DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.33567#0066
22
by shoring the frames against the obelisk so as to resist the vigorous blows of the waves as they
broke over it. When the gale subsided, an examination showed that no damage had been done. The
water was pumped out of the caisson, and pushing it down the ways was resumed. Finally, on
March 31st, at 10 A. M., our efforts were rewarded, and by 3 p. M. the caisson was safely moored in
the port of Alexandria, having been towed around by the Peninsular and Oriental Company's tug
" Ausari." Plate xii, illustrates the method adopted for pushing the caisson afloat with the
hydraulic pumps (A) applied to the ends of the keelsons (W). The anchor against which the pumps bore
was a timber beam let into a slot cut in the upper part of the ways and held in place by chain
lashings. The beam had to be shifted when the caisson had moved about ten feet; the space between
the pumps and beam was filled with blocking, which could not be held in place when it exceeded
ten feet in aggregate length. The force required to move the caisson varied unaccountably from
about one hundred tons pressure down to not less than ten. The cause of all this difficulty was
subsequently ascertained to be the stripping of the sliding ways, doubtless through the presence of
some hard substance that had been washed in by the surf during the storm of March 18th.
PURCHASE OF THE STEAMER " DESSOUG."
While the operations of lowering the obelisk and launching the caisson had been progressing, prep-
arations were being made for embarking the obelisk on the steamer " Dessoug." This vessel had been
purchased from the Egyptian government expressly for transporting the obelisk to New York. She is
an iron steamer built in England in 1864 for the Egyptian government, and had been employed chiefly in
the Egyptian postal service between Alexandria, Smyrna, and Constantinople. Extravagance and corrup-
tion in the service had caused the withdrawal of several of the steamers employed in it, the "Dessoug"
among them. The service had never been a profitable one to the Egyptian treasury. When the
financial administration of Egypt passed under the control of a European commission, abolishing the ser-
vice altogether was contemplated; but the influence of the European employes effected a compromise,
and it was finally determined to continue the service under the management of Europeans, as long as it
did not sink money and draw the deficiencies from the Egyptian treasury. To insure this result super-
fluous vessels and useless material were sold from time to time for any thing they would bring. Very soon
after our arrival at Alexandria, and while still negotiating for the charter or purchase of English and
Italian steamers, my attention was attracted to the " Dessoug," then lying dismantled in the arsenal,
chiefly by the fulness of her form, and particularly of her bow-lines. Measurements were made, which
satisfied us that there was just height enough under the lower-deck beams to embark the obelisk, and
length enough to get it entirely into the fore compartment, between the collision and coal-bunker bulk-
heads ; and as this was an exceptionally advantageous feature of the vessel her purchase was determined
on. Her engines and boilers were known to be in bad condition, but her hull was perfect; her hold
was filthy, and she had been neglected to a degree that cannot be imagined. To refit and repair her,
a long time and a large expenditure were necessary, which made it essential to purchase her at a low
price. To effect this it was decided not to make an offer at once, but to treat the matter with apparent
indifference. The result was the commencement of negotiations by the Assistant Postmaster-General,
as we would term him here, which gave me a very decided advantage in conducting them. After
several informal conferences an offer of g^5,ooo sterling was made in writing to the Postmaster-General,
who affected to regard it as a joke, and suggested that the matter be treated seriously as to price,
adding that other negotiations were pending for the purchase of the " Dessoug." A firm of ship-
brokers who had been trying to charter or sell me a vessel had been informed of my negotiations
with the Egyptian government for the purchase of a vessel, and had made an indefinite offer for the
" Dessoug," with a view to being bought off by me. One member of the firm proposed to withdraw his
offer if he was paid a commission of ten per cent, on the purchase-money. This was treated in a
by shoring the frames against the obelisk so as to resist the vigorous blows of the waves as they
broke over it. When the gale subsided, an examination showed that no damage had been done. The
water was pumped out of the caisson, and pushing it down the ways was resumed. Finally, on
March 31st, at 10 A. M., our efforts were rewarded, and by 3 p. M. the caisson was safely moored in
the port of Alexandria, having been towed around by the Peninsular and Oriental Company's tug
" Ausari." Plate xii, illustrates the method adopted for pushing the caisson afloat with the
hydraulic pumps (A) applied to the ends of the keelsons (W). The anchor against which the pumps bore
was a timber beam let into a slot cut in the upper part of the ways and held in place by chain
lashings. The beam had to be shifted when the caisson had moved about ten feet; the space between
the pumps and beam was filled with blocking, which could not be held in place when it exceeded
ten feet in aggregate length. The force required to move the caisson varied unaccountably from
about one hundred tons pressure down to not less than ten. The cause of all this difficulty was
subsequently ascertained to be the stripping of the sliding ways, doubtless through the presence of
some hard substance that had been washed in by the surf during the storm of March 18th.
PURCHASE OF THE STEAMER " DESSOUG."
While the operations of lowering the obelisk and launching the caisson had been progressing, prep-
arations were being made for embarking the obelisk on the steamer " Dessoug." This vessel had been
purchased from the Egyptian government expressly for transporting the obelisk to New York. She is
an iron steamer built in England in 1864 for the Egyptian government, and had been employed chiefly in
the Egyptian postal service between Alexandria, Smyrna, and Constantinople. Extravagance and corrup-
tion in the service had caused the withdrawal of several of the steamers employed in it, the "Dessoug"
among them. The service had never been a profitable one to the Egyptian treasury. When the
financial administration of Egypt passed under the control of a European commission, abolishing the ser-
vice altogether was contemplated; but the influence of the European employes effected a compromise,
and it was finally determined to continue the service under the management of Europeans, as long as it
did not sink money and draw the deficiencies from the Egyptian treasury. To insure this result super-
fluous vessels and useless material were sold from time to time for any thing they would bring. Very soon
after our arrival at Alexandria, and while still negotiating for the charter or purchase of English and
Italian steamers, my attention was attracted to the " Dessoug," then lying dismantled in the arsenal,
chiefly by the fulness of her form, and particularly of her bow-lines. Measurements were made, which
satisfied us that there was just height enough under the lower-deck beams to embark the obelisk, and
length enough to get it entirely into the fore compartment, between the collision and coal-bunker bulk-
heads ; and as this was an exceptionally advantageous feature of the vessel her purchase was determined
on. Her engines and boilers were known to be in bad condition, but her hull was perfect; her hold
was filthy, and she had been neglected to a degree that cannot be imagined. To refit and repair her,
a long time and a large expenditure were necessary, which made it essential to purchase her at a low
price. To effect this it was decided not to make an offer at once, but to treat the matter with apparent
indifference. The result was the commencement of negotiations by the Assistant Postmaster-General,
as we would term him here, which gave me a very decided advantage in conducting them. After
several informal conferences an offer of g^5,ooo sterling was made in writing to the Postmaster-General,
who affected to regard it as a joke, and suggested that the matter be treated seriously as to price,
adding that other negotiations were pending for the purchase of the " Dessoug." A firm of ship-
brokers who had been trying to charter or sell me a vessel had been informed of my negotiations
with the Egyptian government for the purchase of a vessel, and had made an indefinite offer for the
" Dessoug," with a view to being bought off by me. One member of the firm proposed to withdraw his
offer if he was paid a commission of ten per cent, on the purchase-money. This was treated in a