Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

THE STORY OF CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE. 25 Encasing the Obelisk. Thames Ironworks, sent out to Egypt in pieces, and reas- Obseive th sembled round the obelisk by native workmen under the supervision of Mr, Waynman Dixon, the head engineer’s brother. Huge plates were riveted in place round the monument, and the inside was packed with elastic timber cushions to preserve the stone while being rolled into the water, and to counteract any longitudinal deflection of the vessel by the waves. Next came the water- THE NEEDLE LAUNCHED. unsafe for ships to anchor in, being exposed to severe gales and containing many shoals. The Needle was first raised several feet above the ground, and the smaller end swung round parallel to the sea. The work of en- casing it was then begun. The casing was in effect the frame- work and skin of a hollow vessel, 96 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, with pointed ends. It was built at the AT THE BRINK. two wooden laggings to protect the casing from injury by the launching ways. tight casing, consisting of plates inch and inch in thickness. The cylinder boasted eight water-tight compartments, so designed that in the event of accident to any one por- tion of the shell the vessel might still retain a buoyancy sufficient to prevent it from going to the bottom while traversing the ocean. For the purpose of getting it into the water two wheel-like rings, each 16J feet in diameter, were tempor- arily built near the ends, and planks were laid down over which they should roll to the water. This strange cylindrical ship for a unique cargo was appro- priately named the Cleopatra. The launching was fixed for August 28,1877. A large crowd watch this event, but the Cleo- patra was not afloat until ten days later. Some half-dozen screw-jacks were ranged along the cylinder to start it down the incline, and a couple of Difficulties in Launching. gathered to