United States Naval Officer. Son of Anglican clergyman, he came to the United States at an early age, and entered the merchant-marine. In July 1862 he enlisted in the Union Navy as able-bodied seaman, and was attached to the Mississippi squadron three months later. By 1865 had risen through successive promotions for gallantry to the rank of acting-volunteer Lieutenant. Promoted to Lieutenant Commander on December 18, 1868, and from 1869 until 1871 commanded the South Atlantic Squadron's sloop "USS Portsmouth". He was engaged in the hydrographic office in Washington, D. C., from 1872 to 1876, when he was sent on "USS Gettysburg" on special service to the Mediterranean, where he remained until 1878, all the while contributing letters to the New York "Nation". He came to fame in 1880 by his work in transporting and erecting the Egyptian obelisk "Cleopatra's Needle" that had been offered to the US by the Egyptian Khedive Ismail in 1879 at the opening of the Suez Canal. On October 16, 1879, with the assistance of 100 Arabs, he rigged the obelisk into the hold of the steamer "Dessoug". It arrived in New York on July 20, 1880. It took 5 months to rig it from the water to Central Park where it arrived on January 22, 1881. The monument over his grave is an exact scale model of the obelisk that he transported from Egypt. He died of injuries sustained while hopping a moving train in a Philadelphia station. In 1885 he published a "History of Egyptian Obelisks".
United States Naval Officer. Son of Anglican clergyman, he came to the United States at an early age, and entered the merchant-marine. In July 1862 he enlisted in the Union Navy as able-bodied seaman, and was attached to the Mississippi squadron three months later. By 1865 had risen through successive promotions for gallantry to the rank of acting-volunteer Lieutenant. Promoted to Lieutenant Commander on December 18, 1868, and from 1869 until 1871 commanded the South Atlantic Squadron's sloop "USS Portsmouth". He was engaged in the hydrographic office in Washington, D. C., from 1872 to 1876, when he was sent on "USS Gettysburg" on special service to the Mediterranean, where he remained until 1878, all the while contributing letters to the New York "Nation". He came to fame in 1880 by his work in transporting and erecting the Egyptian obelisk "Cleopatra's Needle" that had been offered to the US by the Egyptian Khedive Ismail in 1879 at the opening of the Suez Canal. On October 16, 1879, with the assistance of 100 Arabs, he rigged the obelisk into the hold of the steamer "Dessoug". It arrived in New York on July 20, 1880. It took 5 months to rig it from the water to Central Park where it arrived on January 22, 1881. The monument over his grave is an exact scale model of the obelisk that he transported from Egypt. He died of injuries sustained while hopping a moving train in a Philadelphia station. In 1885 he published a "History of Egyptian Obelisks".
Bio by: John T. Chiarella
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