Huntsville gazette., 1886-11-06
LlBERTY'S LIGHT.

The Light Turned On in the Great Bar
tholdi Statue-An Imposing Sights, Sig
nalized by Brilliant Pyrotechnic Dis
play-The Harbor Of New York a Blaze
of Many-CoIored Fires and Screaming
Rockets-A Salute From the Navy.
NEW YORK. Nov, 1.-Ele ctricity, the
light of the nineteenth century, crowned
the colossal statue Of Liberty, the won
der of the world, last night, and the
coronation of the goddess was celebrated
| by carnival of fire works on land and
water. AS darkness settled down upon
the city and bay, steam tugs came down
the North and East rivers, and as they
gathered about the little island in the
harbor they formed a 1otilla gay to see.
Then brass throats and breath of steam
sent up three shrill hurrahs as they
waited for the coronation. The Yantic
and the Kearsarge, war ships, lay at an
chor furlong off Liberty Island, and
the lights from their port holes showed
a busy scene between decks as prepara-
tions for the Illumination went on within
Communipaw, on the Jersey coast lit
the first beacon by kindling a great red
flame of Greek fire. 1t crimsoned the
| sky, bewildered the stars and was the
signal for deafening huzzah from the
hundred steam whistles. The boom OF
cannon from Governors Island rolled
over the water to the fotilla and told
that preparations were ready. The light
from Communipaw's beacon showed the
yardarms of the warships alive with
sailors in white trousers, and also
| +1a n oh rI-x Dnr fhN1 %
colossal figure. The wind and the waves
were still, and no sound came from the
great metropolis sparkling in the dis
taDce.
Suddenly, at half-past seven O'Clock,
from the torch in Liberty's uplifted hand
streamed forth a dazzling white light
Amid shouts from thousands upon the
steamers decks; amid music and loud
tue whistles Liberty looked out for the
first time over the harbor by night. At
the moment her torch was kindled with
the lamp of 10000 candle power, the
Yantic and the Kearsage became caul-
drons of fire. Their black huls boiled
over with an effervescence of many col
ored rockets. Fiery serpents came up,
wriggled for a moment in the air, and
fell into the sea. Rockets burst above
the statue, and baptized it in showers OF
fire. From every spar tip and masthead
cenSers were waved, and their incense
was red, blue green and yellow smoke.
A dense cloud soon gathered about the
feet of Liberty, formed of the fireworks,
smoke and steam from the whistles, hid
ing the base entirely. 1t gave the statue
| new and beautiful appearance. II
seemed to stand illumed above the
clouds. When row of lights were lit
about the feet at eight O'Clock, still an
other effect was given to the pedestal
At each OF the five points of the star
redoubt at the pedesta's base, a lamp
of 5000 candle power, placed III a radi-
ator, threw its rays up over the statue,
and In the pedestal a dynamo, capable
of generating 100000 candle power, re
yolved. The whole plant OF electrical
machinery was donated yesterday to the
American people by Edward Golf, presi-
dent of the American Electric Manufact-
uring Company.
Fireworks were displayed to crowd
of 10000 people at the Battery where the
statue was Illuminated. and also from
Castle William, Governors island. All
the fantasies of japanese invention in the
form of rockets and Roman candles were
set off. The Field building. the Produce
ExCHaHue anu all tnc TAI UullNiupS III Liit
lower part of the city were Illuminated,
and accommodated on their lofty and
spacious roofs and in their windows
thousands of delighted spectators.
The south roadway OF the Brooklyn
bridge was thrown open to pedestrians
early in the evening, to accommodate the
crowd who came to witness the fire
works, and fully eight thousand people
were on the bridge during the display