Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-11-06
BartLoldi's Statue of Liberty.

ue ol "LiUcfGN rHllSUtcHlHS tic
Worldn was unveiled oil Brdloc'S
Island. in New York llarbor, Thurs.
day, 2Sth ulto. The ceremonies
were of the most imposing charac-
ter, and the greatest enthusiasm
prevailed among the people. The
occasion was generally observed us
- holiday. The pageant, in which
military and civic organizations
took part. was notably brilliant
and was reviewed by the President
and the visiting French tlignit;iries.
NJ. Bartlnldi, the great French
sculptor, under whose guidance the
statue was formed was given an
ovation. The address Of preseutt;,-
ton was made by WIN. Nj. EvartS,
of New York, and the statue was
received in behalf of the United
States 10y President Cleveland.
The history of the Bartlloltl stat
tie from first to last is Il cllcckered
one and goes back Trough all sorts
Of delays and difficulties for almost
20 years. 1t w;ls strangely enough,
just at the close of the disastrous
war between Francc and Germany
and while the horrors of the COM
mune were still raging in Paris
that Nj. LaboulaJe, the founder of
the French American Union, first
definitely broached his patriotic
project Of building in This country
II joint memorial of the Struggles of
tile French and the Americans in
tile revolutionary war, and sen the
Young sculptor Barthold to- the
United States 10 fluid if possible,
some suitable and happy idea. The
actual molding OF the huge cast be.
gan in 1875.
The statue itself was paid for by
public subscriptions of the French
people, and presented to the Unit.
ed States. A bill accepting the
statue and setting aside site for
the same passed Congress in 1871
The work Of raising the money to
build the pedestal progressed slow
IL in this country until the New
York W orld, i'll March 1885, took
the matter in charge and openes! a
subscription list of it's own for the
the purpose. Dy July total of
3lO2, OOG.3G was turned over to the
committee and the pedestal was
finished in April 1856. The pedos-
tai cost about $4,000. The stat
ue was brought to America on the
French maliof-war Isere in Tue
summer OF 1885. B;rtlulli linn
self chose Bc,lloe'S Island - years
ago for the site of his great mollu-
ment.
DESCRIPTION OF TIE MONUMENT.
BarthOldi's mother was the mod
el for the statue. 1t is her face
that looks out. toward The WAVE
washed horizon from the shores of
the new to he skies of the old
world. Liberty is represented in
the work as a woman clad i'll a pep
lum of tnnic, which falls in ample
folds from waist and shoulder to
her feet. The left foot, Il trifle al.
vanced. supports the main weight
OF the body. The right arm is up
lifted in ~ vigorous movement and
holds alolt u blazing torch. The
left hand grasls II taOlcton which
is inscribed the date Of the dccl;l-
ration of American independence,
18th July 177G." The tablet Is
held rather close to the body and
at Il Slight angle from it. The head
is that of Il handsome, proud and
brave woman. It is crowned by Il
dadem. The arrangement Of tbe
diaperies is Il feature Of especial
excellence. There is great merit
in the disposition Of the peplum or
that portion of The traperles flung
back over the left shoulder, lie
folds of which hang obliqnely to
the right side of the waist and
thence downward almost to the
right knee, thus breaking the mo-
notion, OF the perpendicular lines
formed by the folds of the tunlc be-
meath The movement OF tie up
lifted right arm is characterized by
ii certain "clan," which, however,
docs not suggest violGllce; the car
rage of the head is dignliied aud
tlie face is fine i'll its proportions
and EXPRESSION.
The grand goddess Of modern
civilization, standing nearly LOO
feet above the GROUND, Uses 15l
feet 9 inches lulo tile air, making
its total height above low water
305 feet q Inches. The top Of the
torch is 81 feet higher than the
splre of Trinity Church, The LalleSt
IN New York.
Some idea of the immensely Of
the figure is iurnlslled,in this way:
The copper sheets used i'll its con-
Strnctlon ale three siXteenjlS Of an
inch thick: tie fore tllger measures
s feet in length and feet in cir
cumferenUe at the second Joint; the
nail measures ID inches III length by
10 in breadth: tue bead is II leet 3
inches high; the eye is IS inches i'll
width, the nose 3 icet0 inches long.
Ofthe total weight OF this sUupen-
deus figure, 44O,OOO pounds, l1G,0OO
ale copper, the remainder Doing
wrought iron. Abouttorty persons
can tind standing room within the
head. a six foot lnan standing on
the level of the lips only rcaclles
the eyebrow. Fifteen people might
sit around the flame OF the torch.
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