Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1888-03-04


In June, lS74 eou0re0 paseed IN ae1
sSpsoesiasinG e5o.0u0 for he eoussrus-
s11o o. . asns-c1a9 iiahtheuns e Iiila.
Goo9 heass . prominent salient of the
eoess isne. teeoty mikes sooxh Of The
eefxaoee CT tie Cotamkia. Exsmirs-
esons OF TIE locality, however, both By
Una ana - Indicated that q vOotd Be
insdvisAbls % place the light u>oo the
ts0a fekrved TOT la9tseoose Vurpos.s
oe Ihiamook head rfopsf, and u vas
- menoeo eoae the mite selecssd
snsea1 oe on The bald hllis on the scath
noe Of ne had Before acpfovinz toe
feoommeodaficn the ii9hshease board
oisecseo snes IN exAUtpation Be made
o. lnsaMook rock 70 ascertain its adap-
teoaisy Tor The purpooe Desired Tins
. % is.es OF solid rock. lying one mile
seavAfd Of the head, and e ( more i'm
pofsAns landmark 70 the mariner taau
sns head itself. for the fosrner i often
d1sstrctty visible from the "a when the
latter u otscured by foRs.
1be exa ztsation of she rex rrcyed
= serious sesk, on account ct the diff
ncnisy Of sGestinR 8 landira upon il,
and Coionsi Gsliespse's descrjpsscp Of
Toe t0ortD IN shio direction present o
lively picsnre Of the obstacles thai had
70 oe ovescomc even Ia tbs early stage
Of the work. He made the examine
tiou, h0Veve9, and finally reported that:
The light should be rlsced q lov a.
possible and the rock Il the proper site.
ThouRh the execution Of the work viii
oe . tesk Of great expense. yet the ben
eet which The commerce seeking the
E1euth OF she Columbia will derive from
n va<Vs sr Al La -
vnSrant al the iabsf and expense in
viewed"
The sext step necessary vas the max
irR OF o survey OK the rock, to select
proper pisces Tor the quarters, tie der
rieks and the engines, and 10 collect
dstA necessary for determining upon
toe best plan for conducting the work.
HIS duty vas oou6ded tn John B. Ire.
wavAs. an excellent master mason Of
Portland. who had been employed at
one sme upon the construction Of the
Wolf Hook lighthouse, Of Lands Ead
enRianc. In the attempt to execute
the orders given him Mr.. Trewavas lost
nis life near the rock BY drowning.
IRIS most unfortunate disaster prej1
diced the public against the project Of
even attempting TO land upon the sea
lS>ks AoNop 0ob ~ 8Hc08 VI uuhlobok =
lighthouse there. Is became necessary
20 acs viRornusis before the public mind
became 30 affected BY ffeque1t discus
sions OF the dangers OF the place as to
render abortive the employment OF
iaborers for the undertaking. A. Bali
antJne vas appointed superintendent,
and at onoe organized party Of skill
ed q7aFrymea and proceeded to Astoria
vito them. While waiting for chance
to cross the bar the men were transfer
red to the old light keepers dwelling at
Cape Hancock to keep them away from
me talk OF the town. Such we're some
OF the difficulties met With in the begin
ming Of the work.
Tiiiamook Rack is a bold, basaltic
rock, witch stands isolated 10 the Pa
cIhc ocean. Before the crest vas dis
turoed 1t was considerably over one
hundred feet IN height, bat was reduced
80 that the foundation Of the Lighthouse
stands ninety feet above sea level. The
work OF reducing the rock by bla ting
a. commenced on tie 2lst OF October,
eI5. and completed on the lst Of MAY,
1851. ~ c6 feet having been taken of.
The light station upon Tillamook
Rock 10 built 10 the most substantial
manner. As before stated. the f0onda
ton is upon solid rock. 30 feet above
sea level. while the foch plane Is 6xed
at 136 feet above sea level. The dsell-
ing 10 q stone structure one story in
height. 4S by Is feet With an extension
for the fog sirens 81 By 3e1S feet under
the tame roof, on the vest eide, and
separated by stone wall, which
forms the fourth wall of the dwell
ing. Toe walls consist Of nrst-class
ashlar masonry laid Ia cours-
es, Cae foot rise. as headers and
stretohers, With full bed Of II inches.
The light, which is Of the first ordr,
showing @ white Fash every five Sec
onds. Is exhibited from stone tower 16
feet square, which rises from the center
Of the main building. Ibe walls are of
the same TIL ,kness a. thoss of the
dwelling and inclose well twelve feet
10 diameter IN tae clear. Above the
height OF IS feet 6 iashes above FONDA
tion the tower Ia finished with brisk
parapet feet high. upon which rests
the lantern. Around the base of the
to yer are grouped the foor rooms OK the
keepers, two on tbs north and two Oh
the south, each 10 BIZ II feet in the clear,
With the etOe rooms aud kitchens Ia
the angles. They are reached on the
east and vest sides by narrow passage,
2k feet wide. leading from the main
passage, which conducts from the en-
trance door on the east side through the
base OF tbs tower to the foR-signal
roou.-Astoridn.