Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-11-08
The ObeliSk.

safe and unbroken In our harDor on the
10th inst. on board the steamer Des-
song. The taking of the Needle down
and its transportation across the ocean
has been under the direction of Lieu
tenant Commander Gorringe, who pur-
chased the steamer, vessel of English
build. in Egypt, and had it altered and
modified there to suit the purpose to
which it was to be devoted. Since the
arrival of the vessel it has been laying
at anchor in the North River off Twen-
lty-third street, where it has been vis-
tied daily by many curious to obtain a
glimpse of the famous monolith. Cap
tain Gorringe will continue in charge
of the ObeIisk until it shall stand erect
once more upon its ancient pedestal.
When the exact site for it has been de-
termined, the steamer will be put upon
the dry dock, and through her open side
the Obelisk will be taken out, and by
means of rollers transferred to its desti-
nation.
Thus far the whole affair has been
most admirably managed, to the great
credit of Captain Gorringe and all con-
nected with him. The Dessong left
Alexdria on June II and reached
Gibraltar on the 22d, where Lord Ma
pier, and Governor-General of Gibraltar,
Lord Ripon, and large number of 9TH
ers, came on board. On the 5th of
July, when in mid ocean, the shaft of
the aft engine broke, and they were
obliged to lay to quietly for six days
making the necessary repairs. The
voyage has thus been a favorable one,
for which large share of credit is due
to the favorable condition of the wealth
er most of the time.
Obelisks belong to the oldest and
most simple monuments of Egyptian
architecture, and are high four sided
pillars, diminishing as they ascend, and
terminating in small pyramid. He
rodotus speaks of them, and Pliny gives
a particular account of them. The lat
ter mentions King Mesphres, or Mestres,
of Thebes, as thes first builder of them.
ltsis probable that these monuments
were first built before the, time cf Moses
at least two years before the Trojan
war. There;are .still several obelisks
in Egypt These, exclusive of the pc
destals, are mostly from 80 to 100 feet
high and of a red polished granite; a
few later ones are of white marble and
other kinds.of5s 5stones. Some are adorn-
ed on all sides, and some on fewer. with
hieroglyphics cut in them, sometimes to
the depth of two inches, divided into
little squares and sections, and filled
with paint. Some are entirely plain
and without hieroglyphics. The foot
of the Obelisk stands upon quadran-
gular base, commonly two or three feet
broader than the Obelisk, with socket,
in which it rests. They were common
ly hewn out of a single stone, in quar-
ries of Upper Egypt, and brought on
canals fed by the Nile, to the place Of
their erection. According to the &C.
counts of travellers, there are still to be
found in Upper Egypt. old quarries
with Obelisks already hewn out, or with
places whence monuments of this form
must evidently have been taken.
Of their origin nothing is known with
certainty. Perhaps the first images OF
the gods, which, at an early period were
nothing but stones of pyramidal form,
gave occasion to them. According tc
Herodotus they were first raised in hon
or of the Sun, and meant to represen
its rays. They might also have beer
raised to perpetuate the memory of GER
tain events, since the hieroglyphics con
tanned the praises of their gods anc
their kings, or inscriptions relating tc
their religious notions. After the con
quest of Egypt by the Persians. no mor'
we're erected. and the succession o
Lagus adorned Alexandra with th,
Obelisks of the ancient kings, from
whence the Roman Emperors carried
several of them to Rome, Aries and Con
stantinople, most of which were after
ward overturned. but have been put to
gether and replaced in modern times.
AT the top of the cabin stairway Q
the Dessong are two crabs of bronze
each three feet long and less than on
in width. They are somewhat broke
up, but have survived their two com
panions, with whom they once shared a
Alexandria the task of supporting tn
Obelisk above its PEDESTAL This
said to have been Roman idea, an
has led to the easy destruction of man
other Obelisks. The Egyptian build
ers knew better, but the Romans foun
the base of the Obelisk in a crumblin
, state and bethought to lend it crutche
: A few centuries in the history of otht
Obelisks have settled the case of ii
crabs and left the columns in a yer
gouty condition. On these. two parti
ular crabs appear Latin and Greek il
scriptIons, which are thus translated:
y IN THE EIGHTH YEAR