New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-10
SUPPLEMENT.
PAGES 9 TO Is.
FINISHING THE BIG STATUE.
THE LAST WORK BEING DONE IN PREPARA-
TON FOR THE DEDICATION.

OCTOBER 20.
The American Committee TO receive and unven
The Bartboldi Statue has at last succeeded IN nm
raveling the ugly tangle IN which affairs were leI'
by the adjournment of Congress BIZ had oeen
rasseA through both houses appropriating So6,ooo
for the expenses of the unvetlng with tne proN'so
,ha. none of il should be used for wines OF liquors
~ orrongaoent was made fer inviting the French
Government to send REP resentatves and the Presl-
don't holding that he had no authority IN the mat
ter has steadily declined to issue the invitations
WHAT he so long refused TO do formally through the
Secretary of State he has now done informally
,bronch the Minister TO France. Mr.. McLane, at
the Presidents suggestion, called not long ago on
President Grevy and explained the situation fully,
adding that it the Governments earnest desire
that the informalitv he overlooked and the invita-
lions thus unohicaly given be accepted IN good
faith President Grevy thereupon appointed his
brother General Grevy. and Senator Lafayette the
GREAT grandson of the Marquis. as delegates to
represent France at the ceremonies. They VIII sail
in n few DAYS with NJ Bartholdi and will be accom-
nanied by a dozen or more members OF the Corps
Legislatif.
The local committee, of which Richard Butler is
secretary has had more its hands almost Tor the
last week or two than it cou'd DO. general plan
OF exercises has been drawn mp with the assistance
~ Maior-General Schoheld and only a few details
the various organizations. civic and military. that
will take part in the parade and other ceremonies
have been appointed. President Cleveland and his
Cabinet Governor Hill and his staff. the Governors
of the neighboring States and other prominent men
have been invited. A part of the North Atlantic
SQUADRON will be on hand with French heet uDder
Admiral De Nigne. Senator Evarts Will turn over
the statue to the Government IN behalf OF the
American Committee and ChauDcey NJ Depew Will
make the commemorative address. Everything
points to a brilliant spectacle and flow OF eio-
ouence that will make the 2slh of October
memorable day.
ACTIVITY on BEDLOw's ISLAND.
Now that the unwilling is near at hand every
thing is hustle and confusion down on Bedlows
Island The walls OF old Fort Wood, torn down in
parts for the convenience of the workmen, are
being refurbished and rebuilt. The ramparts
overerown with coarse grass, are being trimmed
and set in turf and the slopng banks outside that
nm down to the stout sea-wall must be levelled
into smooth terrace which Will be carried after
ward back over ramparts, walls and everything TO
the pedestaIs base. The lOng-abandoned powder
magazines and the unsightly inner barracks are
being blown away with dynamite and the rubbish
will soon 20 to fiji the hollows Of the island at the
back of the statue There is the same incessant
hammerng of the copper bolts and rivets hlgh
TAR across the water The old fort at the statues
base is alive too, with worKmen digging. shovellng
and trucking sending the dust and dirt flying and
making life a burden generally for the luckless
sight-,eers " no have ventured down t. catch a
glimpse Of the great bronze goddess III her unveiled
state.
these pleasant October afternoons have tempted
many such to take the little steamer which starts
hourly from the Barge Office pier, for halliday on
the tiny island. There are more aboard often than
the wheeling clumsy boat can hold. and the vOy
ape over is dali and tedious except for the ever
changing graceful vista down the harbor, its farof
sails and sparkling waters From the Battery the
pedestal is merely an indistnct white mass and the
statue itself a tall black pencil against the clouds
behind it Redeemed by the afternoon sun. Nearer
at hand. as the shadows broaden aud the sun hides
behind the pedestal and statue, one notices the
rapd almost startling changes of the last two
weeks.
The disfguring scafold work, which so long hid
the figures neck and breast, and the sharp crane
ike frame oI the unfinished right arm have disap-
peared The shoulders are bare and though the
ban,nering goes on rs usual and the pygmy men
can be seen still clingng to the goddess sides,
they hang ouly by safety lines from the machinery
inside The head, which looked 40 vague and over
sized below Is set and OF 1t Is the peaked dladem
which hol Is ID the thick waving halr.
There Is nothing now TO mar the graceful pOlse OF
tie statue OF obscure It's clear strong lines. The
night arm is n position, too bare from the shoulder
tensev up and gTaspng IN its fingers that
great copper torch whose rays soon to en-
tighten the world in imagination, at least.
THE BEST VIEW CT THE STATUE
One can get the best view Of the statue
whole perhaps, from the southernmost angle OF the
old fort wall, where the worm-eaten hag-stan Is
still standing 1t was never quite clear before the
goddess head and neck were put in place. just
cba Her
surely low 20 Communipaw and her face toward
the Narrows and Sandy Hook. Leaning against the
fort wall and gazing upward one feels at once the
stately symmetry of the splendid bronze figure, It's
graceful sweep of outline from the shapely loot
half-hldden in the trailing dressfods TO the well
rounded shoulders, high -arched neck and open
brow 1t would puzzle mOdlste 10 tell at glance
what sort of drapery the goddess has on The
heavy folds from the waist down look both ancient
and modern "a Roman womaD's tunic run to length
OF skirts, perhaps. And if the lower half betrays
the tunc the upper. even more distinctly is
Roman toga- Its cumbrous folds weigh on the
breast ard shoulders and gather in IA bullying knot
under the left arm The dress Is masculine almost
though not more than the bust and face the
poddess II must be remembered, having, like MIN
erva. the qualities Of a man and woman mixed.
The face AZ 1t looks from a distance is an eager,
hgh-bred one with pure Greek features v hich the
rich hair gathered in a loose knot above the neck
serves only to intensity. There one or two
woodenish curls behind the ears. but most Of the
rough lines have come out finely. The right arm IS
held almost perpendicnlarly and the hand is turned
20 that the palm faces outwardly. This would he
awkward, the critics say. with man. but with
women and goddesses. OF course. such things are
beyond solution.
Some question has arisen as 10 who shall pay for
the illumination if the great lamp to be lighted
at or alter the unwilling Congress has made no
provision IN the regular appropriation bill for TAX
ing charge Of this new lighthouse and no arrange
ments can he made by the Treasury Department he
lore the meeting Of the two Houses IN December
The Committee of Arraa gements has determined,