. St. Nicholas [serial] . t laysunk in the water, and a large iron steam-ship wasbrought in, close up to the pontoon. The steam-pumps were set to work to pump the water out ofthe dock, and like a great raft it rose under bothship and pontoon, and lifted them high and dry inthe air. The plates of the steamer were taken offand the ribs cut away, making a great hole at theside of the bow. On page 312 is a view of the old stone as it lay in i88i.] THE TRUE STORY OF THE OBELISK. 317 the dock. The pontoon had been pulled to pieces,and now it was only necessary to push the stone intothe steamer, prec
. St. Nicholas [serial] . t laysunk in the water, and a large iron steam-ship wasbrought in, close up to the pontoon. The steam-pumps were set to work to pump the water out ofthe dock, and like a great raft it rose under bothship and pontoon, and lifted them high and dry inthe air. The plates of the steamer were taken offand the ribs cut away, making a great hole at theside of the bow. On page 312 is a view of the old stone as it lay in i88i.] THE TRUE STORY OF THE OBELISK. 317 the dock. The pontoon had been pulled to pieces,and now it was only necessary to push the stone intothe steamer, precisely as timbers are put into thebows of our schooners, as you may see at any lum-ber-yard along the East or North River. This jobwas really the hardest of all, for the stone touchedthe opposite side of the ship before it was half-wayin, and twice it had to be moved sidewise beforethe tip end was fairly inside. At last it was onboard, and snugly stowed away in the hold. Theplates and ribs were repaired, and on the 12th of. THE OBELISK SlSPENDED. June the great dock sank in the water, and with its precious cargo floated off. All thetools and the stones of the pedestal had been puton board. The steam was up, the flag flying,and all was finished. The bell rang to goahead, the screw churned up the sea, the great steam-ship forged ahead, and the old, old stone,asleep in the hold, left its home forever. Threehundred slaves, whipped up to their work by cruelmasters, toiled at their oars for weeks to take theRoman stone away. The Frenchman carried hisoff in a big boat, towed by a sailing ship. TheEnglishman carried his away in a melancholy box,that looked sadly like its coffin. Our big stonesailed 5382 miles over the seas in a steam-shipthat dropped anchor, on the 20th of July, in theplacid waters of the Hudson, under the shadow ofthe Palisades. The pedestal and foundation-stones were landedand sent to Central Park, and the steam-ship wastaken to Staten Island and hauled out o
Size: 1157px × 2159px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidstnicholasse, bookyear1873
