The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-04-29
Destruction Of NIinot Ledge Light h ous,


The fears which have OF late been SO frequently
expressed with regard the unsafety of the L0hi.
house at Minot Ledge, have been sadly realized d.
On Wednesday night, the 10th, it was swept iDto
inc sea by the furious storm which was at that time
raging.
Ihe two assstant-keepers, Joseph Wilson, an
Englishman, aged 20, and Joseph Antonio. Por.
tuguese, aged rs, were both lost Mr. Bennett. the
keeper, was not in the Lighthouse and In Thus
saved from a terrible grave.
The last time that the Light was seen standing
was at about half-past three O'Clock, Wednesday
afternoon. The Light was not seen burning on
Wednesday night.
At about 10 o'clock, yesterday morning, Mr.,
!pshua bennett, the keeper of the Light arrived in
this CITY from Cohasset Beach, He had with him
hoated ashore undoubtedly from the Light-ho
Inc deck of the Light house, in which the keepers
lived, has also hoated ashore rendering it almost
certaih That the entire structure has gone. The
Top part IN which the keepers lived has most GER
tainiy gone, If not the whole building.
Various reports were about the CITY Yesterday
douoting and contradcting the truth Of the matter,
but the British bark Aclive, which arrived here
reports having passed within mile of Minot Ledge,
ana saw the breakers, but the Lighthouse was
gone. we think there Is no cause to discredt the
reports.
MIR. Bennett was absent from the Light when
the sad catastrophe occurred. He had been ordered
up to the city by Collector Greedy, to purchase a
new boat, and on his return Tuesday afternoon,
round the sea SO high that he could not get out to
the Lighthouse. To this he is indebted to the
preservation OF his own life. After being unable
to get on board, Mr. Bennett repaired to hi. house
on white Head, opposite the Gades, from which
ne, with hs family, were washed out on Wednes-
day by the high tide.
Mr.. Bennett had nearly $1O0 in money in the
Lighthouse, in addition to his clothing
>, The whole height of the Light was rs feet
from the rock to the keepers house, 60 feet The
diameter Of the IRON piles was eight inches at the
base and four and haltnches at the top Breadth
OF base twenty-five feet keepers room fourteen
ieet The diameter of the lantern was eleven and
halt feet, and it contained fifteen reflectors of
twenty-one inches each.
The keepers house, resting on the p;llars
weighed thirty tons, and fifty feet from the sea
A visitor, who was present during the great gale
OF last December, wrote d" OF the Lphtbonse |
was cooy told that it was very doubtful if ii stood
throusn TINS winter, as one of the iron supporters
had split the rock" The comforting remark wa,
added: Wen let you her kick it will blow
gale oil wind in the morning" y.
From time to time, says the Traveller. doubt,
have been expressed that this costly structure could
not, ior any length of time, withstand the terrible
storms to which 1t would be exposed The vene
rable Captain Of the United States steamer Rihh
gave 1t as his opinion at the time the rock was sur
veyed tor the purpose OF fixing upon it founda.
ton, that 1t would never stand upon the propossd
model, especially when encrusted with the ice of
winter. Several merchants, sea captains and pilots
here, have also long been of the same opinion.
few days after the great gale in March last,
says the Journal, young Wilson--a modest and
unassnming young man-called at our Office and
gave us an accoun, of the fearful and appalling
scenes through which he passed during the four on
five days which the gale lasted We remarked I'd
hum that probably it would be difficult to find men
to keep the Light if Mr. Bennett should leave il,
Yes, sir" said the brave fellow =" shall stav az
Rpnnptf Iaaa nd L,OJa,, Ia, l.
Ltght e wiA be dangerous for any Others I'd
take 1t :"
There can be no doubt but that it was improperlv
built, as the melancholy result OF Wednesday night
proves.
We gather from exchanges some further
particulars:
The Boston Traveller says "The story of the
destruction OF the Minot Ledge Lighthouse spread
with great rapdity yesterday, and in short time
hundreds hocked to the beach in every direction, to
get a sight at the ruins and witness the raging OF
the agitated waters The lower road had been 50
roughly used by the high as to be nearly
impassabe AT the beach opposite where the
lighthouse stood, fragments of all kinds of the
Light were floating ashore during the entire day
yesterday, pieces of which were carried off by tho
spectators as mementoes of the occurrence
we have conversed with Mr.. Bennett, who was
IN the city to-day. He informs that he had this
morning distinct view OF the rock on which the
lighthouse stood. 1t was. as he states complete.
ly bare, not vestge of the structure being visible
Every one OF the iron piles, it would seem, have
been uprooed and carried away. Mr. Bennett ia
OF opinion that the iron piles were not broken but
that the rock is split. He is confident, as he has
stated on former occasion that the rock has been
Tor some time split at the base of one of the piles
and thinks the seam was fatally opened by the ter
rible convulslons to which the edifce was exposed
He recolects having noticed sea, at the height az
the tide on "Wednesday night, which struck his