Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-02-05
A MASONIC SENSATION.
ESlBLEMs OF THE CRAFT FOUND BENEATH AN
OBELISK IN EGYPT.

oBELIsK IN EGYPT.
Great interest has been excited in Masonic
circles, by reports from Egypt, that Masonic
en- blems have been found under the pedestal
of Cleopatra's Needle, which is to be brought
to this country. A dispatch from Lieutenant
Commander Gorringe, of the United States
navy, says:
Immediately under the pedestal of the ob-
elisk, and in the east angle formed by the
steps, found block of hewn syenite granite,
forty inches in the cube, representing perfect
Masonic altar Under this and Immediately
below, found white marble slab, represent
ing the apron, extending across the founda-
ton of polished syenite granite, one hundred
and two inches long and fifty. one inches broad
and twenty-five and half inches thick, the
upper half hewn into perfect square. At
the same level and touching the short section
of the square, and in the west angle of the
foundation, i found another block of syenite
granite smafked regHa FORM surface
of which represented rough ashlar steps and
the foundation of which was composed Of
white granite. Besides these four pieces I
found other less noticeable and important but
equally significant emblems. : .'...
Many Masons accept this as proving the
great age of the Masonic society. Ex.Speak-
er Hustled, of New York, Mason of high
rank, is somewhat skeptical, saying:
81 am free to say that do not believe the
emblems have any direct connection with op-
erative Masonry as it is practiced at the pres
ent day. That the discoveries are wonderful
and valuable is certain. They will start up
all the Psychologists and give new impetus to
fraternity writers. Anything that concerns
cryptology is interesting to me, but have
not yet been able to discover any connection
between Egyptian cryptology and the mod.
ern craft. I became Mason at twenty.one,
have reached the thirty y-third degree, and
have been Grand Master Of the State. have
made Masonic history study, but have never
been able to trace Masonry more than four
hundred years back-not a step beyond the
Crusades. As near as I can Judge, it had its
origin on the Continent of Europe, with the
builders of the great European cathedrals,
and was organized for the protection Of the
workmen from the bosses and the feudal
leaders. 1t was purely operative Masonry
then, and it naturally adopted the tools Of
the craft as emblefhatic of their trade.union,
and grips and passwords which were also in
tended to guard from intrusion. Everything
in that day partook of the religious element,
and, consequently, religion entered largely in.
to the organization Of the guild. The belief
in God was insisted upon-one God-which
was broad enough to admit the Jew as we'll as
the Christian. But fail to find anything Of
the religious element which necessarily beto-
kens great antiquity. King Solomon is re-
cognized because the temple at Jerusalem was
the oldest building of which we have any GER
tain account. This is natural. The Bible
gives many interesting details of the temple,
and those who felt an interest in the order,
incorporated these details with the working
history of the Order"