The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1894-04-07
MINCT LEDGE LIGHTHOUSE.
- Historic storm which Wiped the ORA
inal structure Out of Existence.

- Historic storm which Wiped the Orfs
inal Structure Out Of Existence.
The lighthouse on Minot's ledg.
stands within the shadow of a tragedy
II is the second structure erected upon
the ledge. The first lighthouse and the
lives it held were claimed by the sea.
Begun in ls47 and completed in No
vember, 1S4s, it was overwhelmed In
April, 1851. Its destruction was tho
most tragic event in the history OF orr
lighthouse establishment. The struc-
ture was an octagonal tower supported
upon wrought iron piles strengthened
by braces. The piles penetrated NV
feet into the rock. On the braces, 341a
feet above the rock. the keeper had con-
structed a platform for the storage of
bulky articles and had fastened to the
lantern deck, 63 feet above the rock, a
81 inch hawser, which he had an
chored to a seven ton granite block.
Along this hawser articles were hoisted
up TO the platforms and there landed.
These improvements We're Convenient
and fatal, not, however, to the keeper
who made them, for he was on shore
when the storm which has become his
toric for its fury burst over the coast.
On Monday, April Il, 1851, there
wss a strong easterly gale blowing. AT
that time there were IN the tower two
assistant keepers and a friend of he
principal keeper. The visitor became
frightened at me first indication of a
storm, and in response TO a signal from
the tower a boat put off for Cohasset
and took him ashore. On Tuesday the
wind swung around to the northeast,
the most dangerous quarter from which
the elements can hurl themselves upon
Minot's, as they then rejoice in the ac-
cumulated fury of miles of wind torn
sea BY the 10th it had increased to
Q hurricane, and the tower was so ON
pletely buried in the heavy seas that
nothing of it could be seen by tbs group
of anxious watchers at Cohasset. About
4 O'Clock in the evening of the 10th
the platform was washed ashore. Then
the watchers knew that the water had
risen to within seven feet of the tower.
At nightfall it was seen that the light
was burning. 1t was observed at ftfuI
intervals until 10 o'clock that night,
when it was finally lost to sight. At
O'Clock on the morning of Thursday
April Il, tnst at the turn of the food
when the OutstTeaming tide and the in.
rusuing hurricane met n M,nOt s.. a
violent tolling IF the lighthouse bel!
was neard. After taat 10 sound rust
above >hr din OF Shc storm. About {
O'Clock IL tie III. ming "a mn "alNla-
along the snure saw u chair n"au-G "
a lite distance ahead Of hin. lam
inn : II. he recognized il rs g.-lug 1al
in the watchro,m Of the tower. Altar
this discovery 10 one had any doubt, 81
the tragedy which had been enacted be.
hind the curtain of the storm. When
1t lifted, naught was seen over M1not :
ledge but the sea. its white crest,
streaming tTiumphantly in the gale.
1t is believed by those competent Il
Judge of such matters that the destruc.
tion of the tower was due TO the surface
which the platform constructed by th'
keeper offered to the waves and TO thu
strain of the hawser upon the structure.
Every time this hawser was struck by
a sea it actually tugged at the tower
There seems also little doubt that tn,
sum appropriated By congress for th'
building Of the Lighthouse was INSULT
cient by about two-thirds for such 4
structure as the p~erilous situation callec
for.-Gustav Kobbe in Century.