Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-03-18
DISCOVERY or MASONIC EMBLEMS


From despatch to the New York World.
WAsHINGToS, March 3, 'S0.-Judge
Philip II. Morgan, the newly-appoint-
ed Minister to Mexico, has recently
returned from Egypt, where for three
years past he has held the position of
Judge of the International Court. He
is here in attendance at the Department
of State, receiving his instructions pre-
paratory to assuming charge of his
new office.
To a representative of the World
Judge Morgan last night spoke very
freely regarding the discovery of Ma
sonic emblems in the base of the
Egyptian obelisk now being removed
by Lieutenant-Commander Gorringe.
He was in Egypt at the time of the
excitement over the matter, and in
company with prominent members of
the Masonic fraternity he visited the
obelisk and examined the emblems.
He says that rs soon rs the Masons
who visited the scene were shown sue
cessively the column, square and trowel
in the base of the obelisk they pro-
nOunced them exact emblems of the
Masonic order. "Not only" said he,
"werc these things Identical with the
Masonic emblems Of to-day, but they
were arranged in precisely the same
position in which they would be placed
now by Masonic lodge. The square
was made of much finer stone than
the stone used in the other part of the
base, and was the only piece that differ
ed IN shape from the blocks contained IN
the bdse. The most conclusive feature,
however, about the matter was the nell
defined and genuine troicei that ,cas
found imbedded IN one Of these stones.
II ,cas precisely The same form as The
tro,oeLs nO,0 used by lasons. 1t was
made of iron, and although corroded,
the shape was well preserved with the
exception of small piece broken off
the flange on one side. / sd,O these
things myself" said Judge Morgan,
and / hare no doubt that they are The
signs Of Masonry. They were not put
there without a purpose, and no one
can dispute that they are symbols of
something, and in view of their being
identical with the Masonic emblems
and arranged in precisely the same
order, think that the most natural
inference is that the foundation of that
obelisk was designed to perpetuate the
emblems of Masonry"
Continuing, Judge Morgan said
"The importance of this discovery to
Masonry rests in the fact that if we
assume that the obelisk was erected
some thirty years before Christ, Ma
sonry will date back much further
than heretofore. If, however, that
obelisk was transferred to Alexandria
and re-erected on the same base that
had previously been used, and in the
same condition that it had existed at
Heliopolis, from which it was taken,
then il dates back the origin of Mason
ry to period beyond our knowledge"
Judge Morgan spoke very highly of
Lieut. Commander Gorridge, whom he
regards as n very capable man in
scientific engineering. He said that
while there had been more or less jeal-
ousy on the part of European engi-
neers of Lieutenant Commander Cor
ridge and disposition to ridicule him
at the start, those, at least, who wit
messed his engineering operations were
surprised at the simplicity of bis meth
ods and the ease with which he han.
died the huge stone needle. When
Lieutenant Commander Gorringe was
in London he endeavored to obtain an
insurance ON the obelisk, but the Eng
lish companies would only agree to in
sure 1t upon condition that he would
pledge himself TO adopt the methods
by which the other obelisk had been
removed to England in 1877. This
he refused to do, saying that he would