In the early 70's the torch in the hand of the staue of liberty in New York Harbor was designated off limits because the ladder within the arm had rusted. The history now is completely different!
About six or seven years ago, I came across an article about a retiree who had lived his entire life in Jersey City, near the border with Bayonne, not far from the site of the old Black Tom Island. The island is now part of Liberty State Park with winding walkways, and he walked through the park on a daily basis.
One morning he noticed a large, standing interpretive panel along the walkway. It looked weathered, as though it had been there for years. The panel explained the story of the Black Tom Explosion of 1916—the massive explosion at a munitions depot where ammunition and explosives bound for Europe were being stored.
What struck him most was that he had lived there his entire life and had never heard of Black Tom Island Explosion.
Here is the history of Black Tom Island now;.
'After the Black Tom explosion on July 30, 1916, the Statue of Liberty suffered relatively limited physical damage. Shrapnel embedded in the copper, and the blast wave pushed the torch arm against the crown, damaging its internal framework. About 100 iron bolts were reportedly torn loose. The island itself was closed for about 10 days while immediate repairs were made.'
However, the public was permanently barred from climbing through the arm to the torch after Black Tom. The crown remained accessible at various times. The National Park Service specifically states that the torch has been closed since the 1916 explosion, while the crown is a separate access route.
The major structural restoration of the arm and the rest of the Statue came in 1982–1986. During that project, the deteriorating iron armature—including the armature supporting the copper skin—was replaced with stainless steel. The restoration was completed in 1986 for the centennial.'
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