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Restori
the
erican
Dreatn?
I
HAD
seen the Statue of Lib–
erty before, but never like
this- swathed in scaffold–
ing, without her torch,
dozens of workmen swarming
overher.
"It
isn't just a cleanup," ex–
plained an engineer. "We are re–
building her from the inside out.
Befare she falls down. "
As a symbol of American freedom
and independence, the S tatue ofLib–
erty ranks second only to the flag.
She was presented as a gift by the
people of France.
For nearly 100 years she has
stood at the entrance to New York
Harbar-a welcoming beacon of
hope to millions of immigrants ar–
riving from the Old World. But as
Liberty approached her centenary,
she needed help herself.
The 151-foot-high statue was
constructed from hammered cop-
After a century
of exposure, the
copper skin of
the Statue of
Liherty
needed cleaning
and spot repairs.
A new gold–
plated torch
replaces the
original
illulninated one.
Major restoration
occurred inside
the statue.
by
John Halford
per plates fastened to an iron
framework. After decades of expo–
sure to the elements the copper was
still in remarkably good condition.
Only the copper torch needed re–
placing, and a few other spot re–
pairs, and an overall cleanup.
But the iron frame to which the
plates were fastened was badly cor–
roded. The statue depends on her
iron skeleton for strength. The cop–
per sheathing averages only about
the thickness of two pennies- in–
sufficient to support its 100-ton
weight. Liberty was in great dan–
ger.
It might not have happened this
year or in 1
O
years, but sooner or
later this symbol of American
hopes and dreams would have col–
lapsed into a heap of twisted metal.
So, the statue was closed to the
public, and an extensive restoration
project begun. Large corporations
and prívate citizens contributed
generously to a fund to save the
statue. More than $3 million was
given by America's schoolchildren
alone. Piece by piece the interior
bracing has been removed and re–
placed with exact duplicates made
from stainless steel. When the new
framework is in place, the project
engineers are confident "the
Lady," as they call her, will last
another bundred years. "In fact,"
they told me, "she's probably good
for a thousand! "
The statue was a fitting symbol
of new hope as she greeted the
boatloads of immigrants fleeing
from hopelessness and oppression.
In the late 19th and early 20th
centuries, America offered the
poor of Europe a fresh start and a
chance to succeed. Above all, it
promised freedom.
The nation had already survived
its first century of a bold experi–
ment in government-a republic
that not only
claimed
to be
founded in liberty (all nations
do)- but
meant
it. By the time the
Statue of Liberty first raised her
torch over New York Harbar,
America was a remarkable nation.
It
still is!
We tend to think of the United
States of America as a young coun–
try. But when one considers stabil–
ity, continuity of government and
venerability of institutions, Amer–
ica is a veteran on the world scene.
Many newly independent nations
have admired American success
and tried to emulate it. But none
have come close.
The people of the 13 colonies,
having declared their independence
from the Crown and established
themselves on the North American
continent, opened their doors to
the poor of the world. Those 13
colonies became in many ways the
most successful nation that has
ever existed.
All
nations say they strive to
provide freedom, opportunity, se–
curity, constitutional rights and
high standards of living for their
people. But how many have been
successful in accomplishing this? A
few small countries certainly. But
none on the vast scale of America.
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