The call of the North. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1923-1924, 1924-01-09

nc machinery 70 Do uSSQ III CoIN-
ing Gutzon Borglum's great Civil War
memorial on the face Of Stone Mount
ain, near Atlanta, Georgia, is de-
scribed and illustrated in The Iron
Trade Review (Cleveland) by A. ].
Hahn, of it's editorial staff. This en-
terprise, usually treated from the
artistic standpoint, is also an en-
cheering feat, and it is as such that
it appeals to Mr.. Hahn. Borglum is
himself an engineer, and served as an
apprentice machinist, craftsman
and an architect before he became a
sculptor. In fact, Mr.. Hahn tells us,
mechanical engineering and the art
of the sculptor are combining to an
unusual extent and in a unique man
ner to produce this memorial. In
fact
when Gutzon Borglum, sculptor,
conceived the idea of carving out a
great frieze, representing a moving
mass of troops across the face Of the
mountain, in full or high relief, he
started a project that may develop a
masterpiece of mechanical ingenuity
as well as what was intended pri-
marily-the greatest monument ever
constructed by the hand of man.
"On this largest single body of
granite in the world, there first was
the artists visionary picture of the
South's Civil War patriots, troops
and cavalrymen passing in review be-
fore the leaders of the lost cause In
heroic size they were moving over
the crest Of the mountain, at the right
and winding down the side toward
the left, disappearing in thick foil
age of trees. It was sublime piano.
rama, to be viewed many miles away,
and to last through all the ages.
"The cliff on which this was pic
tured is 700 feet high, and the line
of troops was more than 1900 feet
long. The mountain rises almost
perpendicularly. The picture revealed
the Army coming over the top and
descending into shadowy vale below.
imagination apparently took no
heed of physical limitations in plac-
ing such massive figures, some 200
feet high, on a mountain train. Max
ing them appear as lifelike as tho
moulded in true proportions seemed
too fanciful, until engineering skill,
with steel and machinery, was called
upon to give the vision substance and
reality.
ITO understand what is being at
tempted, it is necessary to appreciate
the size of the granite block with
which the engineers, the sculptor and
their assistants have to work. Stone
Mountain is 867 feet high from plain
to highest crest. It is over 5000 feet
long, seven miles around the base,
and over mile from base to summit
up one of its gradual slopes. 1t is
composed entirely of the finest, i'm
perishable building granite. At
tempts to break it up by means OF
blasting have failed. On the north
side, where the memorial will be
carved, there is a sheer cliff, 700 feet
high.
"The memorial is to be carved 400
feet below the simmit, and will occu-
py space 200 feet high and 1900
feet long. The figure of General Lee
will be approximately 14O feet from
the top of his hat to the bottom of
his horses hoofs. A man standing
on the generals shoulder would need
stepladder to reach his ear.
"The first step in working out the
plan is for the sculptor to model Sec
tons of the frieze in clay. A pho
tographic lantern slide is made of
each section. The image is projected
by means of high-powered lantern
on the side of the mountain, at night.
ut was at first intended to use a
light-sensitive material on the gran
lite, and to impress the image on this
photographically, but it was decided
to paint the figures, somewhat as a
signboard is painted.
"The figures will be cut on the
mountain, roughly at first, by means
of pneumatic drills operated on the
platforms of huge photographs. The
operators will have before them re-