Bisbee daily review., 1911-08-16
TIME HAS DUG HOLES
 IN LIBERTY STATUE
Scores of PerforationS in the Goddess Gown Due to
 COrr0Sion


 NEW YORK, Aug. 1.-The war de- partment is now confronted with the problem of how to preserve the statue oi liberty. A recent examination made by an engineer has shown that the bronze sheathing of the statue is disintegrating through action or water and air. Already the metal is eaten through in some places and an examination from the interior of the statue shows about fifty or seventy i've small holes in the gown of the goddess. These holes vary in size from pin point to openings as large as a quarter of a dollar. Some Of these are round and others irregular in size All show ragged edges where the work of corrosion is still goinS on.
 Lieut.. Jones, post quartermaster at Fort Wood, the army station on Bei- loes Island, is in charge of the statue He has been on duty there since last March, and he has made frequent in- spections of the statue, both inside and ouut He noticed that holes had been appearing in the gown, and were grow ing larger.
 Lieut.. Jones reported the matter to Capt. c. s. Wallace, the commanding officer on the island, who forwarded the report 10 the chief quartermaster os the department of the east. It was this report that brought an en- gineer to make a special examination of Miss Liberty. In his report the engineer told of finding the holes, ana, it's is said, added that he did not know that anything could be done to prevent tisintegration This report IS now in the hands of Col. Andrews, adjutant general of the department of the east.
 The men in charge of the statue say the holes in the bronze plates are not due to the contact of the iron framework with the bronze plates. The builders of the statue evidently had in view the fact that one metal would corrode when in contact with another, and they put the statue to- gether carefully with a view of min imizing danger from that cause. The damage Is not thought to be due 10 salt air. In some places the plates are very thin. This, the engineers believe, was done to save weight and not to save metal. In some places the plates are much too thin for long wear.
 Capt. Wallace said yesterday that there was not the slightest cause for alarm. The statue is good for at least a hundred years more, but the ques- ton which now confronts the depart ment is how to repair the damage done. It is believed that the per ! forated plates can be removed sep arately and replaced by duplicates | Where water has entered the holes | and run down into the interior of the
 statue it's course IS marked by discof oration of the bronze and tends to : corroslon. As the statue is made Oi
 about 300 sheets of metal cast in | France. and it is doubtful if the moid'
 are now in existence. ir would be nee ] essary 10 remove the damaged sheets
 and make molds from them. Patching up would only afford temporary relief | The statue os liberty is the work o ! Aguste Bartholdi, the French sculptor
 and the monument was presented ts
 this country by the French people
 BarthOldi gained his inspiration fol , the work upon a journey to this copn ' try. The idea grew of having a gigan ) tie statue at the entrance of Nev l York harbor while he watched the i'm D migrants on the deck of the steam
 ship straining their >eyes for the frs b glimpse of the New World. He pro . posed that the statue be given by DOT ] rlar subscription. The French peopi
 responded by subscribing S200,o0e BartAoldi began work in 1874 Tn
 work was not completed until lSss
 but this was the fault Of the Americal people. who were slow to respond t
 a subscription for the pedestal 10 ,s the great statue. The plates whic
 make up tine outside Of the statu weight eighty-fve tons.