Daily News from New York, New York • 128

MANHATTAN-BRONX SECTION TWO Largest circulation in MANHATTAN-BRONX NEW YORK'S PICTURE NEWSPAPER Copr. 1969 News Syndicate Co. Inc. New York, N.Y. 10017, Sunday, July 27, 1969 A Sad Visit Into the Past Ellis Island is the derelict of New York's Upper Bay.

The 27i2-acre island, deserted since 1954, has been rolled by the destructive whims of time and vandalism. Once it was a bustling immigration center -Ellis Island, the hope of the world's lonely and poor. Now it's alone rejected, in a sense, by those she accepted. Four years ago Ellis Island was grafted, Congress-style, to the Statue of Liberty, thus making the island a national monument. However, Federal funds for rehabilitation did not materialize and Ellis is long overdue at the beauty parlor.

Her foliage is snarled, her grounds need a manicure, her figure is dumpy and she is crying for face lift. It is as if the Statue of Liberty wishes to forget the ugly kid stepsister. Her majestic head is turned to the sea while her back is turned on Ellis. Lady Liberty may have lighted the doorway for the 1G million anxious new arrivals who entered New York harbor between 1892 and 1954, but Ellis Island was the welcome (Continued on page 6) life The Great Hall is empty and decaying haunted by touching memories of many people and many dreams. Ellis Island nee opef or fiAillions, Ds Mow Waiting for a Handout a 7i'A' Pay A By ELLEN FLEYSHER A ship that should not have sunk did so six months ago, when the old Ellis Island Ferry went down, its iron hull rusted through.

"Saving it was a matter of funds which were lacking," said W. Pingree Crawford, management assistant for Ellis Island. "It was inevitable because the craft, which transported new immigrants to Manhattan, had been anchored in the 'slip since 1954 when the island was closed." The Joss of the paint-thirsty old vessel was just another heartbreak for the National Park Service, who are waiting for promised funds to rehabilitate Ellis Island. On May 11, 1965, President Johnson designated Ellis Island part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Three months later, Congress authorized $6 million to develop it, stipulating that not more than $3 million could be spent in the first five years of operation.

The First Appropriation Two years ago, $250,000 was appropriated. The money was promptly used for emergency repairs, the largest single item being replacement of the roof on the Main Registration Building. The new roof, measuring approximately 11,300 square feet, halted rapid deterioration of the interior. No additional funds have been granted since then, but Henry G. Schmidt, of the National Park Service, said, "We are doing preliminary work through development of the master plan so that when money is available, we'll be ready to move." Iff hvf The new master plan, the work by Department of Interior architects engineers, landscape designers and historians, calls for rehabilitation of the Byzantine Main Registration Building and razing of most of the remaining 34 brick buildings for creation of park land.

Today, the Great Hall, on the second story of the Main Registration Building, looks barren. Huge horseshoe-shaped windows let plenty of light into the 50x100 foot room. The three original giant chandeliers hang from the 50-foot vaulted ceiling. Also planned is the restoration of tne grand staircase, which led to the Great Hall. The staircase, 14 feet wide and 20 feet long, had 37 steps with one landing.

It was removed in 1911 to create space. Ellis Island was opened to steerage class immigrants in 1892. The Main Registration Building, put up in 1900, was designed to handle 5,000 people daiThe all-time high was 11,745 new arrivals in a single day during the immigrant rush of 1907. in the island's years of operation, 15 million hopefuls sought entry. About 95 got past the gate.

After World War II, the Island was used more as a deportation center, and immigration procedures were handled in the country of origin. After the 1954 shut-down, the General Services Administration put Ellis Island on the auction block All the bids were declared inadequate, and in 1957 the National Park Service, under the Department of the Interior, took over in 1957. "Sure I'm disturbed over the lack of appropriations," said the tall tanned and good looking Crawford. Seawall Needs Shoring Up "The earliest date we have now for beginning major work is in the 1970's." Crawford added, "and the first thing to be done is repair of the seawall to keep the island from washing away." The mere promise of funds cannot halt the deterioration that is going on full steam ahead. Since the proposed renovations of the island will take from seven to 10 years, the National Park Service has planned an interim program.

"We now have three films about the island, Schmidt said. "We want to set up an audiovisual program for casual visitors and groups of school children. They could learn about Ellis while they are right there." The interim program was scheduled lor this summer in the Ferry Building, youngest of the Ellis Island structures, built in 1935 and in good condition. But there are no funds for it. The Job Corps Conservation Center was to provide workers to help in clearing away the tons of rubble on the island.

"I had about four of them here for a week," said Crawford. "They put in some partitions, patched some windows and did general clean-up in the Ferry Building. I had a long list of things to do." The Conservation Center itself was a victim of the first federal cutback in the Job Corps program and another heartbreak for the National Park Service. The rot and ruin continues as Ellis Island waits, as the immigrants did, for better fortunes. 4 i if Las VTf NEWS phofo bv Ed Clarity The Statue of Liberty: Ellis Island looks to hor.

A rotting ferryboat and empty wheelchair greet visitors today..