The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1894-01-19
MlNOT LEDGE LIGHTHOUSE.
The Historic Storm Which Wiped the Orig
inal Structure Out of Existence.

The Historic Storm Which Wiped the Orig
inal Structure Out of Existence.
The Lighthouse on Minot's ledge
stands within the shadow Of tragedy.
1t is the second structure erected upon
the ledge. The first lighthouse and the
lives it held were claimed by the sea.
Begun in 1S47 and completed in No
vember, 1S48, it was overwhelmed in
April, 1851. Its destruction was the
most tragic event in the history of our
lighthouse establishment. The struc-
ture was an octagonal tower supported
upon wrought iron piles strengthened
by braces. The piles penetrated five
feet into the rock. On the braces, "a y
feet above the rock, the keeper had con-
Btructed 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 platform and there landed.
These improvements were 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 IA, 1851, there
was 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 response 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 &C
cumulated fury of miles of wind torn
sea. By the 18th it had increased to
a hurricane, and the tower was so COM
pletely buried in the heavy seas that
nothing of it could be seen by the 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 fitful
intervals until 10 o'clock that night,
when it was finally lost to sight. At
o'clock on the morning of Thursday,
April II, Just at the turn of the food,
when the Outstreaming tide and the in
rushing hurricane met at MinOt S, a
violent tOlling of the lighthouse 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 a chair washed up
a little distance ahead of him. Exam
lining it, he recognized it as having been
In the watchrOom Of the tower. After
this discovery no one had any doubts of
the tragedy which had been enacted be-
hind the curtain Of the storm When
it lifted, naught was seen over Minot' S
ledge but the sea. its white crests
streaming triumphantIy in the gale.
1t is believed by those competent to
judge of such matters that the destruc-
tiOn of the tower was due to the surface
which the platform constructed by the
keeper offered to the waves and to the
strain of the hawser upon the structure.
Every time this hawser was struck by
sea it actually tugged at the tower
There seems also little doubt that the
sum appropriated by congress for the
building of the lighthouse was INSULT
cient by about twO-thirds for such a
structure as the perilous situation called
for.-Gustav Kobbe in Century.