The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-07-19
superior Work for lIinops Ledge Light


We had the pleasure yesterday of looking
over new and splendid piece of work just
executed in this city to serve as a new plat
form to be placed above the stone work for the
lantern to rest upon at Minot's Ledge Light
House. 1t may be remembered that the Light
House at this dangerous point off Cohasset in !
Massachusetts Bay, was destroyed in the ter
ribe storm of April 16, 1851. There are many
interesting particulars relating to this Light
and to the one which has taken its place. The
former one was built upon strong iron posts
imbedded in the rock and which sustained the
lantern deck but it could not stand the force
of the terrible gale we have mentioned and it
was destroyed as we have stated with the
lives of the two keepers. On July LIST, 1855,
the first stone of the new Light House design
ed and built by Gen. B. s. Alexander, was
laid at sunrise, AMI such is the exposed state
of the position, but very little Of the rock upon
which it was built being exposed above even
the lowest fall of the tide, that it was impossi-
BILE to work much more than one hundred
hours during that year. But the work was
carried on and finished in the most substantial
manner, of stone cut and fitted upon the shore,
in the short space of only ITO days. divided, as
the weather would allow, during three years.
A light ship answered the purpose Of the
Light House during these years.
1t has been found necessary to make some
changes at the lantern deck, and the Light
House Board (which has existed as sep
arate Bureau of the Treasury Department
for several years0 wisely gave the work to
our fellow citizen, Mr.. Ira VIM, who for
10 years past has performed much similar
service for that Department, to the en-
tire satisfaction Of all concerned. This work
was round platform of gun metal "copper"
and tiny divided into II sections with an
equal number of mullions, and an entire new
railing. Each section was of the weight of
1900 pounds. Mr.. Leonard Crockett, Fore
street, executed the castings in his usual ex-
cellent manner, while Mr.. Winn finished up
the work. The job is one of the best pieces of
work of the kind that has ever been turned
out in this or any other city, and it passed the
| inspection of Gen. Poe, and William A. Good
| win, Esq, of the Light House Board last week,
very satisfactorily. I zFF .s5r
| Gen. Poe was a leading general under Sher-
| man, in his march to the sea, and Mr.. Good
| win is well known in this city as one of the
| original engineers of the A. & St. L. R. r.
! Light Houses are the speciality of Mr..
| Winn who has suffered very severely, as by
| the break ng out of the rebellion, all such
| work had to be stopped and in the meantime
he was burnt out twice, we believe. Most of
the work done by him has been so much added
| to the business capacity of our city, and men
| who are able to execute it and to whom the
Department assign the compliment of repeat
ed contracts for such labor ought to have ev-
cry encouragement from our own citi-
zens. Such work as this is not emily an
honor to the mechanics who execute it,
but a great credit to the engineers who
design, and to the nation Which orders
such expensive and admirable lighthouses as
that on Minot Ledge. We ought to add a
word as to our satisfaction in looking over the
drawings and elevations and Autographs of all
parts of the work, from the foundation stone
work and iron work to the completed edifce
with its Fresnellights, and the flag of the coun-
try floating upon it; and when the light house
was completed it was inaugurated in proper
manner, by addresses on the spot by no less an
orator, among others, than Edward Everett.