The sun., 1892-04-11
NO nIanr ON DIAMOND snoALs
The Contractors Practically Abandon the
Work Aner Expanding 500 600.

WASHINGTON, April 10.-When the Lighthouse
Board meets tomorrow. Major Gregory. En-
Gineer's Secretary. will announce tho practical
abandonment Of the contract to erect u light
house on Diamond Shoals. ten miles east OF
Cape Hatteras. about the ''nastiest' piece Of
water on the oarth's surface. More wrecks oc-
cur on and near Diamond Shoals than any
where on the coast. and IL has long been the
desire OF tho Board to place light thero for
the warning OF. and AS n direction to. mariners
along the Virginia and Carolina coasts. but no
active steps were taken until within the past
few years.
The history Of the legislation and antccedent
movements and subsequent operations Is In
teresting. The first official communication on
the subject was letter from Engineers Sec
retary Ludlow OF the Board in November, 1882.
to Major o. Z. Babcock. then engineer In
charge OF tho Fifth Lighthouse District. asking
him to investigate and report upon the prac-
ticabilty of and cost OF establishing lighted
beacon on outer shoal, eight miles from the
Cape. consisting. say. OF skeleton Iron
tower. carrying u reservoir for compressed
gas and capable Of exhibiting re-
liable light Of suitable power from
height Of forty or fifty feet above the sea. for
period Of about three months" It was not
then deemed feasible to construct perma-
nent structure. owing to the difficulties OF the
situation. The wind and water ut that point
seem to be carrying on a continual warfare.
with the result of making 1t we'll nigh impos-
sible to even make soundings. let alone the
more difficult task OF anchoring q caisson In
which to construct the foundation for O
superstructure. The Coast Survey officers
sent force to the place to make
soundings at one time. and. although
they remained in the vicinity two months. there
pt oip pryln do In NIL haf i'm
the men could work. From this some idea q
diffleuitfes. Which. in the opinion Of the Board.
render the construction OF lighthouse there
the ss @ feat nson % At
ier s'e the ase' b!ishment oi sStship On
the e Fifth district % reportsd sgainss pisene
liRhtship there. esit would simply cause
St SSaz The Hard sss liz I'd
04fcR II sssRs Majer eSBSzS reported that
that It would be equally IS practicable 70 con,
Q bid for constructing tlrst-order lighthouse;
!Gorrespondence On on the subject continued and
s500.O0o Az aet Was snp passed on March 2. 1880;
not exceeding $500. 900. Bids were asked. the
contractors furnishing their own plans. and
the contract was awarded to Anderson 4 Barr.
at S485. .0OO the light to be ready on Jan. !.
1892. and remain continuously lighted one year
before any payment should be made. These
contractors. or one OF them. Capt. Anderson.
had great experience. and had previously per-
formed satisfactory work for the Board. and.
beyond the doubt held generally as to the
feasibility OF overcoming the engineering
difficulties no fear was: felt that the contract
would not be successfu lily carried out. But
the situation has proved too much for the con-
tractors. and. after an expenditure Of nearly
s10o.Op. Capt. Anderson has cancelled orders
What action the Board will take cannot be
been done. the willingness OF at least four en-
gineering contracting flrms-Anderson Y
Gustav Lindenthal-to engage In the project.
and the recognized necessity for the light.
the work carried forward to completion.
A successful termination Of the labor will
place the contractor at the head OF his profess
sion. and this distinction will spur bidders to
do their utmost. In the effort to fulfil his cor.
tract CAPT. Anderson built caisson of iron
and steel. Weighing 200 tons and towed It
from Norfolk to the shoals. but in attempting
to sink 1t, tho structure was totally wrecked,
and the men at work narrowly escaped
drowning