Gorringe, Henry H.: Egyptian obelisks (New York, NY, 1882)

33

of our civilization. I made an effort to secure a complete telephone system, but failed. I asked the
representative of the American Bible Society to contribute the New Testament, or any part of it,
in all the ancient and modern languages and dialects into which it had been translated and pub-
lished. He referred me to the book-store where I could buy them. I did buy them; and they
were carefully deposited in a lead case, where they will be preserved for an indefinite period. One
of the persons connected with this Society displayed much zeal in the effort to have the names of
the officers of the Society deposited with the New Testament. He did not succeed. I made appli-
cation to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey for standards of the weights and measures
of the United States for deposit. I also asked for specimen copies of the publications of the office.
Both were refused without assigning a reason.
The Departments at Washington contributed the following named articles which were duly
deposited in copper cases hermetically sealed, enclosed in lead cases carefully soldered, and these again
in a mass of cement :
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.—A copy of Federal and State Constitutions, colonial charters, and
other organic laws of the United States. Congressional Directory for 1880. Fac-simile of the
Declaration of Independence. Revised Statutes of the United States, 1878. Statutes relating to the
District of Columbia and post-roads, XLIII Congress, 1873-4. Copies of papers on file in the
Department, relating to the presentation, by His Highness, Ismail I, Khedive of Egypt, of the obelisk
to the city of New York.
THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.—A full set of medals of the Presidents of the United States. A
full proof set of the silver and minor coinage for the year 1880. A collection of documents and
engravings selected from those on file in the Department.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.—Official Register of the United States, 1879. Compendium of the
Ninth Census, 1870. Report of the Secretary of the Interior, and accompanying documents, 1879.
Report of Commissioner of Education, 1877. Catalogue of publications of Hayden's surveys. Register
of the Department of the Interior, 1880.
WAR DEPARTMENT.—Official Army Register, 1880, corrected to September 17th. Signal Office
International Bulletin. Tri-daily weather maps. Monthly weather record for July, 1880. General
order announcing death of General Myer.
NAVY DEPARTMENT.—Navy Registers for January and July, 1880. Report of the Secretary of the
Navy for 1879. Report of the " Polaris' " cruise in the Arctic regions. Model of the " Hartford's "
propeller while Admiral Farragut's flag-ship. Silver medal for Arctic discoveries, 1818-26, presented
by Queen Victoria to officers and seamen of the navy. Silver medals commemorating naval victories
of the War of 1812. Model of an improved anchor.
THE SociETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, through the President, Henry Bergh,
furnished a parcel of documents relating to the Society.
ANGLO-SAXON LODGE, No. 137, contributed a complete set of the emblems and jewels of the Order
of Freemasons, in silver.
Mr. WiLLiAM HENRY HuRLBERT contributed a small box, the contents of which is known only to
himself, and a gold plate on which is engraved the essential facts relating to the removal of the
Alexandrian obelisk to New York.
A copy of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, the works of William Shakespeare, New York City
Directory, a map of the city, Telegraphic Determination of Longitudes in the West Indies, Nautical
Almanac for 1880, Haydn's Dictionary of Dates, Wilkinson's Egypt, an Encyclopedia of Mechanics and
Engineering, and a Compendium of Electricity and Magnetism, were among the books selected to fill
vacant spaces in the boxes. Photographs of the different stages of the work of removing the obelisk,
similar to those published in this volume, were also placed in the largest box. Specimens of all the