Peace Candle

Without the imagination and conviction of Darrell Brock, the world's largest candle would have never been-at least not in Scappoose.

When the Brock family traveled to Anaheim, California in 1969 to visit Disneyland, Brock was particularly impressed with the vast array of man-made objects at the southern California amusement site.

An idea had been bouncing around in his head for many years-build something large and impressive out of wax. Maybe an entire wax tree, no possibly a small model city fashioned entirely out of wax. Not the answer. The idea, the thought, the dream was there but what form would it take?

Brock realized after Disneyland that at least it was going to be possible. Man had created many marvels and there would be nothing to prevent him from doing the same.

Returning to Scappoose after the vacation, Brock's eye fell on the vacant grain silo outside the Candle Farm-why for the first time it looked like a candle. The dream had its form now, only the how and when were left to determine. For a man like Brock, the when was now and the how, well, that would find its answer as the project proceeded.

The first step was to completely wrap the silo frame with heavy wire mesh, 250 feet of it, to act as a foundation for the wax. If wax had been applied without the mesh, large chunks may have later fallen to the ground propelled by their weight in absence of a satisfactory bond with the frame.

The next step was to install over 400 feet of metal pipe to carry liquid wax 50 feet up to the top of the candle so it could pass through a metal ring punched with holes every six inches to allow the wax to drip down the sides of the structure. Copper tubing carrying steam was then wrapped around the pipes to heat them thus preventing the wax inside from cooling and possibly clogging the pipes.

Three and one-half months ago, the first stream of wax cascaded down the candle and the next two days saw 10,000 pounds of the molten compound applied in this manner. Dripping was then halted for two days to allow the wax to harden. Inspections were made during the interim to determine if the dripping method was going to work out. Nothing irregular was found so dripping resumed. Another 10,000 pounds were applied during the next two days.

After the initial 10 tons, one-thousand pounds of wax, now falling in spurts of color and perfumed with a pleasant aroma that can be detected miles away, were applied each day until only three days ago when the accumulation of color, scent and wax reached 40,000 plus pounds.

As the reflecting pond and ring of flowers that surrounds the base of the edifice were being built, action high atop the structure commenced.

A giant wick five inches in diameter was inserted and will light the candle during fair weather. As inclement weather does not permit the cloth wick to burn, an automatically controlled gas torch will function as the light source.

At the other extreme of the Oregon weather spectrum, when summer temperatures soar high enough to endanger the candle by melting the wax face, cold water will stream out of the same perforated pipe atop the candle, originally used to drip the wax.

The effect of the water, or course, will be to cool the surface thus preventing melting.