Sham S. Misri
(From; Liberty Island, New York)
Saturday,
6th July, 2002
Staying in a hotel in the heart of New York, we made
preparations to leave for Liberty Island to see the famous Statue of Liberty.
From Battery Park (New York) we took the ferry to reach the Island. At Battery
Park (NY), we had to wait for nearly thirty minutes to pass though tight level
security prior to boarding the ferry. After that we went into the ferry to go
to Liberty Island.
At the Liberty Island we stayed for nearly two hours. Having
taken the photographs and a walk on the island we then made preparations to go
to Ellis Island. To visit the two Islands we had some seven hours at our
disposal. The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are protected national
treasures.
Statue of Liberty
For the many immigrants that flocked from Europe to New
York, the Statue of Liberty was the first image they saw of the USA. The statue
was a gift from the French government for the 100th anniversary of America's
Independence. The statue was designed by a young French sculptor, who was
striving to build a statue like the great Colossus that once stood at the Greek
island Rhodes. The statue's face was modelled after his mother's and the story
goes that the body was modelled after a prostitute.
The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the
people of France to the people of the United States and is a universal symbol
of freedom and democracy. The crown of Lady Liberty, as the statue is often
affectionately called, has seven spikes, symbolizing the Seven Seas across
which liberty should be spread. In her left hand she holds a tablet with the
Declaration of Independence and in her right hand a torch, symbolizing
Enlightenment. The statue's steel framework was made by French engineer Eiffel,
better known as the man behind the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The statue is
flexible enough to withstand heavy storms. Large iron bars attach the framework
to a central structure. The original structure consists of copper plates
attached to the metal framework.
The Statue of Liberty was constructed in Paris, France. It
took nine years before it was completed in 1884 after which it was sent to the
USA in 214 crates. It was decided to erect the statue at a small island in the
harbour of New York City. Today the island is known as Liberty Island. When the
Statue of Liberty was to be erected the biggest and most awkward problem was
the construction of the pedestal. The cost of the pedestal had to be paid for
by the Americans themselves. To raise the funds, the statue's torch was
displayed in Madison Square Park for six years - from 1876 until 1882. This was
an attempt to spark interest and attract funds. Later on the funds were raised
when people donated money for the project, and the statue was erected in 1886.
It was officially inaugurated by president Grover Cleveland.
The Statue of Liberty is 151ft. high and together with the
pedestal it reaches a height of 305ft. A staircase is inside the statue and one
can walk all the way up the 354 steps to the crown. One can have a nice view
over New York City from there.
Ellis Island
From 1892 to 1954, Ellis Island was the immigrant gateway to
America. More than 12 million people would arrive here on the way to their new
life in a new country. Many had little or no money, some were ill; others had
family waiting for them on the other side of the gate. The stories are many and
varied, but all arrived hoping for something different and better than what
they had in their homeland.
Millions of Americans have a connection to the island,
through which their ancestors passed on the way from their homeland to their
brand new home in America. Records indicate that more than half of all
Americans had a relative who passed through Ellis Island.
Immigration Museum
The 27.5-acre site is located just off the southern tip of
Manhattan, within viewing distance of the Statue of Liberty. It was originally
built just prior to the War of 1812 to serve as a coastal fortification, known
as Fort Gibson. Immigrants who arrived here (Italy and Austro-Hungary had the
largest numbers of immigrants) in possession of a first or second class ticket
were given cursory examinations shipboard and allowed to enter America with
little delay. Poorer passengers - were subject to more rigorous examinations
and were denied entry if obviously ill. In all, only 2% of all arrivals were
sent back to their countries.
Today, Ellis Island is an Immigration Museum and is part of
the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Entering the museum, located in the
main building, we could view artifacts, photographs, prints, videos,
interactive displays, oral histories, and temporary exhibits.
The American Immigrant Wall of Honor exhibits the names of
600,000 men and women who passed through Ellis Island on the way to their new
home. Descendants of the immigrants paid $100 each to have their relative's
name placed on the wall. In the Immigration History Center, one can examine
passenger logs from the hundreds of ships that arrived here between 1892 and
1924.
The Ellis Island Living Theatre provides a 30-minute
theatrical production about the challenges of immigration, past and present.
The presentation is based upon the oral histories of several Ellis Island
immigrants. The Statue of Liberty Ferry provided us transportation to Ellis
Island from Battery Park in New York. Because this is a very popular tourist
attraction, we had an advanced planning.
Healthy snacks and beverages were sold on all boats. Liberty Island & Ellis Island have
multiple food options. We purchased some picnic lunch at the island and
relished it. There is an approach to go in the statue of liberty, but no food
or beverages were allowed within the Statue of Liberty. We walked around
Liberty Island in the shadow of Lady Liberty who stands 151 feet tall. We witnessed
the historic halls and galleries at Ellis Island Immigration Museum, where more
than 12 million immigrants first entered America. We enjoyed the leisure time
and an audio tour on each island. My
visit with my family, to the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and the Ellis
Island Immigration Museum made by a short ferry ride from Battery Park, New
York will be long remembered.
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