Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-02-02
NIinot's Ledge Lighthouse.


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The story Of Tragedy Of the sea-
The lighthouse on Muot's Ledge stands |
within the shadow Of a tragedy IL is the |
second structure erected upon the ledge /
The first lighthouse and the lives 1t held |
were claimed by the sea Begun in 1871 |
and completed in November, lS4S, it was |
overwhelmed in April, 1851. Its destruc- |
ton was the most tragic event in the his
tory of our lighthouse establishment. The
structure was an octagOnal tower support
ed upon wrought-iron piles strengthened
by braces The piles penetrated five feet
into the rock. On the braces, 34t feet
above the rock, the keeper had constructed
a platform for the storage of bulky articles
aud had fastened to the lantern-deck, %
feet above the rock, Observation-Disclosures
hawser which he had anchored to a seven
ton granite block Along the hawser art-
Giles were hois ed up to the platform, and
there landed. These improvement
were cUnvenient-and fatal; not, however,
to the keeper who made them, for he was
on shore when the storm which has be-
come historic for its fury burst over the
coast.
on Monday, April II, 1851, there was
strong easteriy gale blowing. Attn st time
] IltIt were OH lll' bOFNl WV t'''i'''i4'
keepers and a friend of the principal keep
err The visitor became frightened at the
first indication of a storm, and, in response
To a signal from the tower, a boat put of
| 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 them
selves upon Miuots, as they then rejoice
i'm the accumulated fury of miles uf wind
torn sea BY the 10th it la increased to
a hurricane and the tower was so com
pletely buried in heavy seas that nothing
of it could be seen by the group of anxious
watchers at Cohasset.
About o. clock on 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 midnight it was seen that the light was
burning. 1t was observed at tittu inter
walls until 10 o'clock that night, when il
was finally lost to sight. At ! O'Clock on
the morning of Thursday, A pril l.. Just at
the turn of the flood, when the out-strram-
ing tide and the inrushng hurricane met
at Mnot's, a violent tolling Of the light
house bell was heard. After that no
> sound rose above the din of the storm.
About o'clock in the morning a man
walking along the shore saw chair wash
ed up little distan e ahead of him. En-
aiming it, he recognized il as having
been in the watch-room OF the tower. AIT
er this discovery no one had any doubts
, of the tragedy which had been enacted
j behind the curtain of the storm. When
it lifted. naught was seen over Minot 5
Ledge but the sea, its white crests stream
D ing triumphantly in the gale.
II is believed by those competent to
Judge OF such matters that the destruction
OF the tower was due to the surface which
the platform constructed 10y the keeper
offered to the waves, and to the strain of
; the hawser upon the structure. Every
time this hawser was struck by sea il
7 actually tugged at the tower. There seems
also little doubt that the sum appropriated
W by Congress for the building Of the light
housewas insufficient 10y about two-third,
u for such a structure as the perilous situa
J tion called for.
- uo,vth, Present Lighthouse Was RuIIt
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