The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-13
THE TH0TMEs 0BELIsK.


THE TH0rMEs 0BELIsK.
One would naturally suppose that the
project of transporting from Alexandria,
Egypt, and setting UP in New York of
the antique monument or obelisk known
as "Cleopatra's Needle" would receive
the unanimous and unqualified approval
of both citizens and press of that city. 1t
seems, however, to be otherwise. The
New York World, which appears to have
been the fortunate medium through
which this priceless treasure of antiquity
has been secured to the Western Hemi-
sphere is assailed by the New York
Sun with ridicule of the monument
itself, and the technical and legal
impediments thrown by creditors of the
Egyptian Government in the way Of its
removal are chuckled over both by that
and other newspapers with great glee,
while citizens deluge the office OF the
World with remonstrances against its re-
moval from Alexandria, as all almost
sacrilegious disturbance Of great his
torical landmark of antiquity. The Trib-
une, Herald and World unite in regard
ing it as an object of incalculable inter
est, and its removal to New York as an
event of the highest Importance to the
metropolis of the western continent.
The monolith itself is one of two that
was originally erected by Thotmes III far
back in the twilight almost of history at
Helopolis, where Moses is claimed to
have studied the laws of the Egyptians.
The two were conveyed to Alexandria by
Cleopatra and there placed in front OF
the Palace of the Caesars. Its fellow was
subsequently overturned, no one knows
how or when, but it lay neglected upon
the sands Of Egypt until they drifted
over it entirely, so that some ten years
ago visitors were unable to see it at ALL
Since then it has become the property OF
the British Government, and now stands
as one of the monuments and attractions
of the City of London. The monoliths
themselves, like Pompey's Pillar, still
standing at Alexandria, and the obelisl
brought from Luxor by the French
Government and set up il
the Place de La Concorde
in Paris, at a cost of 100000, are hewr
from single block Of red granite, ant
covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics o
the greatest interest to the antiquarian
It's diameter at the base is some 7 feet
and its hight 70, being 10 feet more thai
its fellow in London. The obelisk nov
in the Place De La Concorde, at Paris
, brought from Luxor - the ancien
Thebes-is u feet high, has base diam
eter of feet inches, and of 5 feet
: inches at the top. Its weight exceed
t 100000 pounds, and three years wer
: spent in its removal to its present site b
the Prince De Jcinville, under the au
pices of the French Government.
formerly stood In front OF the Temp
II of Thebes, and was erecte
by the great Sesostris 15(
r years before Christ. The Thotm
Z obelisk that is to come to New York
u the Egyptian meddlers do not prevel
+ by vexatious litigation and official rt
y tame is probably one of the oldest of e.
;. isting objects fashioned by the hands
u men and was perhaps quarried and set l
/ a thousand years before Joseph was SO
&c slave by his brethren to the Egyptian
n Out of the mists Of antiquity comes tn
d monolith with its hieroglyphics, yet Gle
'S aud sharp though chiseled by the Egg
II tian artifcers $500 years ago, to stir IL
i hearts of a nation waxing great amol
o the powers of the earth. whose first ce
u tennial was celebrated but year or ty
IL ago. In the language of the Arab;
!. poet how fitting to sing "Cobwebs al
81 fable oh History"