Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-12-08
The Eddvstone Light House

The importsat ligh, house which has just
been completed on the reef near Colchester Point,
presents so many analogies, in exposure. location
sul construction to the celebrsted Eiiys,oue gh
houses on the coast Of England, ;ha; coDjsct-
urs brief notice of the latter viii be sppropri-
ate Snd not without iu;eres, and instruction to
your readers Each stands in locality periious
to navigation, is built upon submerged rock
aided by sn artificial foundation, at distance
from the shore sud only accessible by boat, sui
exposed to the fun sweep Of the wind aad VIC
lenee Of the surges. All Of the three Eltystoue
light houses, were modelled by self-msie archi-
tects, uHaidei by professional engineers. &c not
know by whom that AZ Colchester was planned,
but it is certain that It was executed by the
native skill and practical science Of an ingenious
builder. who had received no knowledge on the
subject from the schools or books.
The EIlystone rocks lie in the English channel
ten miles from land ard fourteen from Plymouth,
enc Of the most important hsrbors @; England.
These rocks. situated ia the track Of the wealth
i5st commerce Of the wor,i. were most Formidable
iu.peiemeuts 20 It's safety. Many sh and noble
ar-osies were annually wrecked upon the
,re4che7ous reef aud sunk with their gallant
crews. 10 sight OF the haven they hst for
thousands ot Leagues sought amid tempests sad
waves.
Towards the close Of the seventeenth century,
the attention Of the Elgl.sh government was
directed 90 the necessity of relieving uavgs-
tion from these perils, but the scheme OF
erecting at the place, pharcs Of any descrlp-
ton. wss surrounded by 50 many obstacles
A. 20 renIer IL apparently impracilcaole, ani 81
professional engineers shrank from the undertsk-
ing In the year 1868. Henry Wins-suley, prI-
vate E7n-ieman possessing grea; ns-iye lng-nu-
ity, tut uneiucaied in tie arts, emdGrset iu
the enterprise. and with the labor Of four years,
suoceeiei 10 the erection eta stone light house
on ole 81 those rocks The eilica was many
sided su1 one hundred feet in height, and yet
10 violent temuests the waves iashel far above
its highest summit 10 the autumn Of HOS,
while the srchtect himself, wss 10 the tower,
q storm Of unprecedented vehemeuce occurred.
The succeeding morning. not yesuce OF the
structure was visible. stones, iron. woodwork.
aul its occupants. had al been buried in the
deep-overw whelmsi by the winds and waves.
Terrific ships ecks again invoked the atten-
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