The Sunday herald., 1886-11-14
Especial Corrcspondence l

Especial Correspondence
NEW YoRK, November II, 1880.
The scandal over the mu,laton OF the torch OF
Liberty, which in,mated In previous letter was
about TO IND ventilation in the newspapers, nad al
ready developed before my letter could have reached
YOU Few OF the papers give full expression TO tho
disgust OF the public at the treatment of NJ. Bar
thold and the failure to provide motive power to
operate the electrical machinery donated by the
American Electric Manufacturing Company. Lieut..
Wallis who ia responsible for the mutilaton OF the
statue.seems to be OF those little martinets who,
never having seen service, imagine 1t Is necessary
assume pomposity to appear great Gen. Schoneld,
who partly responsible for the failure to lleh, the
torch, is one OF those precise soldiers who never
move without written order. The Light-Hou
Board also partly responsible for the lack OF ghs
composed OF old grannes. who have such profound
respect for red tape that they won't cut 1t to undo
even a Gordlan knot The result Is that before our
French guests could get away from the city on their
return homeward Liberty ceases lighting the world
and stands, grim and dark, frownng upon the ship.
loads OF emigrants whom she was to have welcomed
sailed down the bay on Sunday to get new view
OF the figure as revealed In strong sunlight. /
would advise every visitor who has the opportunity
and time to make two visits to the statue to 90 by
the Staten Island ferry to ST. George landing and re-
turn by the same boat, passing near the figure both
going and coming. A visit to the statue itself will
convey only an idea of Its immense proportions;
but seen from Staten Island or from one OF the
Staten Island boats, the symmetry and picturesque
ness OF the statue are revealed 1t is lofty that
none OF the highest buildings in New York or Jersey
City obtrude between 1t and Its only proper back
ground, the heavens. When the skies are cloudless
n ut Ia aartv
define every outline and display their splendid pro.
portions. BY the way, every observant person
taking this trip will notice with curiosity the sngu.
lar fact that while the figure OF Liberty is the only
picturesque object on the west side OF New York,
there are numerous objects which give beauty 10
the east side. Behind Liberty, looked at from the
bay, stretches the Hudson River, without a dstin.
gushing feature except the far-away Palisades;
while both New York, on Its west side, and Jersey
City are low and 1at-amOst on a level with the
water. But looking up the East River between
Brooklyn and New York several objects attract
and delight the eye. The wires of the suspension
bridge look like lace work, and the magnificent
roadway In the air seems but frail bow. Fort
Columbus, In the foreground, seems half sunk In
the water, while Governors Island, on which 1t Is
located. lies fiat and green. over and above 1t
towers Brooklyn Heights with It's picturesque resi-.
dences, relieved by the tall, yellow.painted grain
elevators which line tho Brooklyn shore. on the
other side of the East River and the eastern half
OF New York are visible scores OF high buildings
painted in every imaginable hue. The dark
brownlsh stone OF the Washington building, the deep
red brick OF the Produce Exchange with Its square
tower the white marble of the Standard Oil office
and the several yellow buildings in the vicinity of
the Custom-uouse, stand high above the general
level OF the surrounding buildings and give color to
the magnificent picture. New Workers. do not ap-
preclate the beauty and magnidcence of their city
and harbor. They stand every day 10 the presence
OF the largest statue ever built, the most extraord-
nary OF engineering enterprises in bridge building
and the most magnificent buildings ever erected for
commercial purposes, and wholly fall to rec )gnze
the grandeur OF their surroundings l hear Travelled
Europeans say to New Workers that there is no such
bay elsewhere In the world such street as Broad
way In any other city OF the globe; and the unap.
precative and unpatrlotic American who imagines
the Boulevard of Paris to be magnificent and Under
der-Llnden OF Berlin to be picturesque, smiles with
vacant look, as II he recognized the expressed ad.
miration OF the foreigner to be 'taGy."
Speaking Of Staten Island and OF the magnitude of
American enterprises, reminds me to speak of some
developments on Staten Island of an extraordinary
character. Erastus Wiman, a director of the West
ern Union and president of the Canadian Te.e-
graph Company, who resides on Staten ISL
and, conceived the idea OF making 1t rival
OF Jersey City as the terminal point for railway
freight brought here for shipment to Europe. lie
went to work and got control OF railway that
skirts the Island. Then he got bill through Con-
gress authorizing him to bridge Arthur Kill, which
separates the island from New Jersey. Then he
contracted with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad TO
let them come over his bridge and road to the very
doors OF New York The contract is for ninety
nine years, and by one of Its provisions the BarI
more and Ohio Railroad must bring to Staten Island
an amount of through trafic equal in profit to the
average local traffic of 1855 and 1886 over the Staten
Ialand road and ferries. To make that average as
large Is possible, Mr. Wiman went into various en-.
terprlses to attract people TO Staten Island. lie had
the Wild West show at one place, the Japanese vii
lage at another and gave grand open-ar concerts at
still another place. The attractions were on such
q large scale that people went to see them because
OF their magnitude. He Is to give next year, under
management OF Forepaugh, what he Will call "The
Wild East" Almost every tribe and animal OF Asia
and Australia will be exhibited In the open air at
Erastina. Arabian horses Trachane stallions Shet.
lands without number, and herds OF trained ele-
plants will be exhibited, and Eastern jugglers and
acrobats will display their peculiar arts. At ST..
George, another point on Staten Island where the
electrical fountain now plays, and where there Ia
grand stand capable of seating 5000 persons, there
Is to be stage $50 by 1875 feet, on which the Kirafy
brothers will produce pantomime and ballet with
800 performers on the stage at one time.
The scenery of the stage is to be real, not painted
and the stage Itself, large as It is, will be movable,
30 that 1t can be showed aside at few minutes no.
tce to give room to the baseball players, who will
occupy the ground during the afternoon OF each
day. Three large steamers, each with three decks,
are being built to convey people to these amuse-
ments. The jugglers and acrobats will give per-
sormances on the steamers going and coming, 80
that for NIFTY cents one may have sail across the
bay, be entertained on the trip, and either "The
Wild East' or the Kiralfy troupe. Not content with
these methods OF creating tranic over his roads,
Wman mas made arrangements with the st. Paul
Union Stockyards Company and the Minnesota and
Northwestern Railroad Company to locate their
catte-yards on Staten Island and ship directly to
Europe from docks TO be built on the Staten Island
water front. And now he tells ne Ia cOntemplat-
Ing tunnel under the Narrows, by which connec-
tlon may be made with Long Island, thus enabling
trains to run from Montauk Point TO San Francisco
without ''breaking bulk" II this latter enterprise
should ewes be carried out It would eventually make
MontauK Point port OF eIiry, and would shorten
the time across the Atlantic by q day, at least
One OF the principal events Of the season will be
the exhibition-snortly to 0pen-of Munkacsys
painting, "Chrlst before Plate" This picture Is
regarded by artists as probably the greatest work OF
art that has been produced In any country for two
hundred years. Ths art people are anxlOusly await
Ing the opening OF the exhibition. and tickets for
the "nrst view" are In almost az great demand as
cards for Presidential reception. Especially Is
this tho case since II Is known that NJ de Munkacsy
himself is 10 e hero, and Is TO be visible this occa-
a...t.. 10.
country, by the numerous elehings, engragngs, and
photographs from u; but these give little Idea OF
the superb, rich colors OF the painting, or OF the
quality In the work which makes ihe actors In the