Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-04
CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE.
It's Safe Arrioal in Neao York-Its
Htstory-How 1t Was Obtained.

A New York dispatch, dated July 10th,
says:
The steamer DessonE, having on board
the Egyptian obelisk destined tor this
city, was sighted off Fire Island tonight
at Z As O'Clock The DessonE will not
come up to the harbor until tomorrow. LII
is probable that the obelisk WILL not De
unshipped for week or more. Inc site
it will occupy in Central Park has NOS yet
been definitely determined upon, but the
monument will probably be reared near
the Metropolitan Museum, at Eighty
third street. A public reception to Lieut..
Commander Gorringe, who has had
charge of the lowering and transportation
of the monolith, is being arranged.
HISTORY OF THE OBELTsK.
For nearly two thousand years two
obelisks, one of which has just arrived in
this city, while the other was placed, about
two years ago, on the Thames embank.
meut London, stood on the shores of the
Levant, near Alexandria. These great
monoliths, nearly 10 feet high, are of rose
colored syenite. Egyptologists tell US that
they were taken from the quarries at Syene
by the skilled workmen of antiquity and
conveyed thence to Karnac and Heliopo-
the Nile to the quarries, and that the obe-
lisks were thus transported on q at-bOttom-
ed boats to the river, and thence to their
destination. Sharpe says that the welghty
masses were placed in an erect position
by cutting groove in the PEDESTAL In
which the lower edge of the monolith
might turn as if on hinge, the top of the
obelisk being elevated by means of
mound of earth, the size of which was
continually increased, till the stone stood
securely erect. From Helicpolis, where
they stood before the temple of the Set.
ting Sun, they were transported to Alex
andria, during the reign of Tiberlus.
Tney are popularity called "Cleopatra's
Needles" owing to the incorrect tradition
that they were taken to Alexandris dur
ing the reign of that Egyptian Queen,
while research has shown that they were
not removed till some fifty years later.
Other similar monoliths still stand in
Egypt or have been removed to Rome,
Aries, and Paris. A great deal of contro.
versy has ragged among the learned as to
It's meaning, but no absolute certainty as
their import has yet been reached. New
ertheless, study Of the hieroglyphics
with which the needles are covered seems
to SHOW that the obelisks were intended to
celebrate the greatness, magnifcence, and
glory of the monarch in whose reign they
were executed. On the obellsk now in
London appears the name OF Thothmes
I'LL, the date Of whose reign is some
thirty-three hundred years ago. Lieut..
Commander Gorringe, who has so success
fully conducted the lowering and removal
of the obelisk to this country, says that
the American Obelisk presents altogether
much better appearance than that of the
stone which stands On the Thames en-
bankment. The hieroglyphics on two of
of the faces are finely preserved, but on
the other two faces they have been more
or less injured by the action OF fine parti-
Giles of sand driven against these faces by
the desert winds. The first steps toward
bringing the obelisk to New York
were taken in October, 1877, when in
formation reached the Hon. VIM. 81. Hurl-
bert, editor of the New York World
though Mr.. Dixon, who was then trans,
planting to London the PROSTATE obelisk
of Alexandria, that Ismail Pasha then
Khedive of Egypt, had intimated to him
his wish TO present to the United States
the standing obslisk of Alexandria. A
recent article in Harper's Weekly says
that several years before the editor of the
World, being in Egypt had been assured
by the Khedive in person Of the lively in.
terest which he took in the formation
throughout the civilized world OF mu.
seums and collections of Egyptian art,
and of the peculiar qualification which it
gave him to know that a beginning, at
least, had been made in the formation of
such museums and collections In Amer
lea. The Khedive took at once an en-
lightend and a practical view of the sub.
iect He had been struck by the absence
of the American flag from the great
parade of the ships of all nations through
the Suez canal, and he was firmly con-
WINGED that the prosperity of Egypt
would be advanced by everything which
would tend directly or remotely, to de
velop more extended relations, COM
mercial and social, between that country
snd the great republic of the west. He
commented rather sarcastically, too, upon
the disposition of certain European
nations to monopolize not only the
control Of the resources of Egypt, but
the study of Egyptian art and Egyptian
rch&ology, and he stated with some en-
phasis that whatever he could do in any
way to bring Egypt and America more
closely together, he would always be
found not only ready but anxious to do.
Upon receiving Mr.. Dixon's communica-
ton, the editor of the World set about the
work of securing the funds wherewith
the Khedive's generous offer could be
carried into effect. The city authorities
and q part of the press received the pro-
ject with satisfacti n and encouraging
words. One or two citizens made offers
through the papers to contribute literally
toward a public subscription to raise
money to secure the monument. The
project, however, was too important to be
left at the mercy of protracted financial
negotiation through the press with the
public in general, and Mr.. Hurlbert there.
fore called upon wealthy gentleman,
said to be Mr.. ". 81. Vanderbilt, who
.promptly agreed to defray the estimated
expense of taking the obelisk down and
bringing it to the new world. The cost
was estimated at $75 600. Mr.. Evarts, the
Secretary of State, took up the project
with great zeal and satisfaction, and at
once directed Mr.. Farnum, Consul Gen.
eral of the United States to Egypt, to take
the necessary steps for securing the ODE.