Article February 15, 1900 Issue

Miscellany

"A lieutenant in our navy, whose name for obvious reasons I shall refrain from mentioning, related to me recently a good story, which I believe has never been told, which is authentic, and gives one of the numerous examples illustrating Russia's friendship for the United States, writes H. I. Dodge in Voice. I give it in his words:—

"When Lieutenant Commander Gorringe was sent to get the Obelisk, now in Central Park, New York, he met with obstacles of a wholly unusual and unlooked-for character. It seems that certain interested foreigners had incited the Egyptians to rebel against the removal of the great stone from their shores, and a pretty formidable opposition had been secretly organized. Gorringe's crew was by no means adequate to combat this unexpected opposition, and there was no American man-of-war in the harbor to render assistance.

"A Russian flagship was there, however, and the admoral, learning of the plot to defeat the American captain's purpose, sent Gorringe a very respectfully worded note in which he spoke in very high terms of the unique engineering feat which the Americans were about to undertake in moving the obelisk, and begged that Mr. Gorringe would do him the very great favor of permitting his officers and men to witness the great work. The request was of course granted, and early the next morning the wily Muscovite landed four hundred men armed to the teeth with fixed bayonets and pistols loaded with ball cartridges, who formed a hollow square about the obelisk. These men really saw very little of the engineering feat of moving the great stone, as they faced about when the mob came, and no one was allowed to go through the square without a pass from Mr. Gorringe. As the obelisk was landed on trucks and moved down to the sea, the square moved along with it, and not until after it was safely on board did the Russians return to their vessel. The next day the Russian admiral sent another very polite note to Mr. Gorringe thanking him for the opportunity given to his officers and men to see the wonderful work, and stating that not only the admiral himself, but the Russian Government, would always remember, with feelings of keenest pleasure, Mr. Gorringe's great courtesy."—Boston Transcript.

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