Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-10-21
Correspondence,
For the Tribune and Telegraph.

Boston, oct. 3, 1895.
MEssRs. EDIToRs.-The latest event
of any Importance in these "diggins,' -
is the ceremonies connected with the
laying Of the cornerstone of the Ninot's
Ledge Lighthouse. A number of the
members of our city government, with
invited guests to thenumber of four hun
dred, or more, went down to the harbor,
to be present and assist in the ceremo-
MES. When they arrived at the Ledge,
however, they found the water so rough
that the waves were dashing high over
it, entirely precluding the possibility of
laying the cornerstone at that time
Accordingly this part Of the services
was omitted. The party were taken to
Cohasset, where the inauguratiug cere
monies were gone through with, lnclu-
ding the delivery of several speeches,
appropriate to the occasion, one of which
was by our classic orator, Edward Ev-
erett. Father Taylor, the venerable and
beloved sailor preacher, was present,
and knelt upon the corner stone, and fer
vently and impassionately invoked the
benediction Of Heaven upon the great
work they had assembled to inaugurate
1t is indeed a work of vast impor.
lance, not only to the safety of the great
amount of property exposed to ship
wreck, but to the lives of the brave men
who are constantly exposed to the perils
of the sea.
In the frequent occurrence of north
east gales, the waves of the Atlantic
concentrate their greatest force upon the
rocks of Cohasset, cf which the part cal
led Minot's Ledge constitutes the outer
portion. The frequent occurrence of
shipwrecks on these rocks arrested pub
lie attention some eighteen or twenty
years ago, and Congress was petitioned
tor an appropriation to erect lighthouse
upon them. After delay protracted
through several sessions, the appropria-
ton was made. The engineers to whom
the work was committed, decided upon
an iron pile lighthouse, the erection of
which was commenced in l847 and com
pleted in the fall of l849. The erection
of a lighthouse of this kind in such an
exposed situation, was a bold expert
ment, and in the end proved disastrous
failure.
A Mr.. Durham was appointed keep
er, with two assistants but he soon be-
came convinced that the structure was
unsate-the wind and waves causing it
to shake in an alarming manner; and in
about year from his appointment, he
resigned his post. A Mr.. Bennett was
appointed in mis- place, who gave no Gre
dit to the stories of the insecurity of the
Lighthouse; but he was soon convinced
that the half had not been told Repor-
ted representations of the insecure CON
dition Of the lighthouse were made, but
the authorities were incredulous. On
the 18th and 10th of April, 1850, gale
OF more than usual severity prevailed on
our coast, in which the lighthouse was
swept away. The keeper was fortunate
lyon shore at the time, but his two as
sistants persisted in the gale. "At day
light the next morning, such of the frag-
ments of the lighthouse as would float,
strewed the beach to leeward. The
massive structure which man in the
pride of his power and self-confdence,
had erected to brave the fury of the ele
ments, had vanished, and the mad waves
!!eaped and tumbled wildly and in seem
ing exultation over its site"
The destruction of the lighthouse
made the rocks more dangerous than ev-
er, and light boat was moored outside
of the ledge, as a substitute; but the sit
uatiorf was too exposed for such boat,
and it has been repeatedly driven from
it mornings. Congress made another
appropriation for the erection of sub
stantial granite structure, and it has al
ready been in progress about three years.
The rock is only exposed at low tide,
and even then the water must be per-
tectly calm to enable work to be done
upon 1t. Hence there are but few days
IN the year on which work could be done
on the rock, and then only for a few
hours. When the lighthouse is compile
ted, 1t will be rare work of art-a no
BILE monument of engineering skill-sur-
passing even the famous Eddystone
Lighthouse in the British Channel, if it
should prove of sufficient strength to
withstand the fury of the elements in
this most exposed situation.
And still another interesting work of
art claims my attention. work which
commentaries the life and services of
one who, perhaps more than any other
single man, was instrumental in setting
in motion the ball of that revolution
which sundered us far from the mother
country. allude to the placing of the
statue OF JAMES OTIs in the place long
designed for it, in the chapel at Mount
Anhnrn- where il will ever renain aS q