Statue Of Liberty Facts
|
The Statue of Liberty in New York, United States, is not only interesting to look at, but has some interesting anecdotes attached to it. Even though it is a widely popular structure, there are some lesser known facts related to it too.
|
We all know that the Statue of Liberty is a gift from France to the United States, dedicating it to the American Declaration of Independence. But many do not know that it once acted as a lighthouse to any ships or vessels approaching the New York Harbor. The torch bore by one hand of the statue gave out light, indicating shoreline to distant vessels. The torch had electric lamps inside it, making it the first electrically powered lighthouse ever. However, at that time, keeping in mind the magnitude of the torch and the structure itself, a whole energy plant was reserved just for it!
The flame of the torch also has a bit of a history to it. Originally the flame was covered with copper sheet. In 1916, when the Statue was renovated, Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor behind Mount Rushmore, did away with most of the copper sheath and replaced it with glass windows. Now, these windows began to be corroded due to rain and snow. Thus on its 100th birthday in the year 1986, the torch was removed altogether to be replaced by a new one, wrapped with gold leaf, as we see today.
The Statue of Liberty is literally the biggest woman in America, as in any other part of the world too, standing tall at 151 feet. Add another 154 feet for its base and the foundation, the total length till the torch tip is a massive 305 feet.
More Articles :
|
