Show THE BARTHOLDI STATUE I 1 AL A detailed description of its inception cep tion construction Construct iou and erection I 1 PALMYRA N Y YS sept ept 27 am editor deseret X news aws we spent three days daya in new york city taking in the sights visiting museums parks bics cemeteries etc but bat we shall on only aly relate a f few ew facts which we learned from authentic sources in regard to the great bartholdi statue on beddoes Bed loes island which we visited thip the day before yesterday this island about a anile in circumference and containing 13 acres ol of land lies at the western edge of the upper new york bay about V two wo miles from the battery it was known in t the h ee early a ly days d a Ys of new york as love island isi a nd and aud acquired its present title when it was sold by admiral kennedy of the british navy who occupied it as a summer pesi residence dence to a member of the old and esteemed bedaloe family ol of new york it became the property of the united states government early in the present century and was considered very valuable tor for the purpose of harbor defense fort wood whose granite sides now form an admirable base for the pedestal on which stands the statue of liberty was partly built in 1814 and finished in 1840 the present garrison consists of 12 42 men there are quite of heavy pieces of artillery on the fort wall and about halt a dozen buildings used by the soldiery and lighthouse tenders stand back of the statue shading an old graveyard with an old iron fence a kuge huge weeping willow we the trunk of which was sixteen feet in circumference cum ference drew our special a athen R ti on it seemed to be very wd old aby by special favor of E M bewis wis the military commander of the island 8 ladd we were permitted to ascend to th the ehe head adof of the colossal statue the public generally is only admitted to theton of the pedestal ai standing inside elevation the head at an elevation of about feet and looking out through the row of windows representing diadema diadems in the crown enair dins cling the forehead we bad a most magnificent view of new york harbor and the cities situated around it Sarge sargeant atit james blake an and add gentlemanly officer was oar our guidy to the head we had tosse to ascend enda a spiral stairway couta containing inin steps the iron steps leading beadi n g up through through the arm to the torch light is not yet completed and we were therefore unable to ascend that far but bat in getting permission to ascend to the head our oar guide said that it was a privilege many would be pleased to pay 10 for i the material underlying the foundation a of the pedestal is compact clay gravel and boulders the foundation ug to the terrace level where the pedestal proper begins is of solid concrete it is 90 feet square at the bottom go 65 feet square at the top and 52 feet 11 inches high in the centre of the mass is a well hole 10 feet square the pedestal is built of granite backed with concrete the tu principal dimensions are as follows from high water mark to top of ses sea wall ten feet from top of bes wall to foot of pedestal 50 feet 10 inches from foot to top of pedestal 89 feet total from water level to top of pedestal feet 10 inches the tase oase of the pedestal is 62 feet and tile the top feet square the statue is fastened to the pedestal in a very ingenious manner but space will no not t nermit ermit us to def dee cribe it here vile the height of the statue from the heel to top of bead is III feet height of head 13 feet width of eve 28 inches length of nose 3 feet 9 inches the I 1 length lieth of the forefinger is 3 feet 9 inches the finger nail by feet aud and the circumference of the finger at the second joint 4 feet 9 inches tile the statue covering is made of re bousse copper 18 1 8 of ap p inch thick 0 khe rhe envelope is kept kepto M position by iron plates slid and braces riveting it to a imme i work each section of the shell is so supported from the frame that it will not be forced to carry the fhe weight of any of the section above it in other words it is self sustaining the head will easily accommodate forty persons and tile the torch will hold twelve persons this torch contains five electric lamps f candle power the total weight of the statue is pounds 0 of which are copper and the remainder wrought iron including gifts gratuitous work and losses sustained by those who gave valuables assistance the approximate cost of building it is the bartholdi statue of liberty on beddoes Bed loes island is the offspring of a sublime idea and its ess was watched from its inception to its final completion with great interest by all the civilized nations of the world it was on an evening in the summer of 1865 that the idea of the statue of ef liverty was first conceived there was on that occasion in harming charming retreat glatigny Gla vigny near versailles france a gathering of prominent french fredich politicians and journalists and the talk tell fell upon interns dional relations and M laboulaye in alluding to the ch friendly feelings which had always existed between th eFrench and american people sugg suggest estt that a monument be baill in america as 98 token of this friendship but bat the franco prussian war caffie came on and tor for the time being the idea was dropped immediately after the war bartholdi M one of the ablest sculptors and artists of franco france and a native of alsace which by the war was coded ceded to germany was enlisted h 18 tin the cause and als ais friend Laboy laye backed by a number of other distinguished men said to the artist go to america study it bring back your impressions propose to our friends over there to make with us a monument a common work in remembrance membra mem brance tibe of the ancient friendship of france and the united state we will take up a subscription in france it you yon find a happy idea a plan that will excite public enthusiasm we are convinced that it will be successful on both continents and we will do a work that will have a far reaching moral effect fired with the idea which he embraced with all the ardor of his french h W and ad aanie active temperament Bart bartholdi boldi st started arted for far america NO sooner had he reached the harbor of new yo york rk than he discovered what he thought the proper place for the monument t beddoes Bed loes island he traveled extensively to inthe the united statesmen Stat states esmet met with much encouragement made a sketch of his project and on bis ais return to france placed edit it before boef ore his friends an appeal which met with a hearty re issued throughout france and the birth of the work was celebrated november oth 1875 in hotel de louvre by a grand banquet at which prominent frenchmen aud Jand americans were present in reply to a toast offered on that occasion by M henri henn martin to the republic 01 ot the united states and to president grant U S minister washburne spoke as follows 1 I must avow that there Is here in the atmosphere this evening such a sei sentiment 2 time U t of cordial friendship and international ter national fraternity that it would be difficult for me to keep silent and not net give vent to the emotion with which JC am filled fere there is in truth something too touching t I 1 something s lag which transports u in that t m magnificent ul ft cent conception of the french PS people I 1 p ile of the erection upon the shores of america of a monuE monument bent coming from the skilful hands bands of your Te remarkable artist M will the hundredth anniversary of the independence of my country and which will be the lasting evidence of that ancient friendship between france and the american colonies that has been sealed by the best bloda blood of the two peoples hearty applause the work the initiative which wai was taken hereby france in that fraternal spirit tha mils us all of us Amert americans cans with pride and with gratitude win will find au echo in the homes of all our ot fellow countrymen on the other side of the atlantic applause the names of 0 your illustrious tellow fellow countrymen will always be dear to the memory aud and to the heart of the american people with what loy joy have my fellow country count countrymen rf men been able here this evening to congratulate themselves upon the presence of the layfayett Layt ayette of rochambeau of bouille beuille our hearts and our hands have gone out to them in grateful acknowledgment montan in remembrance of the services her vices which their ancestors rendered to my country rApp applause lauge never gentlemen will my fellow countrymen forget the courage the perseverance and the sufferings of those french private soldiers who fought side by side shoulder to shoulder with the american soldiers and poured out their generous blood for fop the defense ot of our liberties their ashes have remained mingled with our soil upon those memorable fields ol of battle that they had bad already reddened with their blood may the turf grow more green and the wild flower bloom more beautiful upon their unknown tomb redoubled applause M laboulaye the main maid supporter of the movement making the statue of liberty a reality replied as follows gentlemen we are assembled here this evening to celebrate and t to cement the friendship which unites unite N franceane prance France and america that friendship is s of very old date and when next year on oa the ath of july america will signal ize ze by a festival the anniversary of her declaration deol of independence she will celebrate at the same time her alliance with france As for you gentlemen who come from america and whom we have the happiness of possessing thi evening you who have expressed yourselves so nobly by the mouth of your row minister take back to your coun try ry that which you have seen and icard heard say to your fell fellow ow citizens ze as that france always remains withful ith ful to america today other lather people more happy more stirring may attempt to dispute with us your affection but recall to mind that when you were feeble and abandoned france took with a warm pressure the hand you be hed d out to her I 1 in a century the cente centenail nazy of independence will be celebrated again we shall then be only forgotten dust america who will then have more than a hundred millions of inhabitants will be ignorant of our names but this statue will remain it will be the memorial of this festival the visible proof of our affection symbol of a friendship which braves the storms of time it will stand there unshaken in the midst of the winds which will roar around its head and the waves which will sha alls ter their f fury ury at its feet I 1 I 1 in order to raise the necessary funds a great number of festivals and ex exhibitions were held in different parts of france and in 1879 all the funds 1 ie necessary tor for its eiFe execution cution were attained thil led the head of the statue was executed for the paris exposition of 1878 october 24 1881 the anniversary of tile the battle of yorktown all the pieces of the framework were put in place the committee invited in mr morton who was the new U S minister to france at that time to come and drive the rivet of the first piece of copper plating which was to be mounted it was the left plot foot of the statue the statue was nearly finished in 1883 but as the work on the pedestal was not far enough advanced t to 9 p permit er its erection it was decided to leave it for some time lex exposed posed to tol view in paris on friday july on the occasion of the anniversary of the declaration of tal tny indea independence 1 indence of the united states ma ferdinand de lesseps president of the franco american union officially pr presented at parts paris the statue of liberty enlightening the world 11 to united states MJ minister inister levi P F morton amid the greatest great eat enthusiasm thusia sm I 1 I 1 I 1 arrangements having bee been n made lor jor the shipment of the statute to an america er it was carefully taken down aap the several pieces packed in f frames of wood being first prop properly orly marked aked they were then brought on board the transport steamship asere which had been chartered kcf carry it to america america the ship arrived in new york harbor june 17 1885 af after ter a leisurely trip of 25 days on the of june jane occurred the formal reception ol of athe he leere an and 3 her precious freight and the occasion was made one of the grandest festivities in the history of new york city inthe in the meantime the patriotism of the americans had been arouse aroused dand and steps taken by them to do their part of the wark in the erection of the pedestal on which the statue the gift of france was to stand the necessary legislation eg lation had a promptly been done by congress 0 ress providing ro v ming for the reception of the e colossal statue and its f future attire maintenance as a beacon president hayes authorized gen sherman to select the site and lie he acting A ting upon a suggestion from ja committee previously appointed designated B beddoes Bed e loes island being aware of bart holdis preferences the site having been selected the committee issued to the people of the united states an address which was generously responded to the contributors tribu tors included all classes of people the wealthy bankers was matched in spirit by sums ranging am from 5 tp 10 cents but there was an occasional cas ional 5 and 10 from some poor work workman manjor lor woman wilo was roused to unusual enthusiasm the ground was first broken for or the erection of the pedestal in april ISM the excavation was begun began in ih june the laying aai 9 of the foundation in october f following 1 W iise and aad the work completed in 1886 the work of building the pedestal was directed by general charles P stone under the supervision of the executive committee to the builder david H king isen sen who not only built the pedestal but also erected the statue which with great pomp pom and grand festivities was unveiled to the public october V 1886 we left knew york last night sept 26 20 and traveled by rail miles to rochester N Y where we arlivea arrived at 11 this morning four hours later we took a new york central railway train to this historical place of which we will give you yon an interesting account in our next ANDREW JENSEN EDWARD STEVENSON JOSEPH S BLACK |