The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-17
Vulcan Will Have to Stand Up
 During the Fair
LOOKS LIKE GULLIVER
Occupies Seven Freight Cars on the Way to St. Louis, and Comes From the Mines of
 Alabama.
BY JOHN c. SMALL.

St. Louis, April 16.-Whle St. Louis of- fers hotel accommodations in abundance 1 there is one visitor now on his way to the Worlds fair who will be unable to find a place anywhere in the exposition city where he can lay his head. This stranger, who is destined to stand upon his feet from the time the fair opens until it is closed is MT. Vulcan, of Birmingham, Ala, who tips the scale at 100000 pounds and stands 56 feet high in his new stock 1 ngs.
 Sleeping cars were not made with berts l for Brobdgnagans and Vulcan had to suffer several very serious surgical op- erations before his ponderous frame could be put aboard the cars from the trip to St. Louis. With his 15,O0O pound head occupying one car near the engine ana his feet each six feet long. in car to 1 themselves near the end of the train, this giant, sprawled out over seven freight cars, looks very much like Gulliver strap ped down by Liiputians in Dean Swift nursery stories
 When Vulcan arrives in St. Louis he 1 will be carefully put together and mount l ed upon pedestal of coal and coke in i the Palace of Mines and Metallurgy | eral resources of the Birmingham, Ala, 1 district.
 From Alabama Mines.
 Vulcan was cast in iron from a model built by the well known sculptor G. Moretti, and all of the metal used in his construction as well as the minerals com posing the foundations for the statue are from Alabama mines. The monster ex- hibit cost $2O,00O and it has required al- most year to complete it.
 l More than simple enlargement of the human form was required, for Vulcan's head is exaggerated by 2Ia feet. This gives the colossus an appearance of i symetry from the levels from which he Will be viewed. Such treatment of pro- portions is part of the sculptor's study, but is seldom practiced on such a large scale as in this instance.
 Moretti designed the model in an old church building at Passaie, N. J., where l a high roof permitted the frame to be 1 reared, but the improvised studio was not properly heated and shortly after com 1 pletion the plaster was frozen and the l head began to crumble. The sculptor quickly loaded the structure upon cars and in the mllder climate of Birmingham completed the model.
 Propositions Are in Order.
 Then the casting of the parts began and sHNh ledl as the tOundrymen have per- formed was never before equalled The figure was modelled in 10 pieces dimen- sions of some of the sections being given as follows: Head, 7I2 feet high. feet across. weighs 15,000 pounds circurnfer- ence Of neck II feet inches; circumfer- enee of chest 22% feet; width across l shoulders, 10 feet; length of arms 10 feet: circumference of waist, IS feet, inches. diameter of calf of legs, II feet inches: diameter of ankle, 2Ie feet; weight of spear head, held in right hand, 25O pounds. weight of hammer in left hand, 300 pounds; weight of anvil block 6UO0 pounds l The strap over the left shoulder and tho apron worn by Vulcan are separate pieces and are used to strengthen the sectional l joints.
 1 The idea of having a giant statue made 1 of iron to represent the vast mineral wealth of Alabama was conceived by Mr J. A. Mcknight who is now in St. Louis to witness the unveiling of Vulcan. The cost of the statue was defrayed by con tributions from Alabama people Around the base of the big figure will be dis played mineral exhibits from the state and miniature reproductions of Vulcan may be procured by visitors.