Vol. XX, No.2                    August 1885                       $3.00 per annum

THE STATUE OF "LIBERTY" By JAMES B. TOWNSEND

THE year 1885 brings to pass the fulfillment of one of the noblest ideas ever conceived, and before its close will witness, in the unveiling of the statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World," on an island in New York Harbor, an event which will attest and make real in a large degree the poet's dream of the universal brotherhood of man. Bartholdi's Statue of "LIBERTY ENLIGHTENING THE WORLD", as it will appear at Bedloe's Island, New York It is just twenty years since the idea was first conceived which now finds its full development. In the growth and development of nations, as of individuals, certain lofty ideas, whether of literature, of philosophy, or of art, are impossible of birth or accomplishment until a certain stage of acquirement has been reached. It was fitting, therefore, that the grand idea of a statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World," to be placed at the gateway of the metropolis of a land where liberty had at last found a sure and abiding resting-place, should have been conceived in a country where liberty was equally worshiped, and which has advanced among the furthest in civilization and in art. The ideal of the French nation, "Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite" - an ideal for whose realization the streets and boulevards of their cities have time and again run with blood, and for which countless thousands of their citizens have mourned - they have beheld accomplished, not wholly without bloodshed either, but accomplished to its fullest degree in America, one of the youngest nations of the world. Across 4,000 miles of ocean have been borne to their ears the exultant shouts of a nation of freemen; their writers have described our proud, lofty bearing, our mutual self-respect, and pointed toward America as the true haven of the oppressed. The sons of their noblest houses drew their swords and shed their blood for American independence, and with heart and hand the French have for many years past been our strongest allies. Meanwhile the United States, enjoying a period of peace, has flourished and become one of the mightiest nations upon the earth. In this the French saw the beneficent results of liberty, and cried, "Behold! where liberty reigns how prosperous and mighty is the land! "With two nations thus morally related and at peace, the time grew ripe for some noble act of mutual appreciation and regard. At last came the hour for its fulfillment, and, as ever before in the world's history, "the hour found the man, the man his hour. " It was on an evening in the Summer of 1865, the Summer following the Spring when closed the great Civil War in America, that the idea of the statue of "Liberty" was first conceived. A memorable evening it was, and one that will hereafter hold a prominent place in the annals of France and of America. At the residence of the celebrated French literateur, M. Laboulaye, now passed away, in the charming suburb of Paris, Glavigny, near Versailles, there was assembled a notable gathering of Frenchmen prominent in politics, in literature and in art. Among these was a young sculptor, M.Bartholdi, then a comparatively newcomer in the world of art, and whose future lay before him. It was at a dinner given by M. Laboulaye that these gentlemen were assembled; and the repast ended, they sought the conservatory, where, amid the curling smoke-wreaths of cigars, a desultory conversation began upon the topics of the day. Drifting from this imperceptibly, as such conversations will, the subject of international relations was broached. A guest remarked that gratitude could not exist among nations, and that the least material interest, the lightest political breath, would sunder every tie of the sort, and he added that, in the case of the United States, France could no longer count on the remembrance of the past. M. Laboulaye, the host, arose at these words and took issue warmly with the guest who uttered them. "The American nation," he said, " had more sympathy for France than for any other European nation; and this sentiment did not bear the stamp of gratitude, but was based upon the remembrance of the community of thoughts and of struggles sustained with common aspirations." Reviewing briefly the history of the Revolutionary War and the part played by Frenchmen in that struggle, he concluded by saying: "The basis of the sentiments which are felt in the United States toward the French is indestructible, is a sentiment honorable to the Americans as to us, and if a monument were to be built in America as a memorial of its independence, I should think it very natural were it built by united effort, were it the common work of both nations." Prophetic words, indeed! The guests sat silent as their host ceased speaking, their minds turned to other themes, and the conversation soon flowed in another channel. But the seed had been sown. It sank deep into the young sculptor Bartholdi's heart and brain, to develop in later years into the present statue of "Liberty" whose coming the United States has lately celebrated, and whose unveiling on its lofty pedestal will, as said above, unite France and America in an indissoluble band of brotherhood.             Portrait of Bartholdi, the Sculptor The years rolled by, and again, in 1871, the doors of M. Laboulaye's hospitable mansion at Versailles were thrown open to many of the same guests who had been present on the memorable evening described above, six years before. Among these was Bartholdi. The six years had brought a marvelous change to the country of their birth and love, and it was with sad countenances that the guests regarded each other. The fair lilies of France had been trailed in the dust, and the exultant Prussian had his foot upon her neck. Again was the subject of America's feeling toward France introduced, again was the former's gratitude assailed, and again did M. Laboulaye defend her. He expressed himself as confident that at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, then approaching, there would be a movement in America, both French and patriotic. Turning to Bartholdi, he said: "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 of the ancient friendship of France and the United States. We will take up a subscription in France. If you 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. " Never was an artist before inspired by such words or intrusted with so grand a commission. Fired with the idea, which he embraced with all the ardor of his French and artistic temperament, "imbued," as he himself says, "with the thoughts of such eminent men as Laboulaye and his associates," Bartholdi started for America. No sooner had he reached the Harbor of New York than he discovered the place for the monument and the form it should assume. Listen to the glowing words in which he describes his discovery: "When, after some days of voyaging, in the pearly radiance of a beautiful morning is revealed the magnificent spectacle of those immense cities, of those rivers extending as far as the eye can reach, festooned with masts and flags; when one awakes, so to speak, in the midst of that interior sea covered with vessels, moving to and fro like a crowd upon a public place, it is thrilling. It is, indeed, the New World, which appears in its majestic expanse with the ardor of its glowing life. Was it not wholly natural that the artist was inspired by this grand spectacle? Yes, in this very place, I said, shall be raised the statue of 'Liberty', grand as the idea which it embodies, radiant upon the two worlds. If then the fame of the accomplished work is mine, to the Americans I owe the thought and the inspiration which gave it birth. I was conscious, when I landed in New York, that I had found the idea which my friends had hoped for."             The Statue of Liberty - The site of Bedloe's island selected for the Statue After a long sojourn in the United States, during which he traveled everywhere, met the most prominent men in the worlds of politics, business, literature and art, and from whom he was able to gain a knowledge of the chief characteristics and feelings of the American people, Bartholdi returned home in 1874, and, as he says, "established a good understanding on which to lay the foundations of the plan of my Parisian friends. "He had made a water-color sketch of the statue as it would appear if erected on Bedloe's Island, and he continues : "After becoming assured among my kindly approving friends of the impression that the plan would produce, I acquired the certainty that when we should begin in France the United States would second us, and that the draft drawn by Messieurs Laboulaye, Lafayette, Henri Martin and their friends upon American sentiments should not be protested." Again did M. Laboulaye call together the company of friends at his house, and again the subject of the statue was discussed, but not this time as a mere idea, but a probable reality. Bartholdi told them of his journey and its results, of his impressions, of the welcome he had received, of the American co-laborers secured, and presented the plan of the monument he had conceived. Henri Martin, in an official address five years later, described the impression the sculptor's enthusiastic words and conception made upon his hearers. "It was necessary," said the address, "for us to discover a thought in harmony with the object to be attained. The artist presented it to us in a form that bore the stamp of genius. He had conceived the celebration of the anniversary of Independence, applying to it a sublime phrase, which sums up the progress of modern times, 'Liberty Enlightening the World.' Bartholdi proposed to represent this great idea by a statue of colossal proportions, which would surpass all that have ever existed since the most ancient times." The effect of Bartholdi's words upon his hearers was magical, as may be supposed. They at once organized a committee, and toward the end of the year 1874 the public was informed of the organization of the French American Union, having for its object the manufacture of the statue as a gift to the United States. In accordance with a plan previously agreed upon, the Union at once circulated subscription lists throughout France, headed with the following address: "The Monument of Independence will be executed in common by the two peoples assoclated in this fraternal work, as they were of old in establishing Independence. In this way we declare by an imperishable memorial the friendship that the blood spilled by our fathers of old sealed between the two nations. It is a treaty of friendship which should be signed by all hearts which feel the love of their country. E. LABOULAYE." A banquet in the Hotel du Louvre on November 6th, 1875, at which were assembled representatives of French and American art, literature, politics and journalism celebrated the birth of the work. The first circular brought immediate response, and in a few months the success of the work became assured. The heart of the French people was touched. Not alone the rich, but the poor also contributed. The ouvrier and the bourgeois emptied their coins into the Union's coffers with the wealthy merchant and the moneyed aristocrat. Festivals, exhibitions and lotteries were held all over the country, and in four years the sum necessary, $350,000, was raised. The right hand of the statue was executed, was sent to the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, and was afterward displayed in Madison Square, in New York city." In 1875 Bartholdi agaln visited America. His coming excited still greater interest, and the unveiling in Central Park, New York, of his statue of Lafayette, presented by the French Government in acknowledgment of the sympathy the city had testified for France at the time of the siege of Paris, deepened this interest in the announced far greater and grander gift of the statue of "Liberty." Meanwhile preparatory steps to receive the statue and prepare for it a suitable pedestal had been taken in this country. Upon the call of Messrs. William M. Evarts, S. D. Babcock, William, H. Appleton, John Jay, W. H. Wickham and Richard Butler, a meeting was held at the Century Club, in New York, early in 1876, and a permanent committee, consisting of Messrs. William M. Evarts, Chairman, Henry F. Spaulding, Treasurer, J. V. Mumford Moore, Joseph W. Drexel, Parke Godwin, J. W. Pinchot, Frederick Potts, and Richard Butler, Secretary, was formed. It was decided that it should be called "The American Committee of the Statue of Liberty.' "Congress was at once memorialized, and on February 22d, 1877, voted to accept the gift of France, and set apart lor the site Bedloe's Island, in New York Harbor, owned by the United States Government, and on which there was a fortification. The head of the statue was executed in 1878, and shown at the Paris Universal Exposition in that year. In 1879 the last funds were raised in France, and on July 7th, 1880, the American Committee were notified by an official communication of the progress of the work and the date of its probable completion. The centennial anniversary of the battle of Yorktown, October 24th, 1881, saw the pieces of the framework and the base put in place; the statue was nearly finished in 1883, but work upon it was delayed, owing to the             The Work on the Statue Commenced. slow progress made in America toward the erection of the pedestal. On June 11th, 1884, President Ferry stated, at a banquet in Paris, that the French Government had followed with the liveliest interest the progress of the work, accomplished completely outside the range of its influence, and would do its part by transporting it to New York on a state vessel, under the official banner of France. On July 4th, 1884, the statue was officially delivered to the United States Minister, with appropriate ceremonies. On Januay Ist, 1885, after having been visited by upward of 300,000 persons, it was taken down, its pieces numbered, packed with great care, and transported to Rouen, where they were placed on board the state transport-ship Isere. the Isere sailed from Rouen on May 30th, and arrived safely in New York Harbor on June 17th, 1885. Such is the history of the statue of "Liberty," and of the movement which gave it birth, a movement unique and unparalleled in the history of nations. Let us now consider the statue itself, as a work of art, as a work of engineering, and as a colossal monument, for it is all three. We are met at the outset by the difficulty of finding any other work with which to compare it. When a picture or a piece of statuary or sculpture of ordinary size is to be judged or criticised, the first step generally taken is to compare it with either a former one by the same artist, or with one similar in subject or execution by another hand, which has won reputation and the approval of artists and connoisseurs of its time. But in the statue of "Liberty" we find a work which has had no prototype in earlier times, or no counterpart in the present. Among the seven wonders of the ancient world was placed, perhaps, foremost, the Colossus of Rhodes. We are told that this massive figure spanned, with outstretched legs, the entrance to the harbor of Alexandria, and that ships sailed easily to and fro beneath them. Allowing for the exaggeration which comes with time, and remembering that the ships of those days were the merest tiny barks compared to the stately vessels that now glide in and out of our harbors and over the oceans, it is yet safe to say that this far-famed Colossus, if placed alongside the present statue, would reach but a little way above her knee.             Modeling the head of the Statue in the workshop of Moudinet and Becher (left).     Minister Morton riveting parts of the Statue (right) The next colossal statue in the course of history is the Jupiter Pluvius of the Protolino Villa, and then comes the well-known one of St. Charles Borromeo, on the shores of the Lago Maggiore, in Italy. This is about half the height of the statue of "Liberty," and is not in any sense a great work of art. Compare it with the present statue, and the distinction between colossal statuary and ordinary sculpture can be seen at once. The statue of St. Charles Borromeo is simply an ordinary monument enlarged. It is a reproduction in metal of a man's form and features many times multiplied. It is set in its pedestal without reference to its surroundings. It produces no emotion in the heart of a spectator, it conveys to him no sentiment, it brings to him no conception of some noble idea; in fine it fails to inspire or to elevate as a the work of art should inspire him who gazes upon it. How different with the statue of "Liberty". In form, in conception, and the idea it conveys, it moves and thrills the spectator. The poet gazing upon it sings: ..Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land - Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman, with a torch whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name, Mother of Exiles. From her beacon hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she, With silent lips. 'Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless; tempest-tost to me - I lift my lamp beside the golden door.' " Emma Lazarus 1883 Well says M. Lesbazeilles in his work on colossal statuary: "It is within its scope when it represents power, majesty, infinity. It can lay claim to that class of effects which are produced in us by the heaving of the boundless sea, the bellowing of the wind, the rolling of the thunder." The statue of St. Charles, Borromeo has, however, interest to the student of colossal statuary, because it is the first example of the use of repousse, copper mounted on iron trusses. Metal beaten out into sheets had been used earlier, but simply as a covering modeled on a solid wood or stone form. The repousse copper of which the Borromeo statue is made was worked with the hammer both outside and inside, and is freely supported on iron beams. This gives lightness to the work, and the statue of St. Charles Borromeo has withstood the storms of two centuries. Other colossal statues of modern times are those of "Bavaria," at Munich, one-third the height of the statue of "Liberty "; of the Virgin of Puy, a few feet higher than the last named ; and the celebrated statue of "Germnnia," erected a few years since in the Niederwald, which would reach about to the waist of our colossal maiden. This short review of these noted works will enable us to see more clearly the difficulties under which Bartholdi labored in designing and executing the statue of "Liberty." The others have been and are all more or less unsatifactory, chiefly because their designers did not pay sufficient attention, or were incapable of doing so, first, to the character or thought of the subject, which should be in harmony with the size of the work; second, to the suitableness of the site and the surroundings of the monument; third, to the understanding of the lines and the make-up, which in all colossal works are rendered necessary by the execution. Bartholdi himself sums it up by saying: "The immensity of form should be filled with the immensity of thought, and the spectator, at the sight of the great proportions of the work, should be impressed, before all things else, with the greatness of the idea of which these ample forms are the envelope, without being obliged to have recourse to comparative measurements in order to feel himself moved." But the site is, after all, what determines most surely the effect of a colossal statue when erected; and let the many critics who have condemned the choice of Bedloe's Island for this purpose reflect that this point was probably the one most carefully studied by the sculptor, and know that the master-mind who designed the great work was better fitted to select the frame for his picture than those who had simply seen models of his work. Says the sculptor again: "The frame should lend itself to tile subject. It may be made up or approved by architectural effects, by the flights of stairs which lead up to the statue and contribute to the monumental character, but above all a site favorable by its own nature should be sought. There is an instinct which ought to guide the artist, for he ought to turn Nature to account in such a way as to make her contribute to the aspect of the monument. The neighborhood of large masses should be avoided. The artist ought to choose his site in such a way that the lines of the ground and the coloring of the background will become his assistant in heightening the proper appearance of his work and the impression which it is to produce." Has Bartholdi not faithfully carried out these ideas? Had the statue been placed in the Battery Park, the buildings behind, to which it would have been in close proximity, would have detracted from its effect; and equally injurious would have been the woodod hills of Staten Island, had the wishes of others prevailed who urged its erection upon the southern bluff of that island. On Bedloe's Island it stands by itself, a part of a harmonious whole, no masses near to detract from it, but framed alone by earth and sky. There is one other most important element in the construction of colossal statuary, and that is, the observance of great simplicity in the lines. The spectator should be able to tell at a glance what meaning the work is intended to convey. His eye should no.t be led away by the contemplation of details, but should take in at once the stupendous whole. Simplicity of the lines will give simplicity to the move- ment and to the gesture. This is very clearly shown in the statue of "Liberty." Its whole mass and form impress themselves immediately upon the spectator, he thinks not of the details; he only feels that the figure conveys to him instantaneously a sense of power and of grandeur, and he bows instinctively to the idea - that idea of liberty which has led armies to battle, has wrecked thrones and overturned nations, and which today still stands forth as the grandest that the mind of man has yet conceived. Having glanced at the essential characteristics and e1ements of colossal statuary, and seen how Bartholdi has conformed to them in the designing of the statue ef "Liberty," we pass to a brief review of the details of its manufacture. These presented almost as great a problem as the designing of the statue in the first place, and following this, its adaptation to its surroundings. There having been no statue of the same extraordinary proportions ever erected before - or, at least, none of which there is any record extant - the planning of these details, including the choice of materials, etc., had to a great extent to be done in the dark, as it were. After much cogitation and deliberation, hammered copper was chosen as the material, it being light yet capable of great resistance, and easily subdivided so as to permit easy transportation. This point having been decided upon, a study-model, 4 feet in height, was erected. The Framework Inside the Statue.         From this was modeled a statue, 61 feet high, with the greatest care and exactitude. This statue was then reproduced four times as large by ordinary processes. A model, about 86 feet in height, was made from this. This was large enough, when placed by itself, to give some idea of the statue as a whole. This small statue was then divided into a large number of sections, to be reproduced separately, later, four times their individual size. When this last enlargement was made, changes were no longer possible, so that the greatest care had to be exercised by the sculptor in modeling the surfaces, for if mistakes were at any time made, they could not well be rectified. Four plane surfaces, surrounded by frames, arranged in numbered divisions, were placed on the floor of an immense workshop. Similar frames, corresponding in every way with the former ones, were hung from the ceiling of the shop. Large pieces of the statue were then modeled by sculptors on these frames. The sections reproduced were placed nearby in frames one-fourth the size, so that they could be easily studied. The general form was first laid out with wooden beams covered with lathwork. A coating of plaster was next placed over the laths. The forms of the finished portions were then surrounded by boards, cut so as to adapt themselves to the plaster. These were placed one opposite to another, and crossed at top and bottom. The hammerers then approached, and pressed the sheets of copper into the sort of molds the boards formed by hammering with mallets. Sheets of lead were next pressed into the board forms, and the copper was again shaped upon these. Iron braces ran from point to point within the copper sheets. When the pieces were finally completed, they were fastened separately upon the iron beams of the trusswork which sup- ports the whole statue. The core of the trusswork is formed by four great stanchions, bound together by St. Andrew's crosses. From these go out braces to support the surface of the statue. Three bolted braces run from the foot of these stanchions 26 feet into the masonry of the pedestal, and are there connected with an iron framework. The immense amount of calculation necessary in the manufacture of these detailed portions of the statue may be imagined when it is stated that, in addition to the ordinary mechanical difficulties presented, the resisting power of the iron pieces upon the centre of gravity and upon the action of high winds had to be considered. The most tremendous hurricanes that have blown in Europe and America were taken as a basis, and from this the results were worked out. Aocording to General Stone, the engineer of the pedestal's calculation, the entire structure should withstand a gale blowing 141 m11es an hour, a force that is almost unknown, certainly in this latitude. Thus was the statue built. It was executed in about six years, but the work met with repeated delays, and was not prosecuted continuously until within the last few months of 1884. Not alone Bartholdi, the designer and chief sculptor, but many other French sculptors of note, labored in the erection of the statue; so eminent an engineer as M. Eiffel had entire charge of the ironwork and bracing of the figure, and the work itself was done in the house of Gaget, Gauthier & Co., of Paris. But the statue needed a pedestal to make it complete, and this Laboulaye, Bartholdi, and his assooiates in the French-American Union, felt confident the United States would provide.         Formal Delivery of the Statue to Hon. L.P. Morton,         Minister of the United States, July 4th, 1884. They have done so - Or, rather, New York city has done so - after many months and years of solicitation and constant appeal, and the remainder of the sum needed was finally only raised by the energetic efforts of a news paper, the New York World. But why repeat at length the history of the pedestal movement? Is it not indelibly written on the memories of my readers? It is a chapter in the history of our country today which Heaven grant could be sealed up for ever! Public and private apathy and selfishness, lack of patriotism, a hundred other and unworthy causes, have combined to render the securing of the Pedestal Fund what seemed, up till lately, an impossible task. The patience with which our French donors of the statue have borne with us almost passes comprehension, and should make our humiliation great.             The Laying of the Cornerstone of the Pedestal - August 5th, 1884 As I stated in the opening of my article, the American Committee on the Statue of "Liberty" was first formed at the Century Club, in New York city, in 1877. Some 402 gentlemen, prominent in different sections of the country, were then or afterward elected members of the Statue of "Liberty" Committee. Mr. William M. Evarts was at that time chosen Chairman, Mr. J. W. Pinchot, Treasurer, and Mr. Richard Butler, Secretary, of this Committee, and issued an announcement to the people of the United States. A sub-committee of this general committee, consisting of William M. Evarts, the late ex-governor Morgan, Parke Godwin, Clark Bell, and J. W. Pinchot, was charged with the duty of procuring the necessary legislation, and obtained from Congress, on the recommendation of President Hayes, the passage of a resolution providing for the acceptance of the colossal statue, and the designation of either Governor's or Bedloe's Island, in New York Harbor, as its site and its future maintenance as a beacon. President Hayes authorized General Sherman to select the site, and he, acting upon a snggestion from the committee, who were aware of Barlholdi's preferences, designated Bedloe's Island. This island, about a mile in circumference, lies at the western edge of the channel of the Upper New York Bay, about two miles from the Battery. It was known in the early days of New York as Love Island, and acquired its present title when it was sold by Admiral Kennedy, of the British Navy, who had occupied it as a Summer residence, to a member of the old and esteemed Bedloe family of New York. It was at one time noted for its rabbits, and the pickled oysters which were prepared there. It became the property of the United States Government early in the present century, and was considered very valuable for purposes of harbor defense. Fort Wood, whose granite sides form an admirable base for the pedestal, was partly built in 1814, and was finished in 1840. It is built in the shape of a six-pointed star, and is surrounded by a moat. The pedestal rises from its center, and it seems as if it had been purposely built to adorn the base of its new and wonderful occupant. The site having been selected, the committee issued to the people of the United States an address which was at first quite generously responded to. An Executive Committee was soon formed. Mr. Richard M. Hunt was appointed Architect of the Pedestal by this committee, and to him was intrusted the design of the exterior of the pedestal. General Charles P. Stone, formerly of the United States Army, and better known by his title of Stone Pasha, bestowed upon him by the Khedive of Egypt, was appointed Engineer-in-Chief. To him fell the task of managing the interior of the statue and designing a proper foundation. His greatest problem has been to arrange with Bartholdi for the attachment of the statue to the pedestal. As soon as the requisite funds were received the work was begun on Bedloe's Island, contracts were entered into with the lowest bidders for the removal of the buildings in the interior of the fort there, and for the construction of the concrete or beton base of the pedestal, work upon which began October 9th, 1883, and was finished May 17th, 1884. This base is one solid stone, 91 feet square at the bottom and 67 feet square at its completed height of 52 feet 10 inches, having an interior shaft 10 feet square. The material used in its structure exceeds 23,500 tons net weight. Upon this foundation the granite-work of the pedestal has been begun, to be continued until it reaches 89 feet above the beton base. When at that height it will be ready for the colossal statue of "Liberty," which is 151 feet. Mr. Hunt prepared an elaborate and beautiful design for the pedestal, which was accepted, but has had many modifications, and has been altered decidedly in consequence of the changes made necessarily evident as the work of building it progressed. The material of which it is built is a gray granite from Leet's Island, near New Haven, Conn.             The Pedestal rising within the walls of the Fort It is estimated that of the $390,000 that will have been expended before the statue is finally placed in position. the pedestal alone will have cost $250,000, the interior bracings and structure $25,000, and the placing it in position $25,000. This will make total cost of statue, pedestal and erection about $650,000, or over half a million. The pedestal is a truncated cone, with galleries on each side supported by Ionic columns. Its height is 89 feet above low water; the height of bottom of the foundation mass above low water is 13 feet, the height of foundation mass itself 52 feet 10 inches, and the height of the statue 151 feet. The top of the torch will then be 305 feet 11 inches above low water, 21 feet higher than Trinity Church spire, and 23 feet higher than the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge. Some approximate idea of the size of the statue may be gained when it is stated that the fore-finger is nearly 7 feet long, and is over 4 feet in circumference at the second joint. The nail measures about 9 by 6 inches, the head is 16 feet high, and the eye is nearly 2 feet wide. Three feet and over is the length of the nose; forty persons can find room inside the head, and twelve in the torch held by the hand. The debarkation at Rouen of the statue, the arrival of the transport Isere with her precious freight, the reception accorded her, are all of too recent occurrence to need retelling here. It is thought that the statue may be placed in position and unveiled during the present year. Be that as it may, it is to be hoped that eleventh-hour enthusiasm, interest and generosity may take the place of our former and long-continued apathy, and that we may prove ourselves worthy to be the custodians of so sublime a conception as that of "Liberty Enlightening the World."         Arrival of the French Transport "Isere", with the Bartholdi Statue on board,         at the base of the Pedestal Long centuries past the old Dutch sailor furled The white wings of his daring shallop, worn By sea and storm and saw the golden morn, Parting the night's dark curtain, swift unvail A wide expanse of shore, and hill and dale, As yet untrod by man, in wildness free, Uncultured and untamed, but soon to be In glorious garments drest, a newborn world. The Hendrick Hudson of the World of Art, Bartholdi, when thine eyes did look upon Our Bay, in this a freeman's land, so won Through blood and fire to nobler freedom far Than In the past, rejoiced thy patriot heart, And Liberty's great statue lit her glowing star.             Viewing the harbor from the Torch in the hand of the Statue VOL. XX No.2 [Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, August 1885]