Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

THE STORY OF CLEOPATRA’S NEEDLE. 27 sea her A the evening of the same day, when a big caught her, turning her completely on beam ends and carrying away her mast. desperate effort was made to The right her, but without success. 3"^° A small boat was lowered, also Cast Adrift. to nö purpose. So the cap- tain of the Olga, seeing the danger all were in, thought it advisable to disconnect the two vessels and turn the cylinder adrift. A little later, the wind having fallen, the Cleopatra signalled for assistance. Not believing it possible for a boat to live in such a sea, the cap- tain replied that help could not then be sent. The second officer, however, de- clared willing asked teers. by five able-bodied men, he put off to the Cleopatra’s as- sistance in a boat, which capsized be- fore it reached her. The six brave sailors were drowned. Some hours later a line was thrown from the patra, and her crew were transferred safely to the towing craft. Next morning, as there was no sign of the Needle, the captain set sail for Falmouth. When the news reached England, the Needle was regarded as lost for ever. Mr. Dixon con- tended that it would be found again if it were not destroyed by contact with rocks. Sixty bound for Va- Lost and Found. that he was to go, and for volun- Accompanied THE NEEDLE RAISED TO FULL HEIGHT ON THE THAMES EMBANKMENT, READY TO BE SWUNG INTO A VERTICAL POSITION. (Photo, The. London Stereoscopic Company.) days later a telegram, came to hand, reporting that the steamer Fitzmaurice, lencia from Middlesbrough, had found and captured the obe- lisk some seventy miles north of Ferrol, and had towed it into Vigo in Spain. It remained in that harbour for about three months. For this salvage work the owners of the Fitzmaurice were awarded£2,000. From Vigo the obe- lisk was towed to London by the steamer Anglia, ar- riving in the Thames on January 2, 1878. After the disap- pointment experi- enced in the launch- ing and towing of the craft, the engi- neers decided to take no risks about final erection of the monument. chains or tackle were to be used, and there was to be no varying strain put upon the stone. The Cleopatra was brought along- side the Embank- ment, her stern touching the Adel- phi steps; grounded, after a high tide, upon a cradle of solid blocks of timber prepared for her reception ; and sunk to the bed of the river by an adequate quantity of old iron rails, ^-erecting The cabin was cut off and the t e cylindrical vessel turned a quarter round, so as to bring the best face of the engraved obelisk towards the Embankment roadway. The plates were then cut away, and the stone the No Olga over the Cleo-