Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-07-27
CLEOPATGA'S NEEDLE.
Safe Arrival in New York OF the
celebrated Egyptian .Obelisk.
Short History OF the Famous
MOnOEifh.
New York Herald, Goth.

New York Herald, 10th.
The steamer Dessouk, under COM
mand of Lieutenant Commander
Henry II. GOrringe, United States
navy, came into this harbor late last
night. She was first sighted eff Fire
island at quarter past seven O'Clock
and reached quarantine some five
hours later. She has brought to New
York the Low famous obelisk that is
to be erected probably in Central park,
and for the immediate acquisition OF
which the city is indebted 10 the gen.
erosity of Mr.. William II. Vanderbilt.
It is one of the two needles OF CIeopa~
ira that stood for centuries on the
shores Of the Levant near the city 0!
Alexandria, and that for centuries be-
fore guarded the doors of the temple of
the Setting Sun at HeliopOlis. It's
mate, which had fallen from it's ped
estai in Alexandria, was granted TO
England in 1919, and only received
there in 1878, through the efforts and
personal sacrifices of PCof. Erasmus
Wilson. The present Obelisk, so say
the Greek and Latin inscriptions on
its base, was built by Engineer POntia,
at the order Of Barbarus, prefect of
Egypt, in the eighth year Of Augustus
C@ szr's reign, or twenty-five years be-
fore the beginning of the Christian
era. Ii was removed from HeliOpoIis
to Alexandria during the reign of
Tiberius, but was erroDeously believed
to have been removed in the time of
Cleopatra, and hence it was called
Cleopatra's needle. There is little in
the history of this relic with which
the readers of the Herald have not
been acquainted. It is by far the most
peerless treasure of the kind that ever
came to the new world from the old.
The remarkable emblems found en-
graved upon the stones at the base of
the monolith have stirred the Masonic
fraternity all over the world and are
likely to excite the attention of the
Mssons Of America fer mary days to
come.
The programme fer unshipping and
erecting 1t here has not been COM
pleted, but Masons in all parts of the
country have expressed q desire to
share in the performance. It is said
that the unshipping will be accom-
plished by the same means employed
in placing 1t on board the Dessouk
| The steamer will be first lowered
on dry dock, and then the obelisk will
be slid upon two floats, one under
either end. The machinery made in
Trenton last fall, and used in Alexan-
dria for lowering the column, will be
employed again for its re-erection. It
mainly consists of two great trunnions
that are employed for suspending the
weight of the needle.
Lieutenant Commander Gorrin ge
sailed from New York on his mission
to Egypt on August 26, 1879. The obe-
| lisk was formally ceded to himself and
Lieutenant Schroeder by the governor
of Alexandria on October 22, and the
work of removal began the same day.
During the accomplishment Of this
task the citizens of Alexandria mani
tested considerable opposition, and the
creditors of the Egyptian government
threatened to seize the needle. Com
mander Gorringe flung the American
| flag from his treasure on the thirsieth
of October, and on the fourth and
! fifth days of December, when it was
| being lowered, the Russian sailors in
that port came generousuiy forward to
his assistance.
| The Dessouk is vessel Of one thou
sand and sixty tons, and carries about
two thousand tons. She was built in
England and bought by the Egy ptian
government while yet on the stocks.
| She was purchased from Egypt for her
present use by Com mander GorTinge,
| and che left Alexandria on the twelfth
of June and Gibraltar on the twenty
| fifth