The daily critic., 1890-11-18
GOSSIP OF THE HOUR.
TRUE STORIES ABOUT MEN WHO ARB
IN THE PUBLIC BYE.
a Chapter OF Unwritteu History
on john L.--"Coid Moiasses" DidnJ
win Gladstone and Depew.
Eugene Fields Anec-
dotee -Ingersoit'a
roaIttnn

NNneWa
Eugene Fieid'a Anec-
dotes -Ineersou's
Position.
Speaking Of Engineer Price, re.
minds me Of the unwrilten history of
the removal Of "Cleopatra's Needle
from the banks of the rld harb1r of
AleNauiiia near ihe Ramleh Railway
station, writes Colonel J. Muiken tn
Frank L.slie's Popular Monthly"
Squire Davis. a ship carpenter Of
Nowank, Conn, and Engineer Price
of Trenton, ~ J. . arrived in Alexau.
dfia about month before the Others of
the party. When Commander Goring
and Lieutenant Schroeder arrived they
met with active opposition from the
residents Of al nationalties, but event
ually the American flag was hoisted on
the obelisk, and steps were taken to-
ward its change Of base.
All the mathematical work. with the
direct superintendent Of the laborers,
was In charge Of Lieutenant Schroeder.
The entire needle" was covered with
casing Of pine boards by Squire Davis
and his gang Of Arabs, while Engineer
Price and his Maltese machinists
placed the trunnions and supports and
did the immense amount Of ironwOrk
required.
At last, when everything was clear
and the obelisk rested on the supports
like an immense cannon standing per.
pendicularly on its carriage-Gorringe
thought that he was ready TO turn It
down to a horizontal position, which
was the first step toward lowering Il 10
the ground 50 he invited the principal
dignitaries Of the city and country to
witness the operation. There was a
Russian squadron in the harbOr at the
time, and the admiral and his officers,
with large Lowering party Of Rus
sian sailors, were on hand. In fact. II
was a regular AleNandrian holiday, aud
the good people turned out en- n,dsss for
the purpose Of taking a farewell look nj
their cherished monument. The blocks
and tackle were attached to the top. the
Russian sailors laid hold and when
word was given pulled with will As
the Obelisk swayed a great cheer went
up, which moment later turned into a
dorisive laughter II only moved few
feet at the top, and all the hauling Of
the Russian navy could not bulge II
further.
Our Americans had made a serious
blunder-the bottom Of the obolisk was
square and Hat, as was the top Of the
foriy.ton pedestal and In raising the
monolith sufficient space had not been
allowed for the turn. Il was humili.
aling moment for our gallant CON.
mauder when he was compelled % dis
miss his guests with the obelisk In pD.
silion that reminded one Of the Leaning
Tower at Pisa. What fun there was
that night IN Alexandria az his eN.
pCnse, for every patriotic Egyptian "a.
ioiced AZ his failure. The following
morning he had the Italian stOnecutters
chip of enough from the lower corner
next the city TO permit the turn. But
what GOrTlnge at the time considered
his great discontinue was, In reality,
the best BIT Of luck he could have had;
for as surely as the turn had been made
that first day. we should have received
"CleOpatra's Needle in two or more
pieces.
Gorringe and Schroeder had calculated
that they had placed the trunnions AZ
the centre OF gravity, and had conse-
quently fastened only three.lnch
rope 10 the bottom intending 10 allow
gently pulled down 10 the horizontal.
On the first day they had not taken the
pTeCaution OF making a resting place
for II, relying entiIely upon the block
and tackle below; but as they had a
large force Of laboEers on hand on the
morning Of the second day, and nothing
else for them To do, they set them 10
build a crib Of three inch planks 10 the
required height. When the sailors
started, that afternoon, 10 pull. the
lower rope snapped like pack thread,
and down came the Obelisk by the Tun,
smashing the planks and scattering
them as though they had been a pile Of
matches Their elasticity alone saved IL
from breaking. Our engineer had mis-
calculated the centre Of gravity by about
fifty tons.
The obelisk was finally lowered into
a scOW, built under Il on ways. Com
mander GorTinge then invited the orfi
cials to see the launch, and there was
another Alexandfian laugh at his eX-
Tense, as It did not take place At the
time speeIfed-the scOW stuck on the
ways When, BY a liberal use 0f
grease, time and jacks. the launch did
take place, the guests had departed. II
then appeared that another slight mis-
calculation bad been made, as the nose
Of the scoW was run into the bottom Of
The haTbOT.
-
That Jolly son Of Erin and OF M0mus
Jan es Conner Roache, tells a story Of
John l.. Sullivan, which shows that the
lig fellow Is rapidly catching on TO the
inuicaeies Of stage business, and is as
jealous as any other star for that
feyenth heaven Of an actors ambition,
he centre Of the stage, says the New
York sun - was IN Philadelphia,
says Roache, during Sulliyan's last
engagement, and one night after the
Performance ! saw him standing In the
office Of the Continental Hotel lighting
a cigar ] pretended not 10 recoguiZe
him, and asked a question Of the clerk.
lie turned 20 me- and extending his
hand, said HullO. suH pretending
not % recognize him'I took his pr0itered
hand, but said 1 am glad 10 meet you,
sir. bul / think you have made mis-
take. / don't think / have the honor
of your acquaintance. sullivan looked
annoyed Tor a moment, aud then he
said Here, no funny business. Your
names ROaChe, and you know me-
You and Bill Nolan were IN a box at
Niblo's one night laughing aud guying
my acting.
't.I d8 ku0w Won. John. ] said ia