That Statue of Liberty story

Categories: Book Review
Posted by Frank Warner
July 6, 2009

In ?When Liberty trembled,? The Morning Call two days ago told the story of a 1916 act of German sabotage that obliterated a New York Harbor dock and damaged the Statue of Liberty.

If you want to know more about that attack on the Black Tom Island pier, there are many other resources, including two excellent books on the subject. One is ?Sabotage at Black Tom,? by Jules Witcover (1989). The other is ?The Detonators,? by Chad Millman (2006).

It is a little-remember event of World War I, the blowing up of 2 million pounds of munitions waiting on a Jersey City, N.J., dock owned by the Lehigh Valley Railroad.

The July 31, 1916, Morning Call said, ?Two Lives Lost, Scores Hurt, Millions of Damage by Explosion Felt in Five States.?

The obliterated pier was known as Black Tom Island, but it hadn?t been an island for at least 10 years. The Lehigh Valley Railroad had joined the island to Jersey City with earth and construction debris.

When a mysterious series of pier fires set off the munitions at 2:08 a.m., the first explosion was devastating.

?Every window in the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, on Bedloe?s Island opposite Black Tom, was broken, and the main door, made of iron and weighing almost a ton, was blown off its hinges,? The Morning Call reported. ?The statue itself, however, was not damaged, except from the rain of shrapnel which bespattered it.?

Chaos, catastrophe. Later, it was discovered that at least four people were killed in the monster explosions, which also crushed buildings in Jersey City, shattered windows in Lower Manhattan, and popped 100 rivets in the raised arm of the Statue of Liberty.

Note, though, that the initial news report of a one-ton door blown off its hinges at Bedloe?s Island is almost certainly not true. The doors to the Army officers? quarters on the island were blown away; in the chaos, news reporters probably got their doors confused.

Ever since the attack of July 30, 1916, the Statue of Liberty?s torch has been closed to the public. But as of this Fourth of July, the statue?s crown is open for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001.

The Statue of Liberty is not just a symbol. It?s a part of our history.

Frank Warner

Lady Liberty crown reopening tix going fast

Monday, June 15, 2009

NEW YORK - Yearning to visit Lady Liberty's crown when it reopens on July 4? Dream on.

Tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty's iconic headpiece for the first three days after its reopening sold out within hours of going on sale Saturday. The crown is scheduled to reopen July 4. It's been closed since the attacks on 9/11.

Would-be visitors can make reservations as long as a year in advance by calling 877-523-9849 or by going to www.statuecruises.com.

Crown tickets cost $3 above the regular admission charge, which is $12 for adults and $5 for children. Seniors get in for $10. Those prices cover the ferry ride.

Only about 240 people will get to visit Lady Liberty's crown on a daily basis, and only 30 people will be let in per hour for security reasons.

Thanks for the heads up!

I hope they reopen it, too. I never bothered going to the statue until about 5 years ago, when my in-laws came to visit from the West Coast. When I finally made it to the statue, we only made it up to the observation deck, and it made me sad that I never took the time to visit the statue in the 2 decades or so that I'd lived in JC. I'll definitely be one of the first ones to go up to the torch when they reopen the crown section!

Interior Secretary: The Statue of Liberty may reopen to the public

by Tom Shortell/The Jersey Journal
Wednesday March 25, 2009, 10:55 PM

The Statue of Liberty's crown might reopen to the public this Fourth of July, says U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

The observation deck in the crown has been closed to the public since Sept. 11, 2001. Access to the national landmark was restored in 2004, with only the crown remaining off limits.

Salazar, who visited the statue at the request of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, said Tuesday the reopening would be a powerful symbol.

"It would proclaim to the world -- both figuratively and literally -- that the path to the light of liberty is open to all," Salazar said, according to a report by Bloomberg Press.

The NPS has wanted to close the crown for the longest time due to safety reasons, and 9/11 provided a perfect excuse. Imagine if they had tried to close it before the attacks - the public outrage would have been immense.

Anyhow, they have had 7 years to study this and now it is only a waste of taxpayer dollars. If they don't want it open, it will no open. Updating the statue to current safety and fire codes will probably cost millions of dollars. And with a backlog in building maintenance and repairs, the NPS can not afford to spend dollars on this.

Don't get me wrong, I think it should be open. But I don't think this will happen. Maybe I'm wrong.

As for the torch - there is no way that will ever open up again.

Now the other buildings in Ellis, I sure hope they can get those fixed up, but again, service wide there is such a high backlog.

I sure hope they open the torch again. I was only up there when I was bout 8 & would be great to go up there & take some pics & show the kids!

Opening her crown top department head's list

Saturday, January 24, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The new secretary of the interior, Ken Salazar, toured the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island yesterday to assess the possibility of re-opening the statue's crown to visitors and restoring hospital buildings and other portions of Ellis Island.

Salazar made the visit to fulfill a promise Sen. Robert Menendez extracted from him during his confirmation hearing last week.
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"We're just very proud that the secretary is making his first visit here - two days after being sworn in," Menendez said during a news conference on Ellis Island with Salazar and Rep. Albio Sires, D-West New York.

Lady Liberty was closed to the public after the Sept. 11 attacks. The pedestal was re-opened in 2004, but visitors have been barred from the statue itself due to concerns about public safety.

To reach the crown, visitors have to climb a narrow 168-step spiral staircase.

"Our concern is about getting people out in an emergency," said Cynthia R. Garrett, superintendent for the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island.

But Menendez said he is pushing to find a way to re-open the crown, not only because it provides "an incredible vista," but also because "it is very important to send a message that we will not let terrorists stop us."

The National Park Service has commissioned a study to determine what would be needed to bring the statue's interior into compliance with safety and fire codes. The study is expected to be completed by mid-April.

The group also toured dilapidated hospital and service buildings that are currently closed to the public. Currently, only five of the 33 structures on the island are open to tourists. Renovation of the buildings would cost between $200 million and $300 million, Garrett said.

Most of the closed parts of Ellis Island lies in New Jersey's territory. Menendez said he is pushing for their renovation because the buildings are "a big part of our history."

Salazar said finding a way to restore the Ellis Island buildings and re-open the crown will be "a very high priority."

"This is an American treasure. . I don't think there is a better symbol of the fact that there is one America than this island."

Kevin Clapham, 39, on vacation from Wales, said he would have liked to have climbed to the top of the statue during his visit.

"It's a fantastic experience to go up that close, but it certainly would have enhanced it to be up inside the statue itself."