Dessoug - a general history and the Egyptian obelisk.

(Various sources give this vessel as having being completed as Denton)

Launched 2 September 1864 as Dolmebaktchi; Official No. 50135; Code Letters JVKS.
The first owner was Khedive Ismail Pasha (J Ritchie, agent for P & O Co) Alexandria, Egypt. In 1874 he changed the name Dessouk to Dessoug; The next owner, Henry Honychurch Gorring, kept the vessel under Egyptian Registry. In 1881 the Ocean SS Co, Savannah, Georgia, USA changed the registry to American with the Official No. 157043).
Masters: 1865-74 William T Woodgates; 1880 Henry Honychurch Gorringe; 1882-92 Smith; 1892-94 S Laskins; 1895-96 Christie (C.N. 157043).
Dessouk arrived at Malta to replenish her fuel before sailing for Alexandria to be consigned to the agent of the Peninsular & Oriental Co, Southampton on 13 December 1864. She then became employed in the Egyptian Postal Service between Alexandria, Smyrna & Constantinople until overspending & corruption led to some of the steamers being mothballed. She lay in Alexandria’s navy yard in an extremely neglected & filthy condition.
In about 1870 the Khedive of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, in a conversation with William Hurlbert, editor of the New York World newspaper had related that he wanted to sell Egyptian cotton to the West. Hurlbert answered the Khedive by suggesting that a way to open up trade in New York was to present America with an Egyptian obelisk. A deal was struck but it was to be ten years before fruition.
In 1880 Henry Honychurch Gorringe, United States Naval Officer, won the engineering contract to move the 196 ton obelisk, Cleopatra’s Needle, from Alexandria to New York. When searching for a suitable vessel he came across the Dessoug & decided the vessel had the right dimensions for his purpose. He purchased her for about £6,000 & spent nearly as much again to get her in shape for an extremely hazardous undertaking. She was moved to dry dock where a hole was cut in her bow to accommodate the obelisk. Her engines had never been overhauled & her deck planks had buckled but she was repaired & sailed from Alexandria on 12 June 1880. On her journey repairs had to be carried out at Gibraltar to her leaking boilers & on 6 July her propeller shaft broke. There were spares aboard & she was repaired whilst at sea. She arrived at Manhattan with her precious cargo on 20 July 1880 but there were so many restrictions that she was moved to Staten Island to be unloaded. The obelisk was then transported to Central Park in New York where it was erected in 1881 & still stands today although its hieroglyphics are gradually eroding from the climate & pollution.

Those aboard on this journey consisted of Henry Gorringe, Seaton Schroeder, Frank Price, in charge of shipping the obelisk, & Henry E Davis, foreman of wood & ironwork. McIntyre, chief engineer, Hassan, a Berber orphan of about 12 years of age, Ali, a Nubian servant, a second Nubian, two Americans & a mix of Austrian, Scots & French.

Voyages: May 1882 sailed from New York for Bermuda; November 1887 Savannah for New York a fire in the cotton cargo injured some of the crew; March 1888 arrived at New York with damage to bulwarks & stanchions.

In 1881 she obtained American registry & was used to transport cotton & then coal until August 1896 when she was condemned & sailed to Cow Bay, Long Island. There she was to end her life as a ship & was converted to a towed barge for carrying heavy freight. While in tow she foundered of the coast of Virginia NE of Winter Quarters Shoal on 21 October 1908. On 4 December 1908 the cutter Onondaga, commanded by Captain Cantwell, destroyed the derelict Dessoug. The hulk had been in the direct path of shipping & was a danger to navigation.

Further details can be found on the New York Times website.

Related items :