136 Study of the New York Obelisk as a Decayed Boulder. 



In regard to the Frotococcus, I may reply that its superficial 

 adherence to stone-work is of common occurrence in this country 

 as abroad ; and, though often considered unsightly, its presence has 

 never been connected with the decay of stone. The naturalist fami- 

 liar with its delicate isolated cells will need proof of their ability to 

 produce internal strains in the crevices where they find refuge. 



In the preliminary cleaning of the surface, before the waterproofing 

 process was begun, it was discovered that very many spots were in a 

 deplorably decayed condition, especially on the S.S.W. and W.N.W. 

 sides of the shaft. Some large pieces were so loosely attached that 

 they would scarcely bear the hand upon them without falling away. 

 One large slab on the E.S.E. face, with the hieroglyphic symbol 

 of the sun in its centre, actually dropped off" in the grasp of a person 

 who laid his hand upon it, to steady himself, while walking by upon 

 the scaffold. This piece was left below, stolen over night and never 

 recovered. No attempt was made to harden or recement this crum- 

 bling surface, but it was decided to remove only the looser flakes, 

 most likely to fall, and then apply the preservative. In the course 

 of this removal, one fragment, showing hieroglyphs, was separated 

 from the upper part of the W.S.W. corner of the shaft, which 

 measured I8f inches in length, 3^ inches in width, and | of an inch 

 in thickness; but most of the scales were small pieces, often cracked 

 and ready to crumble. In all, about 2^ barrels of pieces were 

 removed, found by the Park Superintendent to weigh 780 pounds; 

 of these, three-quarters or more came from the S.S.W. and W.N.W. 

 faces of the shaft. ' In regard to the great error of judgment shown 

 in the above action, I have elsewhere^ expressed the universal pub- 

 lic opinion. 



15. The waterproofing treatment of tlie Obelisk. 



The entire surface of the Obelisk was then warmed,' in successive 

 l)ortions, by the application of a square pan of burning charcoal, 

 with front of wire grating, for two or three minutes, at a distance 

 of about one inch. The projections and hollows on the surface 

 were warmed by means of a benzine blast-lamp. Immediately 

 after the warming, the compound of paraffin, containing creasote 



' Misfortunes of an Obelisk, loc. cit., 132. 



2 Robert M. CaflFall, Scientific American, XXI (1886), Supplement, p. 8391 : 

 and in paper on "The Preservation of Building Materials by the Application 

 of Paraffin, as recently used upon the Obelisk," Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci., V 

 (1885), 56-6(j. 



