The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-08-26
Cleopatra's Needle.

This obelisk can tell us q long and
wonderful story. Over fifteen centuries
before Jesus Christ was born, there
reigned IN Egypt the great King Thoth-
mes, the third Of that title. He wassuch
brave fighter that no other troops In
Africa or Asia could stand against him.
He even made the far-off King Of Nine
veh pay him q tribute of elephants, 81
RATES., gold, silver and horses, which
latter animals the Egyptians had never
owned before. He was also noted
hunter, and one painting shows him
busy in slaught ering 100 elephants.
At his order, hundreds Of men we're
set to work to hew two obelisks out Of
the hard granite rocks at iSyene, in
Southern Egypt, near where the Nile
dashes through the cataracts. He was
resolved to preserve the memory of his
victories forever on the stones. oil
In the quarry, they used,to mark out
the stone for the whole length required,
and then drive metal wedges into the
lines on three faces. - 55a
In this manner, after the patient labor
of many months, the rocks was cut away
on all sides save one. The rough block
was finally separated by driving q num-
Der Of wooden wedges at the same time
along its entire length, in the holes pre-
viously cut for them; and then these
wooden wedges, were saturated with
water, SO as to split the stone by their
expansion. s,3 3 Ff5R
The next step was to transport such
massive block distance of 500 miles to
Heliopolis or On, the City of the Sun,
near the delta of the Nile. So the stone
was moved across inclined platforms to
raft, which had been brought to the
edge Of the quarry through ,e canal, and
then it was hoated down the Nile during
an inundaton. &HtirF
! Some scholars believe that large
monoliths had to be conveyed all the
way by land, on sledges and rollerss
several years.
On its arrival in safety the granite
was carefully polished. Next the fig
ures and inscriptions selected were skill
fully inscribed by the court sculptor, yet
slowly, on account Of its extreme hard
ness. The base Of the obelisk was then
set within q groove in the pedestal, and
the entire monument was raised to the
perpendicular by building up a ridge Of
) earth beneath it. A=,g
These monuments may have been
standing at On when Joseph became
Vizier over Egypt; and married a
daughter Of the Priest of On. It is a
nearer certainty, however, that they
were in their place when Moses was
being cultured in oil the learnings Of the
Egyptians; and he may have often
, looked upon their faces when student.
After the Romans had conquered
Egypt, centuries later, these two ODE
; lisks were removed from On to the city
: Of Alexandria, on the coast. They
were then set up before the new tenn
pie erected for the worship of Caesar OF
} Rome, the sovereign Of the world.
> This happened in the reign of either
, the Emperor Augustus or Hberius, and
:. more than /, 800 years ago. It was also
} shortly after the death Of Cleopatra,
the last Queen Of Egypt, whose wicked
, wiles ruined herself and her kingdom.
) In after years, the Egyptians set
; afoot tradition that she had conveyed
, these monoliths to their new station,
, and so it CHANGED the name of Cleo.
, patra's Needle was thought appropriate.
In the lapse of centuries, one Of these
obelisks fell PROSTATE, and this latter
; is the monument which now adorns the
: Thames embankment.
) Cleopatra's needle has stood erect
throughout the entire period Of the
! Christian era, though part of its base
, has gradually worn away, and the col
! umn has required to be kept in position
J by inserting loose stones.
, Some of the inscriptions have been
, partly defaced by the sand-laden winds
, and the action of the elements through
, the ages, but considering its age and re-
, movals, the obelisk is in remarkable
Il f1O11 e..