The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-08-11
PETROSlNO CANDLE.
Memorial to Murdered Detective
to Last 1885 Years.
FINEST EVER CONSTRUCTED.


BE Lighted Only on Every candis-
mas Day Nine Feet High and
Weighs f7s Pounds.
The mammoth memorial candle made
sino. the murdered New York detec-
tive, will burn In the little cathedral
Of st. Michael in Padua for nearly
twenty centuries.
Although originally constructed by
q New York firm to burn continuously
for five a and two months. the
citizens of Padua, in Italy. Petrosino's
birthplace, desiring to perpetuate the
memory of the martyr through thou
sands of generations. have persuaded
h widow to burn 1t only on Candle
mas day, the I'd Of February each
year. This allows the candle to last
precisely 1885 years.
One of the firm who made the can
die recently received a letter from
b mayor Of Padua, Signor Michel
angelo di Stefano, making this request
in behalf of the citizens of his city,
and Mrs. Petrosino readily consented.
cit is SO beautiful to think that our
children and our children's children
for generations will be able to cross
III ocean and still see a light burning
In honor of their father" said the lit
tie widow. bravely struggling to hide
her tears. ''Of course I would like to
ave the candle always burning and
near me. But in New York IL is not
safe, and then Joe's friends and rela-
lives want his birthplace to hav some
memento to which they can do honor"
The mayor In his letter says, I'VE
know Of no other way in which to
c~onsecrate the memory OF our great
Joe n to nave his life ever shining
before the youth of our city as our
finest example OF noble manhood"
At his suggestion the name, Joseph
Petrosino, Detective" with the date
.19O9.' has been placed on the base
of the candle Encircling this are the
words. "A Martyr to Justice" When
the candle has at last burned low and
only the barest stub Is left the charred
wick n the bit Of wax with this in
scription VIII be placed among the
relics of the church.
The candle was designed to be en-
shrined In the procathedral on Mott
street, New York. but threats of the
Black Hand In the neighborhood led
the makers and the widow to change
the location.
While the Petrosino candle Is not the
largest one ever constructed. 1t Is the
finest. 1t Is nine and one-half feet
high and has a circumference OF two
feet six inches. 1t weighs 17S pounds.
From within one DOT Of the tip to one
foo of the base 1t is embossed with
IA carat gold, laid on in octuple leaf.
The centerpiece, all pure gold, shows
lilies of the valley and a repro
duction In miniature Of the holy col
lege. The laying on of the gold and
the fabrication of the design were the
work of two men. who kept at their
task thirty-six hours, with only a brief
intermission for eating and sleeping
The bare cost of the candle, not count
ing the labor and the reward for the
ingenuity OF its construction. was $3.50.
1t is not a nodded candle and is
composed of 17s beeswax wrappings
coated on the wick by slow dipping
into the vat of beeswax. To facilitat tie
this process a derrick twenty feet high
was built. As the candle stands 1t can
be picked off like an onion. The ad-
vantage of this method Is hat 1t can
withstand much more heat and Earring
without bending.
Artists from all over the United States
have visited the candle shops and ex-
claimed that both In design and con-
struction the Petrosino candle has
v been equaled.-New York Globe.