The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-23

likely to be reached by the heavy seas
during violent storms. The problem has
been TO make the structure as nearly rigid
TO the enormous strains as possible and
this is to be effected by joining ends of
members to steel-cast hubs by the use of
great steel rings shrunk on i'm a manner
somewhat like that followed i'm construct
ing built-up gun.
The structure will be of the skeleton
style, and, therefore, will leave the sea full
play The section which will be most af-
fected by the force of the waves is that
extending from thirteen feet below the
water line to seventeen feet above, and in
this section a system of framing will be
used which will be at once strong, simple
and rigid. The arrangement is such that
proximity of any two members of bunch
ing In the vicinity of the water line is
avoided and the water has a clean sweep
through the framing with a minimum re-
The small resistance to the water af-
torded by the individual members is dis
trIbuted evenly so as to reduce the likeli-
mood that shocks or vibrations will be
communicated to the upper portions
Above this section is a system of inclined
beams and central column going up to
the hoor of the house The house for the
lonely keepers and the stores and the
room for fog signals apparatus are to be
of iron or steel and will be fireproof. A
boat Will swing from an arm, so that the
Keepers may abandon the place if there
is likelihood of the structure being. de-
molished.
The method of construction is eouallv
Interesting. The submerged portion and
the heavier sections above water are TO
be assembled in harbor and floated TO
Diamond Shoal by a steel caisson secured
to the outside of the lower SERIES and cal
culated to give a draught of about thirty
place the structure is to be levelled up if
necessary by water jets, acting under the
disks water to be conveyed through the
pipes attached for sinking the piles. When
everything is level the piles are to be
pumped down and secured in place.
The construction of a light house on
Diamond ShO1l IT
from Cape Hatteras has been the sub
tect of serious consideration by the lead
ing engineer experts of the army and navy
for several years, and, after experiments
with skeleton structures on the shoal and
investigation as to the strain structure
would be subjected to by the fearful
waves and winds that prevail there al
most continuously, there is stil a wide
difference of opinion regarding the feast
bility of the scheme The army engineers
have no doubt that an immense lighthouse
can be located on the extreme outer edge
of the shoal, so built that it would be
invulnerable to the waves and shifting
sands that have brought about more en-
cheering problems to be overcome in
constructing light than have been en-
countered previously by the government
1t is argued by several naval men how
ever, among them Capt Wilde, naval sec
rotary of the lighthouse board that even
If light can be established, which they
very much question, 1t is not necessary
that the government should go to the
great expense of constructing it, with the
possibility that it might tumble into the
sea without warming, when light vessel
costing not more than $4,000 and similar
to that which is to be placed off Fire Is
land. could be anchored there with a GER
tainty of its weathering the fiercest gales
that snort in that latitude Admiral NAL
ker chairman of the board, agrees with
the army men, and advocates the building
of great lighthouse costing upward of
$1C00,000 which, when completed, will
represent the highest type of coast light
ing in the world. He proposes to make
the light the most powerful one that
shines from a light house and to connect
the structure with the shore by means Of
a submarine cable, so that vessels pass
ing up and down the coast can be report
ed to maritime exchanges.
Whether Hatteras and its dangerous
outer shOal are to be guarded by a light
house built on the plan of the light-house
board or simply by an inexpensive light
vessel, probably will depend upon con
gress. The board has given its approval