New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-02

in front of temple. Evidence is not wanting
that they were objects of religious veneration.
One of Egypt's Kings, IN raising an oDelisK,
took precaution which might serve as hih1
in modern undertakings; he ordered his own son
to be bound to the upper end OF the mohu-
ment during the operation. Punchs plan ior
preventing railway accidents by fastening
director on the front of the engine, was not
more sagacious The Obelisk had come DIS
lance of 500 miles, using the labor of 12o.ooo
men, and was certainly deserving of care, IL
not of reverence Pictures found in the tombs
show the ancient method of transporting oDe-
lisks on land. They were moved on rollers,
being pushed and pulled by vast crowd OF
workmen. who were stimulated by the lash OF
task-masters. The old plan OF floating an
Obelisk to the river, was to dig peneatl IL
wide bitches, put RATS in them under the one
lisk and fill the bitches with water. Inc raItS
were afterwards connected into one, ana the
bitches enlarged into canal.
The method by which CleOpatra's Needle mas
inst been fioated is novel and ingenious. A hol-
low iron cylinder with wedge-shaped ends now
inclOses it. The cylinder was built up ana
rlveted together around the stone-the iron
thus used weighing sixty tons. The ar
spaces of the cylinder were so calculated as
to be sufficient to float the whole. Two
months were occupied in this part of the
work, which included digging away the
sand beneath the stone, pushing the STONE
with hydraulic jacks till it was parallel WIN
the waters edge, and constructing Stop
ing road of broken rock down to the water.
The dimensions of the stone are probably sim
4l,o anIn X.
which the shaft is 81 feet long, tapering In
width from feet inches to feet inches.
The iron cylinder is % feet long, and 10 feet
in diameter. All around this iron box, wood
planking was fitted and strapped fast, and
then the whole cOntriyance was rolled side-
ways down to the water To make 1t roll ropes
were passed around it, and wound upon wlnches
fixed on vessels in the water. Other ropes
also passed around it, which unwound SLOWLY
from winches on shore behind the stone, pre-
venting it from rolling too fast. when
the strain was first put on 10 start
il. the vessels moved instead, dragging
their anchors; steam tugs were substituted,
aud when they put on full steam to 90 ahead,
the great cylinder rolled. Its movement was
so slow as scarcely to be perceptible, and the
greater paft OF tNO udyo hsio ONN"PiNN 80
reaching the water Then a disappointment
awaited the tolers; the cylinder filled with
water and a powerful pump could not empty
the air spaces. Divers at hrst failed to ma
the leak, but at last one in submarine amor
discovered it, Notwithstanding the casing OF
blanks, n stone had broken hole eighteen
inches across into the cylinder, and the stone
was wedged in the hole. So the cylinder had
to be rolled back ill the hole was upper
most the hole was then patched, the cylinder
punlped out, another downward roll was et-
fected. and the strange craft was afloat. 1t
draws from eight to ten feet of water, ana
has displacement of $50 tons; bilge pieces,
or wings, have been attached to prevent roll
ling. 1t will be t6wed slowly on It's long
voyage and, though ungainly, it Is not I'M
seawOrthy.
II there are sermons in stones, there IS GER
tainly a text in this obelsk, transported from
a heather temple to the capital of Christian
land. over thousand miles of sea. The slaves
whose labors brought it to Heliopolis thirty
four centuries ago, worShpped deity that had
no temple in his honor in all that land OF
ancient shrines To-day those temples are
ruined and deserted, and the deity OF that
subiect-race Is the God of Christendom.