New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-26
THE GODDESS OF LIBERTY.
BARTHoLDrs STATUE NEARLY READY.
TO BIZ UNVEILED IN A FKw HETEROGENEOUS ON

termined that the last touch will be gwen and IN
yelling take place on October 2s Probably no one
not on that committee will ever realize what a
white elephant" on its hands this ma gnifcent
gilt OF the French people has been. It s three
years and six months since the work on the founda
tiOns for pedestal on Bedows Island was begun.
Never did walls rise more slo WY, however than
those massive granite ones out of the crumbling
bastions of old Fort Wood. Money was hard to
get; delay grew chronic; the committee was al
most in despair At the rate OF progress for the first
year II would have taken almost half a century to
mount the statue The top of the pedestal was
reached at last however. and the money gathered
by book and crook to nay for IT. Bartholdi him
self came over from Paris to inspect matters and
piece bv piece the hinge copper figure followed.
| Last spring the riveting and brscipg began.
Part by part. by the lifting of a stage curtain.
the stately goddess discovered herself the broad
loose folds of the dress at first almost sha peles.
| gathering gracefully TO the waist and falling
away again from the fall up-lifted arm. The huge
| scroll with It's 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
hammerinG. and from the passing steamers one conld
see piGny looking men hanging By ife-lines OF on
delicate scafoding against the goddessess arms or
sides Only the head. the ri ght arm ana the torch
/
pete. By November at furthest the electric lamps
at tue TOP OF the torch and the four corners If the
! pedestal will be lighted. and the great bronze
Image will lie ready % illuminate that -bnstling
portion of the world. at least which lies in such
dense patches about New-York Harbor.
Until yesterday no date had been fixed upon FORM
ally for the unveng of the statue Involving AS it
did the acceptance of a splendid gift from friendly
republic, 1t seemed ind spens.be that the French
~ 49, 4
80 far no invitations have been ssued either by
Congress or the Pesident an the preparations hang
IRE. Congress last session passed a bill ap-
prOpriating Sj65OO in a lump for the expenses of
the approaching unveilin2. To this fairly generous
allowance curious restriction was attached.
Owing to the cOd-water syrnpathes Of some of the
Senators amendment passed the Upper House
providing that part OF che appropri alton bs used
10 foot wine or liquor bill OF any description
he House. too. let the amendment stand and the
President approved it, After this rather unusual
effort to the dig ,stions and tenpers of a few
innocent French officials by making them drink
thing but CrotOn water TO- a week Congress
grew tired OF the whole matter and adjourned. The
task of inviting the French represen atves for the
ceremony with the necessary pOilteness and at the
time intimatInx the cold water conditions Of
their stay, was too much for President Cleveland
lie took to the WOODS aud the French envoys are
still waiting for their credentials AMI passes Yes
terday. however. the BlrthO d Committee arr Inged
matters with the President. The invitations Will
be sent Immediately and the date of tine I'M |
yelling ha. been pat officially al October -.
Tie foreign Overs will fare better. too |
than tho Senators supposed There may be |
senatorial tea and even champagne at Bedlow's |
Island and the Chamber of Commerce will |
probably give a dinner at DelmOuICos 10 all |
invited guests on the evening OF the celebration.
MANY CHANGES AT BEDLows ISLAND
Bedlows Island itself has changed quite beyond |
military post days The oil barracks are gone or
aee-,rt-d aud the red brick house Of the post com
mandant is now place Of lodging for the con
tractors ass stants The walls Of old Fort Wood /
ara broken down or grass-covereG. ana the guns
that used 10 frOmn across the Alrbor toward >odth
Brooklyn lie tine-worn and disnounted aong the |
grassy slope that leads down to the shaky, declyIng
pier There Is nothing practically. now On the /
island bui the towering statue Even the sally
port o. the auc ent fort l. only "A con venient
entrance To the base of the pedestal an the stone
cover
The pedestal is what one sees for the most part
from the Barge Office whete t.e wbe-Ziux litt.e
ste N boat that makes hourly trips 10 the island ON
sundays and fewer Our- week days has it, ldnd-
iDu-plicc lie huge folds of tue ,.ress below fine
waist are only dark cOpperish mass against the
brighter SKY ward the west aud above all is
scaiOldlhg or framework, LOOKING Ike tue cranes
and deruck- on the ops of hIsh buildings with
unfinished roofs. A. the little steamer runs slowly
across the haTbOT the shape OF ia body an the
QFauery grow more distinct. The WDrkmeu pound |
lag Tie copper sheath or rvetlng the iron bars
which hold the thousand and Que pieces together
come To view. The fresh gray OF the ped esta
shows sharply against the dingy coiors OF tie cd
fort walls and sai y-port-. one can zee the bare
rounded arm, crooked at the elbow holding fast to
the tablet turned slantwse to the light OF tie big
torch Not TIL the visitor gets fairy under the !
pedestal he tell how broad and tall the statue
> whole Is. The foundation itself /, a traction
over hlty-two feet high. The pedestal proper
carries oue nInetv-one feet higher, and from this
mass,v base the gigantic goddess liits her torch
Ill feet further almost into tie upper air. The
hgure weighs 100000 pounds the upper sheathing
making 10000 and the cast-lrOn framework.
boiling and bracng ZOl,OOo' Just over the EN-
baukment, at the foot o. the pedestal, lie the pieces
not vet hOisted and nailed into position. The
fingers are over three ieet long. ana half-dozen
bows almost could he hidden IN the mask. 4. seen
on the ground Liberty's features smoothly cut.
and gh'-half Gree AN, the mauas ger will
PERTAINS tell you, aud la, trench. The torch and
lamrs scarcely 4oOG realistic ~ short range. and
one wOLi never guess that the streAked pieces Of
bronze lying about were goddess. much less
French or tIrecidu wOmans httr The crown ~ a
mere rug cf copper with hug" spikes at intervals
of SIX inches II will come la . IN the setting np.
A circular la cony will slip Ike bracelet over the
gOldess's right arm and a spiral star VIII lead ~
to 10 from tue pedestal. one hundred or more feet
below.
WHAT CAN DE SEEN FROM The STATUE.
Oac. ms de- the barred enclosure. which forbids
all visitors entrance during working hours, one can
easily reach the blss Of the pedestal, now nearly
fifty feet from the oil forts parade grounl The
space between the forts walls aud tins little
gallery will to terracsi IN and long row OF steps
will be built down across the einbsnkment to the
sea wall and the per. Inside the pedestal all is
soli masonry except square shaft-foI an elevator
po.siblv-runulng straight up t. the dgures base.
The narrow WOODEN stars wind painfully up,
though the Journey rs . nllvened by the broken
DO "a or rivet. that keep f4innI down the open
shalt Another gallery Of solid granite opens out
few .eet from the top of the PEDESTAL anu then
ie more ONE board stairs lead up into the interior
OF the copper frame itself
" here the goddess sandal should De Is an
ooeuIny very bro1l and high. on The iast scafcid-
ing mai runs around the h1ure No lookout could
be rn,re commanding. The whole Bay x >pread
about tue tiny island below. o the Statue BACK
acro,, lhe shallow waters lie the tbIckly studded
- L. L-.u.