Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-04-21
a AGEDY.
The Destruction of the First Lighthouse
Built on AIInot's Ledge.

The Destruction of the First Lighthouse
Built on sIinot's Ledge.
The lighthouse on Minot's ledge
stands within the shadow of TRACE
dy. 1t 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 com,
pleted in November. lS4S, it was
overwhelmed in April. 1851. Its
destruction was the most tragic
event in the history of our lighthouse
establishment says Century, The
structure was an octagonal tower
supported upon wrought-iron plates
strengthened by braces. The psles
penetrated i've feet into the rock
On the braces, thirty-four and half
feet above the rock, the keeper had
constructed platform for the stor-
age of bulky articles, and had fast.
ened to the lantern deck, sixty three
feet above the rock. a five-and a. half
inch hawser which he had anchored
to seven-ton granite BLOCK Along
this hawser articles were hoisted up
TO the platform, and there landed.
These improvements" were con-
venient-and fatal; not, however, 70
the keeper who made them. for he
was on shore when the storm which
has become historic for its fury burst
over the coast.
On Monday. April IA, 1851, there
was a strong easterly gale blowing
At that time there were on the
tower two assistant keepers and a
friend of the principal keeper. The
visitor became frightened at the first
indication of a storm, and. in re-
Spouse to 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 accumulated fury OF miles OF wind
torn sea By the 10Th it had in
creased to a hurricane. and the
tower was 50 completely buried in
the heavy seas that nothing of il
could be seen by the group OF anx-
iou5 watchers at Cohasset
About 4 o'clock in the evening OF
the 10th the platform was washed
ashore. Then the watchers knew
that the waters had risen within
seven feet OF the tower. A. night
fall il was seen that the light was
burning. 1t was observed at fitful
intervals until 10 o'clock that night.
when it was finally lost to sight At
o'clock on the morning Of Thurs
day, April i. Just at the turn OF the
food, when the outstrcaming tide
and inrushin ghurricane met at Mi
not's, violent tolling OF the light.
house bell was heard. After that
no sound arose above the din Of the
storm. About 8 o'clock in the morn
ing a man walking along the shore
saw chair washed up little dis
tance ahead OF him. Examining il,
he recognized il as having been ia
the watch-room u the tower After
this discovery no one had any doubts
OF the tragedy which bad been en-.
acted behind the curtains OF the
storm. When IL lifted, naught wa.
/ seen orer Minob's ledge but the sea,
Z
+ II in the gale.
1t is believed by those competent
+ to Judge of such matters that tht
destruction of the tower was due q
] the surface which the platform con
/ structed BY the keeper offered to tn,
waves. and to tho strain Of the haw
+ ser uron the structure Every timt
/ this hawser was struck by a sea i
actually tuggsd at the tower Thert
seems also little doubt that the sun
] appropriated By congress for tn,
building OF the lighthouse wa
insufficient by about two-thirds 70
such a structure a. the pcrilou
situation called for.