Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-10-03
THE BIG STATUE.
THE BRONZE GODDESS TO BE w.
YELLED IN A FEW WEEKS.
Many Changes in Bedlow's Islaud-The
Main Torch to be Of Thirty-Thou-
sand.Candle Power.
New York Trihune.l

OItlNtr dhh NtAdtiOuo tut tuuihilbhtS W
receive and unveil the Bartholdi Statue
Of Liberty seems about TO bring It's la
bors TO a happy end. 1t has been de-
teImin,d that the las. touch will be
given and dwelling take place on Octo-
Der 28gh. Probably no one not on that
committee will ever realize Whist
"white elephant" on It's hands thi'
magnificent gift Of the Fresch people
has been. 1t is three years and six
months since the work on tbs
foundations for pedestal on Bed
lows island was begun. Never
did walls rise moIc slowly, however,
than those msssIiS grsnire ones out Of
the crumbliug bsstions Of old Fort
Wood. Money was hard 10 get delay
grew chronic; the committee gasalmOst
in despair. At the rate of progress for
the first year it would have taken
almost half century to mount ths
statue. The top Of the pedestal was
reached at last, however, aud the money
gathered by hook and crook to pay for
it. BarthOldi himself came over from
Paris to inspect matters. and, piece by
piece, the huge copper figure followed.
Last spring the riyeting and bracing
begun.
Part by part, as by the lifting of a
stage curtain, the stately goddess dis
closed herself; The broad, loose folds
Of The dress, st first almost shapeless,
ss;herirg gracefully to the waist and
falling away again from the fall up
lifted arm. The huge scroll, with is
simple inscription, was set, and so were
the swelling breasts and open neck.
From day to day the quiet island has
been ringing with the sharp metallic
noises of iron. and copper-hammer-
ing. and from the passing steamers one
could see pigmy.lookisg men hanging
by life.lines or on delicate scafioldins
sgainst the goddess arms or sides.
Only the head, the right arm, and tho
torch ere left TO be added, and the
statue will be complete. BY November
at furihest the electric lamps at the top
Of the torch and the four corners Of the
pedestal will DO lighted, and the great
bronze image will be ready to illuminate
that busting portion Of the world, at
least, which lies in such dense patches
about New York harbOr.
Until yesterday no date had been
fixed upon formally for the ungeiIlog OF
The statue. Involving as it did the az
ceptarce Of a splendid gift from o
friendly republic, it seemed indlspen'a.
bic that the French Government should
be represented at the ceremony. So
far no invitations have been i'Sue1
either by Congress or the President
and
THE PREPARATIONS HANG FIRE,
Congress last session passed bill
DppropIiatng $50, 500 in lump for tn,
.xpeEses Of the approaching unveiling
70 this fairly generous allowance Gu
nous restriction was attached. Owing
10 the cold-water sympalhes Of some o.
The senators, an amendment passed the
upper house providing that no part OF
The appropriation be ssed to foOts vine
or liquor-bill Of any description. The
House, too, let the amendment stand,
and the President approved it. After
this rather unusual effort to ruin the
digestions and tempers of a few
innocent French officials by making
them drink nothing but Cro;On
1ater for q week, Congress grew
tired Of the whole matter and
adjourned. The task Of inviting the
French representatives for the ceremony
with the necessary politeness, and a.
the same time intimatiDg the oold-Tater
conditions Of their stay, was too much
for President Cleveland. lie took to
the woods, and the French ENJOYS are
still waiting for their credentials and
passes. Yesterday, however, the Bar
tholdi Committee arranged matters
with the President. The invitations
will be sent Immediately, and the date
of the unwilling has been put officially
at October 28th. The foreign Powers
will fare better, too, than the senators
supposed. There may be senatorial
tea and even champagne at l!edlOw's
island, and the Chamber Of Commerce
will probably give dinner at Del
monico's TO all invited guests on the
evening OF the celebration.
BedIoS's island itself has changed
| quite beyond recognition to one who
| has seen it in The old military-post days.
| The old barracks are gone or deserted,
and the red brick house Of the post
commandsnt is nov place OF lodging
for the contractors assistants. The
walls Of old Fort Wood are broken
down or grass.cOyered, and the guns
that used to ifown across the haroor
toward South Brooklyn lie time-worn
and dismounted along the grassy slops
that leads down to The shaSy, docayiay
pier. There is nothing, practically.
now on the island but tho tOEeriug
statue. Even the sallypOrt of the an
Gent fort is only convenient entrance
TO the base Of the pedestal, sod the
stone walls, half-hidden with turf, .
sort Of fsnkiDg cover.
Tie pedestal is what one sees, for the
most part, from tho barge office, where
the heezing little steamboat that make
HOURLY TRIPS TO THE ISLAND
on Sundays and fewer ones on week
days has its landipg-place. Tho huge
folds Of the dress below the waist are
only a dark copperiSh mass against the
brighter sky toward the west, and
above all is scaloldiDg or framework,
looking like the cranes and derricks on
the top Of high buildings with undn-
ished roof. AS the little steamer runs
-lowly across the harbor the shape OF
the body and the drapery grow more
distinct; the workmen pounding the
copper sheath or riyeting the iron
bars which hold the thousand and
one pieces together come to Wow. The
fresh gray Of the pedestal shows sharp
ly against the dingy colOrs Of the old
fort walls and sally-ports. One can
see the bare rounded arm, crooked al
the elbow, holding fast to the tablet,
turned slantwise to the light Of the big
! .u.ak Mt ,,-t;I A. ,,.-,ko- o,cfa TAI A.