Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-11-02
THE DEL. BREAKWATER,
An Interesting Description Of an Inter
esting Locality.


-h
tFrom the New York Hearth and Bomel
The Delaware Breakwater was coHstruc-
ted 10 furnish good harbor on coast
which, for about three hundred miles,
was singularly deficient 10 safe anchorage
grounds for large vessels In rough weather
Previous to 1880, In which year the first
stone OF the Breakwaier was laid, wrecks
were numerous along the straight Jersey
coast-much more so than now plentiful
as they stin are Gfeat and Little Egg
Harborsi and Absecom, lying midway be.
tween SANDY Hook and the capes Of the
Delaware were INSTRUCTED by bars at their
narrow inlets, inaccessible TO large vessels,
and when sudden nor'easters arose, large
vessels, caught too near the coast, could
do nothing but 20 ashore. Numerous
Congressional committees and surveying
commissions were appointed to devise
plans to create an artificial harbor, and In
is2S the matter took definite shape by
Congress making the first appropriation
for the present ''stone pile" as 1t Il called.
The fnal survey was made 10 1929, aud In
1880 the first stone was dropped-the cor
ner stone, as II were, Of the present struct-
ure. The work was then carried on with
varying degrees Of energy until the
placing Of the last stone in 1858.
The Breakwater is situated about mile
and three eghlhs from the beach, on the
inside Of Cape HenlopeD, at the mouth Of
Delaware Bay, which Is here about thir-
teen miles wide,the famous watering place
at Cape May being on the opposite shore.
The structure ls merely pile of stones,
/ lying where they were dropped from the
vessels, and extending in length about a
quarter of a mile, and In hight fourteen
and three-tenths feet above mean low
water. The depth Of water Is five fsthoms.
Major Bender was the constructing
engineer, and William Strickland, the well
known architect of Philadelphia, was the
designing engineer.
There were some thrilling scenes wit
messed during the building Of the pile.
| The vessels, mostly schooners, were
anchored over the spot, dropping the
stones, when sudden storms would arse,
scattering them in every direction, come
of them occasionally going ashore. The
constructing officers lived on a brig
anchored In the vicinity. The present
| lighthouse, known as the " Breakwater
Light" was built In 1913, replacing a
temporary one, now much dilapldated, and
adjoining the new one, with the fog-bell
tower between. They present an exceed
lngly picturesque view from the harbor,
during severe winter, when the harbor
sometimes becomts completely blocked
with ice, the antique and Tory villagers
from Lewes, on the Delaware shore, make
miniature Arctic expeditions for the relief
of vessels In distress. The winter of '55
and 80 Ia spoken of wi h pride In this
respect. Two seamen 10 a boat from a
vessel got caught In the Ice, and were
rescued with great difficulty by Mr..
Norman, an assistant. A supplementary
work, called the ice breaker, of smaller
dimensions, but made In the same manner,
lies nearly at right angles to the main
work, about an eighth of mile further
up the bay, but does not seem 10 be fully
successful. It is thought the two works
will eventually be connected, thus making
the harbor more secure against both storm
and ice.
The present keeper of the light, Mr.
Norman seems perfectly Ambitious, as a
light keeper should he. He seems a part
Of the Breakwater, the light, and the har-
Dor, and is an fat in everything pertaining
to lights and lighthouses. lie is per-
fectly satisfied with his life, though {,
laudsmen, accustomed to gay variety, Il
seems intolerably monotOnous. His walk,
are confined to irregularly shaped stone
of the Bfcakwater, aud his amusement
to fishing from the north end Of the slonl
pile for the family breakfast. The light
require extlemC care, which they certainly
receive.
With an assistant in MIR. Sullivan, VIII
! relieves the tcdium of enforced "loaii-h
l ness by writing little articles for th
/ local Delaware press, he must watch al
Y variations Of the weather, and he ready q
any moment to relieve distressed vessc' =
D which, from the peculiar locality, are no
! by any means scarce. II fog arises b.
day or night the fog bell tower must b
/ visited, the clOckwor machinery started
r and unlucky mariners warned Of the prOx
unity of danger. If a snow storm rage
the exterior of the lantern must be ire
quenly observed, aud the surface clcare
I OF SNOW or slect-a particularly Charnin
, diversion, with the wind blowing IA hur
i bred milts an hour and the tcmperatuI
70 near zero.
/ Sometimes vessels are dashed upon III
n Bfeakwater itself. The barkentne Whi
Cloud, with coal, bound from Philadelphi
c 10 Boston, struck during a northeast ga
i in November, 1870, Immediately at Il
- lighthouse. She was trying to make Il
' haibor by the opening between the !,
breaker and breakwater proper, and NJ
c Normau's description of the rescue of III
crew on a spar is thrilling. The vess
went to pieces, and some Of her clones
e still cling TO the walls Of the pile. Sittir
,l on a chair, looking out Of the window
d the watch-foOm, at the flagstaff On Il
ie fog-bcl tower, he can tell to ceitaint
II 10y watching the regularly recurring refe
ID tiOn of the ''ilash' upon the staff, whelh
le the light is in pcrfe L order or not, al
" the least imperfection is Immediately q
W tended to. The light at this station
s. what is known As q fourlh-order ligl
~ with fash attachment. The flash is pr
I duced by revolving apparatus Of pa
re TALLY Opaque glass, which passes at reg
nj lar intervals before the light and obseur
sc il for a few seconds, after which il su
S denly flashes again upon the water.