The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-04
TINE OBBLISK HERE 20 YEARS.
hut New York Overlooked the Anniversary
OF Its Installation.

Egyptian monarohs, conqueror OF States
and maker Of monoliths, who retired from
business about $500 years ago, could not
nave been more Indifferent to an anniver-
gary Of one of his W and the most peculiar
Of the city's monuments than were most
Of the residents of New York on Thursday
February %. or course, 1t was Washing
toms Birthday, and there were very few
crowned heads even among the anciente
whose deeds were glorious enough to throw
those OF the Father Of His Country into
shadow.
The multitude Of folk ~hereabouts never
gave thought to Thothmes's obelisk in Cen
tral Park, which was formally accepted
by the city Of New York twenty-five years
ago; but a few of the 100 Manhattan
sohoolboys selected for excellence in
scholarship and department to take part
In the ceremonies Of acceptance remem-
bered the anniversary Of the obelisk.
Every one Of them got a medal COM
memorating the event, and one, a merchant
of Montreal, who is now close to 40, has
written to The Sum asking why some Of
fetal notice has not been taken Of the 90
oasion. In the twenty-five years that
have gone since the middle aged merchant
q bShOOiDOy Aopouih6 thV OiOhbaSoN
sentences Of Secretary Of State William
N. Evarts, chief speaker at the ceremonies,
New York has seen more changes, perhaps,
than Egypt has passed through in all the
days since Thothmes gave up the ghost.
Thothmes did not believe in the theory
Of Wondering in the grave. He left his
body to posterity, and the believers in
occult things remarked that 1t was curious
tLAk H. --a ltz-a.oI l. III. ,,-,.a
wrappings in the same year that New York
received one Of his monolith memorials,
hewn from rose red Nubian granite.
Thothmes was the Carnegie OF his time.
He was determined that he would 60 down
to the ultimate years, and 30 carved his name
on every fabric OF stone that he created.
Rameses H., who also was fond Of self
perpetuation, reornamented the stone
shafts Of his most Industrious ancestor and
got mixed up in Occidental annals with him.
Now he and Rameses are remembered,
at times, wherever Cleopatra's needles
pierce the airy counterpane Of the world
here, In London, Paris, Rome, Florence.
The obelisk arrived at this port from
Alexandria, Egypt. on July 20, 1880. Then
the tallest piece Of architecture in the town,
save Trinity spire, was the Tribune build
ing. Sta ges, with grizzled drivers whom
Walt Whitman used to delight In sitting
beside, wormed their way through the I'm
restricted traffic OF Broadway; telephones
were still luxuries; all the ~ferryboats were
ancient ~sidewheelers lit by kerosene; the
nautical world was marvelling at the seven
day single screw steamship; the horse cars
Of the town we're unheated in winter and
many Of them had their floors covered with
straw; the electric light was just flashing
into favor.
They were indeed unprogressive and
comfortless days, not much brighter than
those that Thothmes himself had looked
upon. The daily edition Of THE Sun had
only four pages and much Of 1t was printed
in loaded agate. 1t recorded the arrival
OF the gift of Ismail Pasha, Khedive OF
Egypt, In about a third of a column.
This is a part Of what the ship news man
Of the day said about the reception in the
tramp, then 10 years old. that brought the
granite shaft over about 5000 miles OF sea:
"The Turkish ensign. a crescent In q
field Of red, hoisted at the main, was srf-
iicient indication to close observers that the
obelisk had arrived. AS the shrill whistles
blew on either hand Lieutenant-C om-
mander Gorringe gave the order to dip the
oolors in acknowledgment, and the ensign
haltiards at the stern were handled by a
gayly attired native Of the Barbary coast
standing on the taffrail.'
You might stow the DessouR II she were
still ahoat in the hold Of one OF the 800 foot
quadruple screw turbine Cunarders as easily
as the obelisk was run into an opening along
the keelsons OF the sturdy old tramp.
and stormy. She broke her crank shaft
In heavy weather, but Com mander Cor
who was one Of the cleverest engineers
In the navy, had provided for the emer-
genoy and lay to under sail while he put
In a new shaft that he had brought along.
The monolith was taken from the steam
ship at Staten Island, put aboard q barge
and towed to the upper part OF the city
and rolled laboriously across town to it's
site. 1t was set on its base on January
~, 1881, and one month later the city re-
paid all the expenses Of its transportation,
more than 500, 900. was unable to attend the
ceremonies because OF illness.
The newspapers OF the day Baid that q
chorus from the New York College OF Music,
under the direction Of Theodore Thomas,
lang O hymn written for the occasion.
Besides the 100 medals given to the school
boys, two silver medals were struck by the
American Numismatio and Archaeological
one OF which was presented to
Mr.. Vanderbilt and the other to Com
nander Gorringe. AS THE Sun expressed
t on February %, 1881: THE obelisk was
Ieliopolis by Thothmes III. $500 years ago.
Il was removed to Alexandria and lay on
he ground until % B.. C. and was then
stood up before the palace Of the Cesara
With its sister obelisk In England