Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-08-26

ing the period of Indifference through
which the figure has passed. Standing on
the ground. beside the walls of old Fort
Wood, great yellow streaks of rust stains
can be seen spreading over the delicate
tricery of green which time has laid on
the bronze plates. These stains are par
ucularly noticeable just below the knot
where the robes of the figure are gath
cred on the left breast and in the coil Of
nalr which falls below the diadem on Miss
Liberty's head.
And this is not all Inside the statue
the salt air has been even more ravenous,
pitting the structural steel which forms
the skeleton Of the figure and rendering
the cast Iron stairway more or less uncer-
tain That II Is absolutely unsafe Cap
tain George c. Burnell, of the United
States Signal Corps, who is the command
ant OF the military post on the island, de-
MES emphatically. Captain Burnel has
had charge of the statue ever since ii was
turned over TO the War Department for
safe keeping by the government, who re-
lieved the American Statue Committee Of
its labors in that respect. 1t Is said the
men composing this committee did every
thing In their power to obtain enough
money to maintain the statue in the way
they conceived it should be, but were not
successful in their endeavors.
The effect of this lack Of money is plain
ly discernible everywhere about the statue
as soon as the visitor puts his foot on the
Island. The very spirit of ruin hangs over
the place. 1t meets one on the wharf
where the boat lands. for that matter H.
10 to be seen on the boat itself before you
land; IL Is in the walks leading up to the
pedestal, which are weather beaten ana
rotten pianks that give as the foot or
hand touches them. The old cannon on
the facade of the fort have not escaped
but are peck marked by the flying spray
and incrusted salt OF the bay. Even the
big concrete base of the statue has come
in for its share of the general dilapidation
and 10 marked by great star shaped seams
and cracks showing WILDLY against the
white walls.
Most unseemly OF all is the state, border
ing as it does on the dangerous, of the
Temporary" stairway up which one must
climb 10 the main entrance of the pedestal.
This is Of wood, weather SCARED wood,
patched and shored in innumerable places
oy the signal corps people since they came
into power, and was originally put up for
the purpose OF Fastening the day when the
statue could be thrown open 10 the public
1t was meant for a weeks or a months
use at the longest but Il has stood there
for the best part Of twenty years-the
statue was thrown open October 2S, lSS6-
growing more and more dlshevelled, more
and more unsishtly and unsafe until to-
day.
Vandals Aid the Ruin.
Vandalism and carelsssness nave played
their part in the present woful state OF
the goddess and her temple. From head
70 foot she Is marked and marred. In the
Tiny room In the crown of her head there
are several hundred names of various per
sons wno' from time to time. have been
smltten with a desire for cheap fame. 10
attain whlea they have scrawled their
names m Struggling letters wherever there
was an inch of space. They have even
reached outside, through the windows In
the diadem, and done their worst In the
walls OF the pedestal In the fort, whereveI
they could these persons have gone about
olsngrring 10 the best of their ability. Tn
pity OF Il all Is that this is the place ot
all others where foreigners 20 on their
arrival in this country. All day long "A nd
every day stream OF visitors passes mr.
the narrow iron stairway or pauses TO raze
reNerenually at the statue itself =, nen /,
reporter for the HERALD paid a visit to Ihs
place there were a party of Germans. !
couple OF Frenchmen and-wonder n,
wonders Chinese. not one OF the man.
darlns one hears so much about and who's,
exclusion caused the boycott but fust an
Ordinary "washee washee man. He Vas
enjoying himself. too. very much, tryins