Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-04-27

began at the neck and wrapped this
around and around the figure, and then
modelled 1T carefully, fastening it will,
two-pointed tacks to the framework. Next
ne draped it In 200 yards Of burlap, fasten.
Ing this to the frame with nails. and once
more modelling it all. The burlap was Their.
sprayed with plaster water to stiffen it. Sc
that the heavy plaster mold which present.
~ was to be put on, should not intrude
through the wire, and clay water was
sprayed over The thin coat OF plaster to
separate 1t from the plaster mold.
The next thing was to prepare for tho
heavy concrete work. Four heavy steel
beams, each 30 feet In length. were placed
on cribbing timbers and bolted together.
~Scaffolding was then raised, and a mold
OF common plaster and fiber was put on by
hand. Around this scaffolding were finally
put hoops OF copper wire to prevent
spreading, while within the statue was
erected q network OF %strutting and cross
beams to guard against crushing"
When h plaster mold was completed
1T was painted inside with sizing to keen
the plaster from absorbing the water In
the cement. At the bottom of a lA-foot
excavation made in the solid rock beneath
the statue "a rods OF steel were anchored.
Into this pit cement was poured. making
a foundation for the visible pedestal. which
wal six feet in height. On this was erected
a tower OF steel rods and galvanized wire.
A steel dome at the top served as support
for the statues head and shoulders. To
quote further:
The difficulties We're many. and not tn,
least OF these was the securing of the wa
ter. of which many thousand gallons were
required. A small Erickson a%.r-epeine was
pressed into use. and made to lift water
from the river 200 feet below: but as the
power OF this engine was not equal to the
demand that would be placed upon 1t when
the work OF mixing tine cement began. n
reservoir was constructed and the water
stored. A steain-niaicr capable of prepar-
ing a cubic yard Of cement every six min
utes was then Installed. This had a hop-
per which held six barrels OF cement for
leach dumping. and a continuous line Of
men with barrels was required. Cement
sets IN about 80 minutes. and to avoid UNI
evenncss. continuous work wa demanded.
Twenty-four hours finds cement IN a con-
dltlon to support itself, and a collapstble
frame of steel was therefore devised
which could be lifted up in sections an thu
concrete hardened. The AMOUNT of "a
ment used was about go barrels. and no
less n 120 wagon-loads OF sand were ra-
CURED to mix the cement for the pedestal
alone.
The mOlds for the shoulders and hcsa
were lifted into place. and the cement was
poured In the top of the head until the
upper portion of the figure was ono solid
casting.
1ne statue has been erected not onlv 70
celebrate Black Hawk. but also to leave a
souvenir of Eagles Nest Camp. where for
years a group Of artists. sculptors, writers
This is above Ganymede Spring, which tha
American authoress. Margaret Fuller.
named on her visit 10 the west. Beneath
the cedars at the crest of the cliff which
arises above it. she wrote s0anymede to
His Eagle as the tablet Attic spring