Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-10-17
CleOpatra's Needle.

Inc EGYPTIAN oDelSk, long known by the
misnomer of "Cleopatra's Needle" now on
its way to England, is about sixty-eight feet
long, six feet square at the base, and weighs
two hundred tons. 1t is shipped in an iron
cylinder with pointed ends. The cylinder
was built up around the obelisk as it lay in
the sand, and was then rolled over and over
by means of ropes placed about it and made
fast to ships lying off the coast, until it was
fairly launched in deep water. The odd
craft was then fitted with rudder and
towed to sea by steamship 1t behaved
well in the water, and no danger or difficulty
is expected on the voyage, which, of course,
will be slow. The history of this monu-
ment is curious. 1t is solid block of stone,
cut from the quarry probably, though that
is not certain, in the reign of Thothmes H.,
about the middle of the fourteenth century
before the Christian era, about three thou
sand two hundred years ago. Its age is in.
ferred from the inscriptions in hieroglyphics
which cover its sides, referring TO the life of
that monarch, and also to Harnesses H., a
posed to be the Pharaoh of the Biblical his
tory, in whose reign Joseph hourished.
These obelisks were originally placed in
pairs before the entrance OF Egyptian tenn
pies, and are supposed to have had some
symbolic significance, but what their mean
ing was scholars have not been able to agree.
1t is mentioned as significant by one Egypt
ologst that none were originally placed on
the west side of the river proper, from
whence it is inferred that the obelisk sym
b1lizes the rising sun, as the pyramids, all
of which are situated on the western side,
| symbolic the setting of that uminary.
This obelisk, with its companion, originally
stood at the entrance of temple at Ieliopo
lis, and was removed to lower Egypt near
Alexandria, as tradition says, during the
reign of Cleopatra, whence the name of
Cleopatra's needles-but, in fact, some years
later The one now on its way to England
has long been PROSTATE, and was granted to
Great Britain by the Turkish authorities in
1901, after the Egyptian campaign against
| NdpOleol' L ne pIOJecJ Vi removing IL 10
England was undertaken at that time, but
soon abandoned. Several times since the
subject has been agtated, but without re-
suit until last year, when Professor Erasmus
Wilson assumed the whole expense of its
transportation, which is now in fair way
to be successfully accomplished. Several
other obelisks have been removed and set
up in European cities. One of them, which
stands in the centre of the Place de la Con-
corde, at Paris, was brought from its original
site in 1886, at the cost of four hundred
thousand dollars.
In parting with the above ancient
obelisk, the Khedive of Egypt evidently
went upon the principle that he might as
well go out of the business entirely; so its
sister shaft, he intimated to representative
of the New York World, he would present to
the city of New York provided he was for
merly requested by the proper authorities to
do so. Parties were found who were will
ing to take the contract TO transport it here
for one hundred thousand dollars, and pub
lic-spirited citizen promptly stepped forward
and guaranteed the amount. So it is posi-.
bic, nay, quite probable, that we shall be
fully as well equipped with stock of Cleo
patras needles as our English cousins.