposes which
Alabama has in placing 1t in the st. Louis
exposition. Other papers are doing the
same, and this shows conclusigely that
the Vulcan is already winner.
another conclusive sign is the fact that
the exposition authorities want to place
our colossus in the very centre of the
mines palace They have written and
telegraphed to President Jackson, and to
me, on the subject, and we have reported
frankly that we cannot separate the Vul-
can from the exhibit; and If the statue
takes the centre of the stage the exhibit
will have to do likewise.
Effects Of Figure.
zone of the most conclusive indications
| have witnessed of the effects of the
great figure on the human mind was
seen in the faces and gestures of the
mill operatives and others who focked
into the church of st. Stephens at Pas
sale whenever the door was left open
for a few minutes. There is huge wool
len mill near by which employs 5000 men
and women. Hundreds of these would
come to the church at the noon hour,
and when they once got inside the church
where they could see the Vulcan, it was
difficult to get them out. Some thought
a great saint was being built for the
church, and they crossed themselves as
they approached. But all were awed by
the grandeur and majesty of the figure,
and their EXPLANATIONS of wonder and
surprise were good evidence of the i'm
preston it made upon their minds"
"Will the colossus be done in time for
the exposition was asked Mr.. Mac
Knight.
Certainly. 1 understand that some
of the big corporations have refused to
subscribe to the fund, but that will make
no difference to the general result. Some
people will back-cap' anything, Just as
some will commit suicide, and others will
betray their best friends. An official of
one of the biggest corporations here told
me that his concern did not want any
more capital in the district and felt
no interest whatever in the exploitation
of Birmingham's advantages and re-
sources. He was more frank than some
of the others who will not subscribe.
Luckily, all do not take his view of the
situation, and we can secure the money
we need without the help of such people.
In a Body.
MIR. Moretti, the sculptor, WILDE here
with two of his assistants early this
month, and when the final touches are
put on the model and the lower part Of
the colossus is cast in iron, the entire
figure will be set up here and exhibited
to the public before 1t is taken to st.
Louis. The finished statue will reach the
exposition about the first week in April,
and the Alabama exhibit will, barring
accidents, be entirely ready for inspection
when the worlds fair opens on May l.
yes, the colossus will attract the at
tention of the world. and in this case the
colossus. the Birmingham district and
the entire state of Alabama