Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-11-03
CONCRETE SPHINX ARISES
ON BANK OF ILLINOIS RIVER
Statue Is 48 Feet High and
Stands on ESQ Foot Gill,
Placing Il on Scale GfGOddsss
Of Liberty and the Pilgrims.

VI LiuGitJ Qitu iii0 iiSt!sissfn
section of Fifth and Washington
streets in the little town of Oregon he
stops to wonder ut the glimpse re
catches of the great white statue
across the river. When he crosses tEe
long bridge over to the cliff he gess;
the full front view of it, Riding OTs
the river road. it towers above hila SIR
the mountain. When the trains sasss
over the railroad bridge through Ore
gOn the people on the observation saf
crowd out on the platform to see this
wonder of the green hills. MotorheAtS
fly up and down the river. and from
the winding course of this there are
many surprise views from far up tbt.
river. When the leaves are off the
trees the statue can be seen for TWEEN
ty miles. From the standpoint of as
ISOLATION it is the gateway througfs
which the Indian passed on one Of HIS
last trips west.
The exact site was obtained by
much experiment. First rough
twenty foot model was made and set
up. but it was found that height MAD
distances were So great that it had to
be enlarged and placed on q nHsve
prominent part Of the Cliff.
For the foundation thirteen feet of
soil had to be removed before the bed
rock was struck. Here the top of "a
natural ledge Of stone was reached.
The ledge. thirty feet deep, is formed
of Il succession of stones. which have
the appearance of being built artiIi-
cially as they show on the river blnfY.
Feat In Expert Engineering
There have been difficulties in the
engineering" part. as great concrete
statue has never been made before.
A gallon of water a minute was usex1
in mixing the concrete. and a roofar
had to be installed and windlass far
getting it up The first model was AZ
plaster six feet high. This was EN-
larged by careful measurement to- 81
! frame of scantlings around an "ese-
vator shaft" When the whole figure
had been framed in lumber the sur
face was made by stretching wire ysef-
ting over The timbers. Over tke.Se
forms burlap was fastened with nails.
Two nointinr machines had to- rx
built. one for the head and one fcr
the body.
The modelling WAS done by the scan
things and the arms shortened he.re
and there until the proportions OF the
! model were reached. Later the bur-
lap was painted over with plaster Of
nnr;s riviiu tha nIDporonco of a r1~y-
| Ter cast. Meanwhile the head Was.
modelled in c!aT and cast by the usuei
process. tho niece mold being saved
80" use a.~a.n n casting the concrete.
Now The mold is beng made il plaster
around the model.
TN" model IS about three inches
thi and required over ten tons OF
plaster. with nanny timbers for sup
port. When complete everything WEI
be taken cut Of the mold and The space
/ filled with the concrete, all but shaft
seven feet in diameter. running the
/ entire length ~ ,he figure. An OPEN
inT back Of the Folded arms of the
! statue Will allow Of Il man passing 40
the SHAFT cnG looking out of invisible.
,,;n,,,,... ,h.,s. f.,.n,o,I
! Cyclone DESTROYS Years Work
!
! An aSslSIaAN Aau tne hl@'Hdnlcalt
| work in charge. ana Il corps IF lLIe%,
men was kent busy ever since vorSS
.t,rto1 -, ,hu ,.n,,.,.,,o p,,,.;,o. ,h,
'>' Va 'H, "' N'- ''iN
! urSl !e1r' WHICH III" Nrst measure
'ne'''s were pe'ns t'Aeh' tue "oooehx
-, "e'uie pie" over LIZ a. tSc""e1'
.ne" "n''e e'i "oIA III" ~ ose
| uene o'e' "s".a' =, n"s "eei, '$'oK
"a "'e WIN MI l"it ANU ZIG "orh
1ol "o'N s'He'
Ane expense vi Tue utldertahihs mas
oee' por.ie U! nli'l' "itnoush "noi
.o'o"! VI "''is'S III A"Sie Aeaw INK
MI. nechi'iah' vi whose Hahn IL
| s."hus' are more 'Iah ANXIOUS 10 as
sist'
| HNt'' ta'' io' the similarity oI tHe'
structure mas pecn taken ny consuU-
ing engineers ana 'he 1oIio"lng are
| soii'e oi 'ne lteulS III tnelr raiculs7-