The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-10

ioehes 70 10 icet-and the Newspaper article which
have referred 10 ia the body Of this report.
have The honor 10 be, your obcdient servant
w A. SWIFT, Agent for U. 5.
Colonel .. ,. AsxHr, ohlcf Topogrsph ioal Engi.
ncsr. Washington.
Bosros. April ~, 1851.
DEAz sis: Agreeable TO your request have this
day waited the remains Of Minot's Rock light to
make an inspection Of the same.
found that all the piles had broken OIL between
the rock and frat series OF horizontal stays.
riis No. ! tthe northwest piIs) was broken about
inches from the rock. No. 1.-THE next TO the
esst~ard) vas broken about 10 feet from the rock
No. and lthe centre pile) were broken Just even
~ssh the top of the lower hubs. about feet from
the rock. The remaining piles were broken OH
from 90 feet from the rock The piles, or stumps
q piles they stand, all curve 10 the south
west. as the accompanying sketch win show.
The sra being little rough was unable 70 land;
bat u being Iow water. and having good boat
man. tMs Elijah Pratt.) was enabled to approach
near enough TO have good view Of the whole
face of the rock. could not see the slightest
change in the rock whateseri tho piles appeared to
be- ~cdscd firsn In the rock ~ ever. could eco
she heads OF the wedges slightly projecting from
shc surface Of the rock. In the same position as
when lefi by ma In November. 1919. The structure
when carried away fell to the southwest--that IL,
directly towards tho inner Minsl. I could see the
second series Of horizontal stays projecting about
four five feet out of water, laying about las feet
from tho rock. They did not appear to DO much
broken or dersugcd from their structure; bot three
u the uppermcst piles. A. they lay, had been
broken oil about feet below these stays; therefore,
these piles have been broken into three pieces.
was unable TO learn whether the other six piles
t...n - L.. -
being under water, and the sea being too rough
ios as TO approach sufficiently near 10 see them.
learn from good authority. at Cohassct. that tho
structure was seen standing at o'clock. p. IN, on
the 10th inst. although during that day deck
which had been occurred the second series Of ho-
rizontai stays by Mr.. Durham (the former kecper)
bad come ashore. II this deck was washed from
iss position, the must have run TO within or 6
feet u the base OF he house. and must have tried
the structure very much during that day, a. tho
height Of the storm was on that day between II and
4 O'Clock
! also learned that the light was seen AZ late az
ten O'Clock the night Of the 10th Instant and st
about one O'Clock the morning of the 18th In.
slant the lighthouse bell was heard, at Cohasset,
10 ring very dstinctly and that II IL supposed, by
the Cohasset people, TO be the time the structure
was carried away, It being then high tide.
think this deck or platform, mentioned above
as coming ashore during the day, should never
have been placed there-and told Mr.. Durham 20
at the timcas it was strongly secured between the
piles, and would cause great resistance If the sea
should ever reach TO it's height. Another thing
which was very injurious to the structure and
which should never have been allowed to remain
there. was guy which run out to the northwest
from the structure. This guy was Of s inch hemp
rope, about 90 fatboms long. one end made fast to
the lantern deck, and the other TO stone in about
or fathoms Of water at low tide. This stone
was brought from Quincy for the purpose, and
weighed, AZ Mr.. Bennett informed me, upwards Of
fons.
The guy must have strained the structure badly
in u common running sea; but in such lido and
sea ne on this occasion it must have been q tre-
mendous strain. AZ IL was made fast so high up,
and running out at right angles with the direction
oil the running sea, thereby receiving great
force from tho sea as possible.
MIR. Bennett informed me that he always slack
ened this cable down In storm, in order that II
might not have much influence ON the structure;
but this think was Of no use. II merely lot more
OF the rope into the sea, and. in some instances,
would have worse influence on the structure than
if II were kept taut.
cannot but think that, If the lower series ofdi-
agonal Stays had been put on, the structure would
ho'o pSeH ot0HuluR NJ tulh umc. AS II WAS, IL
stood through the worst part Of tho storm and the
highest of the tide; and tho people Of Cohassct
told me that, they had seen the light standing
at five o'clock the afternoon before, they had con.
Guided the danger was passed, but on the morning
ofthc 18th instant, 1t was found that the lighthouse
was gone.
am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM DENNI6ON.
Captain w. II. SWIFT, Boston.
We annex the newspaper article referred to
in the above correspondence:
GLADEs, (CoHAssEr,) April 20, 1851.
EprroR BosTos HEaALp: Being in possession Of
what believe 10 be few facts in relation 70 the
deem it necessary that the public should become
acquainted with them, as have seen gross misre-
presentations Of the whole affair in the Boston
prints for the last six months. Those who are &C
that the structure was . frail one, and that ito
keeper had done much for the preservation of the
lighthouse, his assistants, himself, &c.
This believe 10 be fact, far a. his own per-
sonAl safety was concerned, otherwise. what has
been done; the improvements, az they have been
termed, have without doubt been the means of the
destruction Of tho light. would ask any reasona-
BILE person who 10 acquainted with tho case. IL the
structure should not have wthstood the gale II II
had shown little less unnecessary resictanoc 70
the wind and scss II certainly wiihstood the gale
the late gale IL this resistance had never been
placed upon IL, M l am particularly acquainted
with the manner In which the light was construct
cd from the drilling OF the holes ia the rock up 70
the time u was oomPieted and ready 10 be lighted
up. can give you some information Respecting
those things There has been large rope attach
cd TO the upper part Of the structure. end leading
10 heavy rock mooring tho In shore side of the
lighthouse There has also been stout plank deck
laid ON the second series VI bsaees. I r~coiiest
planks dashed ON the same place. which we're bro.
ken and washed away by the
There was also a large fog bell. weighing sosae
six seven hundred pounds, attached 10 the ssfuc-
turc underneath the building, which neither nor
any one eise ON tho glsdes have heard ring, ea-
ceptng on pleasant days or moonlight nighss.
These. with other things toe numerous 10 snenion
formed much onpccos lary rcsissance. and ~eso no
doubt the means VI the destruction 81 the lsxht-
house.
In contradiction 10 statement 4 sac publislssa
saying That there was not vsssge ot the light ro-
mainlng. would say that the posss srs bsoksn
H. - IL