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STATUE OF LIBERTY and BEDLOE'S ISLAND |
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This undated brochure was published by Regimental Press, New York in the first part of the 20th century.  History of the Statue of Liberty and Bedloe�s Island with items of interest about The Harbor.
Auguste BARTHOLDI, a famous painter and Sculptor, was one of the group. He spoke fervently of the triumph of Liberty in the new world and suggested that France should join with America in erecting in the latter Country a monument that would commemorate the assistance the French people had given America in her struggle for Independence and that would be a sermon in stone or metal to perpetuate the idea of Liberty. The project was received with instant enthusiasm and Bartholdi was commissioned to come to America, introduce the idea here, select a site and finally to propose a design for the monument. As he sailed up the magnificent harbor of New York and watched the passengers crowd to the rail for their first glimpses of their new home, hope and confidence shining in their faces, "here" thought the Sculptor, "at the very gates of the promised land is an ideal site for a Material Ideal that shall Enlighten the World." The site suggested the character of the monument, and when he finally unfolded the project to America, it was, practically, as eventually realized. While not a sentimental people, we are an appreciative one, and Bartholdi and his proposal were warmly received. Our Government agreed to provide a suitable site and pedestal and the great Frenchmen returned to France to carry out the details of his plan. Subscription lists had been opened all over France, and the generous response to the appeal together with his reception in America, induced considerable expansion in the original plans of the Sculptor. He determined to make the statute fit the idea and thus larger than anything of the kind in all the world. The Statute of Memnon, at Thebes, was 62 feet high, that of Borromes, on Lake Maggiore, about 66 feet, of Arminius, in Westphalia, 92 feet, while the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the world, was only 105 feet high. Out reaching them all, Bartholdi planed a height of over 150 feet for his "Liberty." A solid figure of the size planed, was impracticable, so the Sculptor, with the advice of engineers and experts in metal, designed a hollow structure; A steel framework covered with thin copper plates shaped to represent the Goddess. A model 9-1/2 feet high was first made, complete in all its details, from this a copy, 38 feet in height was made. With this model, sufficently near the determined size to avoid inaccuracies, a final life size figure was constructed of wood, covered with staff, and the details perfected with the chisel. A wooden mould in 300 sections was then made and 300 sheets of copper formed to fit them by repousee work. Bartholdi was not an engineer, so he enlisted M. Eiffel, whose tower is known to fame, to design the structural steel work. The size and originality of the undertaking precluded haste and it was not until 1876 that the hand and torch was completed and exhibited at the Centennial, at Philadelphia. Two years later the head was a conspicuous exhibit at the great fair in Paris, and not until 1881, was the great work finished. On October 24th of that year, the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown, Hon. Levi P. Morton, then Minister to France, drove the first rivit in assemblong the parts. Meanwhile, what had been done in Anierica to carry out its part of the agreement? An executive committee with the following members was appointed: Hon. Wm. M. Evarts, Chairman; Richard Buttler, Secretary; Harry F. Spaulding, treasurer ; Joseph W. Drexel, Park Goodwin, J.W. Pinchot, V. Mumford Moore and Frederick A. Potts. Without difficulty, they obtained from Congress a site on Bedlow�s Island, but found trouble in getting the necessary funds to build the pedestal. It was contended that, as the gift was to the people, they, the people individually, should meet the expense. But the ardor of the people had considerably cooled and it was only by immense difficulties that the pedestal was finally completed in 1886. It is only just to state that the New York World was largely instrumental in saving the plan from failure and the country from humiliaton. Meanwhile the Statute had been waiting in Paris for the fullfillment of the obligations so readily assumed and so tardily executed. In May, 1886, it was put upon the transport Isere and reached New York June 17th. The welcome it received somewhat atoned for the apathy of the past, and now the difficult feat of erecting it on the pedestal alone remained. The top of the pedestal was already over 150 feet high, the statute complete weighed 450,000 pounds. Everything possible to insure its permancy and safety had been done. Gen. Charles P. Stone, U.S.A., was entrusted with its erection and under his able direction the thousands of beams, bolts, rivits and plates were assembled, and on October 28, 1886, the work was completed. The most gigantic under taking and time full fruitation of the most sublime idea of all time.
DIMENSIONS OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.
DIMENSIONS OF THE PEDESTAL.
DIMENSIONS OF FOUNDATION.
DATES IN THE HISTORY OF TUE STATUE.
MILITARY HISTORY OF BEDLOW�S ISLAND. As stated in another article in this pamphlet, Bedlow�s Island was ceded to the general government in 1800. For a number of years immediately succeeding this date; it was used for quarantine and hospital purposes. The unprotected condition of the city, and entire cost for that matter, as evinced by the easy capture and destruction of Washington, led the government to take defensive measures, and, in 1814 formidable fortifications were begun on this Island, and the work called Fort Wood. It first consisted of earthworks, mounting smooth bore guns of small calibre. The troops to man it were sheltered in brick and frame buildings within the works. A garrison was maintained here continuously until the Mexican War began, when the troops being needed in the field, Fort Wood was abandoned and left in charge of an ordnance sergeant. Previous to this, however, in 1841, work was begun on the present star fort. It was built of Quency-granite and cost $213,000.00. It was designed to mount 77 guns and a garrison of 350 men. It was practically a contiuation of the old fort, simply the old work in permnanent form. It is a beautiful example of the stone fort of the period and was probably as formidable as anything then in exsistence. As the improvement in weapons of war mnade the stone wall less effective to resist the impact of projectiles, they were partly protected by embankments of earth or glacis. The ditch and wall on the west side were built with this object in view. The front or channel side, was protected by earth-works that served as a glacis and in addition mounted a auntber of guns of large calibre. Several very excellent magazines were constructed under this parapet. Inside the fort where the statute now stands, were various buildings, mostly two-story brick structors, aggregating 44 rooms of various sizes. The base of the statue occupies the exact site of the old cisterns or reserviors holding 400,000 gallons of water. Then the supply was brought to the Island in boats. Some remains of the old buildings are still visible. The brick arches in the south-east corner are the remains of the post bakery. In 1849 it was temporarily turned over to the Treasury Department as a hospital for emigrants. In 1851 it was again occupied as a station, and in this year the brick building at the western end of the Island was built. This building was erected and used as a hospital for many years. At the breaking out of the Civil War, the garrison of Fort Wood was again withdrawn and the whole Island used for hospital purposes. At the close of the war the hospital was broken up and Fort Wood became a recruiting rendezvous. Many thousands of recruits were gathered here and shipped from time to time to California and the Southwest via the Isthmus of Panama, for service against hostile Indians. From 1868 until 1880 two batteries of artillery were stationed at Fort Wood. The rapid advances made in the carrying and destructive power of heavy ordinance fmnaly rendered the fort obsolete. It was too near the city to be any protection to it, for a warship could lie in the lower bay, out of sight and range from Fort Wood and hurl heavy shells into the heart of the city. In 1880 the Island was selected as the site for the Statute of Liberty and it was then supposed that the military station would be abolished entirely. During the ensuing six years, while the pedestal was being built and the station erected, no troops were stationed here, hut in 1886, immediately on the completion of the statute and its opening to the public, it was fouud that soldiers were needed as a guard and police party, and according a company of Infantry was brought here and continued as a garrison until March, 1904 when the Island was turned over to the United States Signal Corps as a supply depot and college, where the men of the Signal Corps undergo a thorough course of training in the following branches: Electrical Engineering, Telegraphy, Telephony, Dynamos, Wireless Telegraphy, Scientific Kite Flying, Ballooning, Photography, Submarine and Aerial-Cable, Splicing, Visual Signaling, Flag, Lamp, Heliograph, Rockets and Ardois Lights. EXTRACTS FROM THE HISTORY OF BEDLOW�S ISLAND. Bedlow�s Island, is one of the most historic spots in New York Harbor. A careful research of all obtainable data has resulted in the following, taken from various sources which may be of interst to the visitors: The first owner was one Isaac Bedlow, an English merchant resident from an early period in New Amsterdam. After the accession of the English, he became factor for Lord Lovelace, and died in New York in 1672. Some years subsequently his heirs sold the property and it eventually passed into the possession of Captain Archibald Kennedy (afterwards Earl of Cassiles), who at that time commanded the navel station under the British Government in this harbor. Captain Kennedy married as his second wife, Anne, daughter of Hon. John Watts, of New York. He acquired considerable property during his long residence here; prominent among his holdings were Bedlow�s Island and a country residence on the Jersey shore of the Hudson river witbin the present limits of Jersey City. He succeeded his grandfather in 1792 as Eleventh Earl of Cassiles in the Scotch peerage, and died in 1794, during the ownership and occupancy of Captain Kennedy the property was known as Kennedy�s Island. The following extracts from the records of the City of New York explain how the Island again changed owners:
PLACES OF INTEREST ABOUT THE HARBOR. On your return from a visit to the Statue of Liberty, you will notice off to your left a small island almost covered with an immense red building with four cupolas or turrets. That is Ellis Island, and all immigrants arriving at this port must pass inspection there. It is the successor of Castle Garden, a name familiar to all Americans. On an average, over 1000 immigrants pass its portals every day. A ferry boat makes frequent trips from the barge office to the island, but visitors must have a pass to be allowed to land. On your right as you approach the Battery, is Governor�s Island used by the general government for military purposes. It is about 65 acres in area, and contains the Headquarters of the Department of the East, commanded by Major General Fred D. Grant. Fort Columbus, an interesting old fortificaiton, and Castle William, formerly an important part of New York�s harbor defenses, but now used as a military prison. A government ferry boat makes half hourly trips to this interesting place. While crossing the bay, the towering piers and graceful span of the famous Brooklyn Bridge will be sure to attract your attention. This bridge which was built by Roebling, was begun in 1870 and opened to traffic on May 24th 1883. The center span between towers is 1595 feet long and the total length, including approaches, is 5989 feet, The towers are 272 feet and the roadway 135 feet above high water. The Bridge may be reached from the battery by the 2d or 3d Avenue elevated trains. Just before reaching the landing, you will see a short distance to your left old Castle Garden, familiar to all through picture and song, and to many through more intimate association. It now belongs to the city and shelters a very interesting aquarium. There is no admittance fee. A short distance above the bridge, on the Brooklyn side, is located the New York Navy Yard. This place would require a column of description in itself. Here are endless shops, dry docks, naval vessels of various types, the marine barracks, and the famous training ship Vermoot. To a visitor from the interior it is fascinating. Away down the harbor, five miles below Bedlow�s Island, is the narrows, with Fort Wadsworth on the Staten Island shore, and Fort Hamilton on the Long Island shore, both strongly fortified with the highest power and latest improved guns. Visitors are not admitted to the batteries. Both posts are easily reached by ferry and street cars. HICKS, THE PIRATE. Of all the peculiar and noteworthy events of Bedlow�s Island, perhaps none was so interesting and dramatic as the hanging of Albert Hicks on July 6th, 1860. Not very high in his profession, he had no skull and cross-bones at his mast-head, in fact it is not known that he ever owned a boat with or without a mast. Just a plain ordinary pirate, but his death furnished New York a holiday. Here is the plain and simple annal of his life: Albert Hicks was the son of plain but honest parents and was born and reared in old Trinity Court, in the shadow of Trinity Church. Nothing of particular interest is known of his early life, but at the age of twenty he was an able seaman on board the coasting schooner �Johnson,��and here the tragedy of his life was enacted. The schooner was owned by her captain, Charles S. Johnson, and had for a crew William and Henry Johnson, nephews of the owner, besides Hicks. On March 12th, the schooner cleared for Norfolk for a cargo of oysters for the New York market. Capatin Johnson had in his possession at the time of sailing $500 to pay for his cargo, and it was this sum that tempted young Hicks and led to his downfall. It was the last of several similar trips, and it is supposed that Hicks had thought over the possibility many times and that he had at last deliberately planned the terrible act about to be carried out. At any rate when the lower bay was reached and the schooner was about two miles south of Hoffman Island, Hicks killed all three men with an axe. He thought first of navigating the craft alone but the heavy wind blowing made this impossible, so he scuttled the schooner and rowed ashore in a dingy. He seemed a bold villain, for instead of shunning the haunts of men he promptly took a Staten Island ferry for New York. The schooner did not sink, but drifted ashore on the flats with its awful crew. Of course suspicion at once fastened on Hicks. and a systematic search was begun. Hicks soon became alarmed and went to Boston, Police Captain Broclcett of the Secret Service, finally ran him down there and brought him to New York, where he was confined in the Tombs prison. He was tried for piracy in the U. S. Courts, found guilty, and sentenced to be hanged on Bedlow�s Island. This was done in the presence of a large and interesting assemblage. The crowd was particularly satisfied because the hanging was done from a large tree instead of an ungainly gallows. In due time the Hicks� tree became one of the sights of the Island. Unfortunatly there has been some dispute as to which was really the Hicks� tree, but it is now decided positively that it was the one which stood at the southwest corner of the old U.S. barracks. The tree is now no more, for during a fierce gale it was blown down, and in its fall it came near cleaving a Sergeant and two Privates of the 13th Infantry. When the gale hit Bedlow�s Islaud, Sergeant Arnold stood in a barracks doorway in a deep study of flashing swords of fire jabbing slits in the sky. Two Privates were abed. When the tree broke all three soldiers jumped as if a cannon had been fired off. The barracks roof was crushed by the tree�s fall and a slice torn from the corner. That night the men tried to sleep there, but couldn�t, and the next morning they knew why, when someone said it was the anniversary of Hicks hanging. Liberty Gazette.
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