The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-11-01
CONCRETE SPHINX ARISES
ON BANK OF ILLINOIS RIVER
Statue Is 48 Feet High and
Stands on ESQ Foot Cliff,
Placing Il on Scale Of Goddess
Of Liberty and the Pilgrims,

section of Fifth and Washington
streets in the little town of Oregon he
stops to wonder at the glimpse he
catches Of the great white statue
across the river. When he crosses the
long bridge over to the cliff he gets
the full front view of 1t. Riding on
the river road, it-towers above him on
the mountain. When the trains pass
over the railroad bridge through Ore
gon the people on the observation car
crowd out on the platform to see this
wonder of the green hills. Motorboats
ay up and down the river. and from
| the winding course of this there are
many surprise views from far up the
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 through
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 and
distances were so great that 1t had to
| be enlarged and placed on more
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
natural ledge of stone was reached
The ledge. thirty feet deep. Is formed
| Of succession of stones, which have
| the appearance of being built artifl-
ciaily as they show on the river bluff.
Feat In Expert Engineering,
There have been difficulties in the
engineering part, as a great concrete
statue has never been made before.
| A gallon of water minute was used
in mixing the concrete. and a motor
had to be installed and windlass for
getting 1t up. The first model was of
plaster six feet high. This was en-
larged by careful measurement to a
frame Of scantlings around an 'ele-
vator shaft" When the whole figure
had been framed In lumber the sur
face was made by stretching wire net
ting over the timbers. Over these
forms burlap was fastened with nails.
Two pointing machines had to be
built, one for the head and one for
the body.
The modelling was done by the scan
things and the arms shortened here
and there until the proportions of the
model were reached Later the bur-
lap was painted over with plaster of
paris, giving the appearance of a plas-
ter cast Meanwhile the head was
modelled in clay and cast by the usual
process. the piece mold being saved
i for use again in casting the concrete.
Now the mold IL being made in plaster
around the model.
The model is about three inches
thick and required over ten tons Of
plaster, with many timbers for sup
| port When complete everything will
be taken out of the mold and the space
filed with the concrete, all but shaft
seven feet in diameter. running the
entire length of the figure. An open.
Ing back of the folded arms of the
statue will allow of a man passing up
the shaft and looking out of invisible
windows thus formed
Cyclone Destroys Years Work.
An assistant had the mechanical
work In charge, and corps of three
men was kept busy ever since work
started on the concrete. During the
first year. which the first measure
ments were being taken. the wooden
| structure blew over in cyclone
Then whole years work had to be
done over again It has been labor
Of love with Mr.. Taft and the work
for works sake.
The expense of the undertaking has
been borne by him, although whole
colony of artists at Eagles Head and
Mr.. Hickman, on whose land 1t
stands. are more than anxious to as
sist.
Every care for the solidarity Of the
structure has been taken by consult
ing engineers, and the following are
some of the items In their calcula
lions:
Cubic contents of statue. 2.275 square
feet.
Total weight OF statue and foundations.
$50. 10 pounds.
Total maximum wind pressure acting on
statue. 2S.9S0 pounds
overturning effort Of wind pressure, e7s,-
1856 foot pounds
Total moment Of resistance to wind
pressure acting through center Of gravity
Dn eighteen foot base, 4.ss0. $50 pounds.
The base Of the statue is Of concrete, Is
by Is by feet
What will become of the artists
dream Of an enduring American statue
If spectators get hold of the land Is
the natural question asked. The best
hope that this will not happen is in
the fact that Wallace Hickman. at
torney for the University of Chicago,
Is owner of the land on which the
monument stands and for hundred
acres around. It Is his desire to hold
It during bis lifetime as a tract Of
natural forest. and his enthusiasm in
the perpetuation Of the statue is SO
i great that it is believed that be will