Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-04

! in storm at sea, and his troubles.
growing out OF suit for salvage,
brought against him by the parties who
rescued the monolith, indisposed him for
further enterprises of the sort, While the
American movers in the enterprise were
looking around for some one else,
Lieut.. Commander 81. IL. Gorringe,
in command of the United States
steamer Gettysburg, returned home
from a long cruise in the waters of
the Levant. He had taken a lively inter.
est in the project, and while in Alexan-
dria had made special study of the posi-
euce to the conditions under which it's re-
moval must be conducted, he satisfied
the Secretary of State that he had mas.
tered the question of the removal, and the
Secretary referred him with the strongest
recommendations to the editor of the
World. After a careful examination of
his plans, the work of removal was form
ally committed to him. He at once set
about the construction of some new and
ingenious machinery, devised by himself,
for taking down and shipping the mono.
lith, and early last fall he returned to A.
exandria. The engineering difficulties
before him were not the worst of the OBJ
ssacles which beset him The consumma.
ton of the enterprise was opposed by the
great maj ,rity of European residents in
Egypt, and every influence they could
bring to bear was exerted to defeat it.
Russian representatives and the Greek
community were the only European IN.
fuences in Egypt which were not exerted
against the American officer and
his work. His patience, tact
and flrmness. however, triumphed
over all difficulties, and the work of re-
moving the obelisk from its site and ship.
ping 1t for its long voyage was success
fully carried through. For the purpose
of transporting the obelisk, Lieut.. Com
mander Gorringe bought the English
steamer Dessouk, which he altered to suit
his purposes. In this vessel he sailed for
New York from Alexandria, on Saturday.
June %, with Cleopatra's needle in the
hold. Much interest was added to the
novel and difficult work of lowering the
obelisk by the discovery in Its founda-
tions of certain emblems which have been
claimed by some distinguished members
of the Masonic fraternity to belong to
their order.
About ten feet of the obelisk was be-
low tine ground, and it's total length was
found to be 81 feet 81 inches. Its est.
mated weight is 1876 tons. Great fears
were entertained that the immense shaft
would break in two in the process of low
ering, aud the resources of engineering
were drawn upon to insure the safe
accomplishment of the work The
first thing done was to incase the mono
18th Ia a casing made of twolnch oak
planking, bound at intervals Of three feet
with strong iron bands This done, the
obelisk was guyed at the top from four
points, like the mast of vessel, so that
there was no possibility of its falling
over. A pit was dug all around the OBJ.
elisk, and from the obelisk down 20 the
sea. A canal forty feet long and sixteen
feet wide was excavated. In this canal
float was constructed on which the OBJ
eiisk was to be placed and towed down to
Alexandria, distant by the sea some three
or four miles. After completing the ex
cav.tions, Commander Gorringe built
two solid masonry buttresses on two op-
posite sides of the obelisk. The enor-
NOUS steel trunnions were then firmly
! bound by steel bands to the obelisk, few
feet below its centre of gravity. These
trunnions rested on steel frames, which
were in turn supported by the masonry
buttresses. The obelisk then resem bled
gigantic cannon, elevated to such de-
gree as to be perpendicular. 1t was feared
that the great weight of the ends might
break the obelisk in the middle, when
swinging into a horizontal position.
Steel ropes were therefore fastened
to the two ends and passed over props
projecting at right angles from the centre
of gravity to the obelisk.
A pile of timber was raised at one end
OF the float for the purpose of catching
and supporting the top end Of the obelisk.
When all was in readiness, the msnolith
was pulled over into horizontal position
and then rested on its trunnions and the
timber pile. Another pile was then raised
to support its base, after which all the
machinery was removed, and the stone
was gradually lowered to the float by re-
moving the timbers one by one. 1t was
taken into the steamer through a large
hole cut in the vessel just above the
water line.
THE VOYAGE.
The Dessonk left Gibraltar fer New
York on June 18th, and, as safety rather
than speed was desired, she has steamed
little over one hundred miles day, being
passed by two steamers from the same
port on the way. A pleasant and unevent.
full voyage is reported.