THE MODERN CEMETERY. 
55 
Obelisks. 
The obelisk which is so frequently used as a 
form of cemetery monument, is of very ancient ori- 
gin, and seems to have been originally intended to 
mark important events in old Egypt. The stock of 
the ancient forms of these monuments now to be 
found in Europe, principally at Rome, were all 
brought from Egypt by the Romans, and there is 
record that at one time Rome possessed six great 
obelisks and forty-two 
small ones, ranging in 
height between io8 feet 
and feet. 
The ancient Egypt- 
ian expended an im- 
mense amount of labor 
and care on this form 
of “memorial” shaft, 
and it appears to have 
been used in contrast 
with the long lines of 
the peculiar arrangement 
of their temples, and 
from the fact that the 
despoiler’s hand has 
so ruthlessly been dis- 
played in the transport- 
ation ol these relics from 
their original sites, it has 
not been possible to ar- 
rive at really just con- 
clusions as to their va- 
lue in Egyptian archi- 
tectural schemes. 
The largest mono- 
lith at Karnak is estima- 
ted to weigh 297 tons, 
and the one standing 
close to the church of 
St. John Lateran, at 
Rome, which is a little 
over 108 feet high and 
8 feet square at the base 
weighs in the neighbor- 
hood of 450 tons. 
The obelisk in Cen- 
tral Park, New York city 
which was brought over 
by Commander Gor- 
ringe some years ago, 
is one of the finest left 
of the ancient shafts, and 
a similar one now stands 
in London. Unfortu- 
nately the severity of 
our climate has rendered 
it necessary to resort to measures to preserve the 
hieroglyphic carvings on the faces. 
These monoliths were generally cut from red 
granite or syenite. 
The accompanying illustration is a good example 
of the obelisk monument, with modern ideas as to 
details. It is of Barre granite, 53 ft. high; shaft 36 
ft.; bottom base 16 ft. square. The monument is 
fine hammered, with richly carved bottom molding. 
THE SPRY MONUMENT, ROSEHILL CEMETERY, CHICAGO. 
