Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-07-18

single stone Of granite is ninety fees' ana
the onedes,al is twenty feet more. II IS OF
the Corinthian order, which gives oeau-
l,iful digai,y to It's simplicity, rarely 70 Dc
met with in modern architecture. 1t has
suffered little or no injury from time. Inc
polish upon the shaft has wonderfully WITH
stood the bufeting Of the tempest; ana II
iipromises:to hand down a patriot name 70
the latest postcri,y Of the ignorant natl We,
who has no other trace OF the lame OF
pompey! The pedestal has been some-
wha, damaged by the instruments OF ira
,veaEers, who are curious to possess relic
Of this antiquity anil one or the valutes
Of the column was immaturely brought
down about four years ago, by prank OF
some English captains, which IS 100, iadl-,
These Jolly sons of Neptune had been
pushing aboutthe cam on board one OF the
ships IN the harbor, until stranee freak
entered into one oftheir brains. fhe &C.
centrcity of the thought occasloned It I'M
mediately to be adopted; and its apparent
inlpossibllty was but spur for Puttlag It
into execution. The boat was ordered,
and with proper implement for the attempt
these enterPrizing heroes pushed ashore,
TO drink bowl Of punch on the Top OF
Pompey's Pillar! At the spo. they arrlS-
ed and many coutrlvances were proposed
TO accomplish the desired point. but
their labor was vain; and they began to
despair Of success, when the genious who
struck out the frolic, happily suggested The
means Of performing it. "A man was dis
patched 70 the city for paper kite. fhe
inhabitants were by, this time appriSea OF
what WAS going forward, and focked IN
crouds to be Witnesses Of the address and
bolfness II the English. The governor OF
Alexandria was told that these seamen
were about to pull down Pompey's Pillar.
Bat whether he gave them credit for their
respect to the Roman warrior, or to the
Turkish government, he left them 10 them
selves, and politely answered, that the I'm
glish were too great patriots to inJure the
remains Of Pompey. He knew little, how
ever, of the disposition of the people who
were engaged in this undertaking. Had
the Turkish empire rose IN opposition, it
would not, perhaps at that moment have
deferred them The kitewas brought, and
Aewn SO directly over the pillar, that when
it fell on the other side, the string lodged
upon the capital. The chief obstacle was
now overcome. A two inch.rope was tied
to one end 9th string, and drawn over
the pillar by the end to which the kite was
affixed. BY this rope one of the seamen
assembled to the top, and in less than an
hour a kind of shroud was constructed,
by which the whole company wen. up, and
drank their punch amid the shouts OF the
as,onished multitude. To the eye below,
the capital of the pillar does not appear ca.
pable of holding more than one man upon
it; but our seamen found it could contain
no less than eight persons very convenient.
ly. 1t is astonishing that no accident beiel
these mad-caps, in asituatlUn so elevated,
that would have turned landnaan glddy
in his sober senses. The only de;:.ment
which the pillar received, was the loss OF
he voiute before mentioned; which came
down with a laundering sound, and was
carried to England by one of the captains
as present to lady who commissioned
him Tor piece Of the pillar. The disco.
very which they made, amply compensated
for this m schief; as without their evidence
the world would not nave known at this
aour, thar there was originally astatue upon
this P::lar, one foot and ANGLE of whica are
still rem aiming. The statue was, probably
Of Po.npey himself; and must have been of
a ~i5aa III siae, 70 have appeared of aman's
proportion at SO great a height.
There are circumstances IN this story
which might give it an air of Action, were
it no. demonstrated beyond all doubt. Be-
sides the testimony of many eye witnesses
the adventures themselves have left US a
token Of the fact, by the initials of their
names. which are very lepibit in black ylai1t