The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-01-11
HAT TERAS LIGHT SHIP
The Only Successful Warning Ever Placed
Ctf Diamond Shoals.
HAS SAFELY Ridden OUT EVERY GALE
During tho Thrcc Months OF Her Ser
vico She Has rrnycd n Dozen Gales,
some of Them tho Fiercest Tint
Ever swept This ocean ornve>
YnrL.

Ynrd.
II is now nearly three months since
the Light ship was placed in position on
the Diamond Shoals, of HatteraS, and
during tina, time this vessel has braveG
tine anger Of nearly a dozen storms.
Mr.. ). l.. Dosher, the observer at the
Cape, says in an article that heavy
northerly gales have rushed down upon
the ship In seemingly vain attempt
to drive her out upon tile open sea.
and. being baffled, the gales have shift
cd to the south and charged upon the
s,aunch little craft from that dire elton
as II ITO try and force her into the
treacherous breakers of the very shoals
from which she warns the passing
craft to steer clear" Through all OF
these gales, however. this sturdy vessel
has turned her head to the sea and
rode out the blast with the mos; perfect
ease and with absolute safety: and to-
day she swings as peacefully Mt her
anchor as though she had all the while
been lying In some Tranquil ana land
locked harbor.
The Diamond Shoals light vessel was
built especially for the service in which
she is now placed, and .he light house
department seems to have used. in her
equipment. every possible means to
guard against the dangers TO which
she would he exposed. The shin Is fitted
out with all of the modern arrange
menss in the way of safeguards against
The severe storms which she has 10 en-
counter. and judging from the adj
mirable manner In which she has be-
haved so far, 1t would seem that all
possible contingencies have been pro
vlded for. She has a patent spring at
tachment through which the anchor
chain Is run, and which Is so arranged
us 10 relieve the capstan Of the severe
strain which "a put upon II by the
rolling and plunging of the ship in se
we're storms. This spring Is fixed In such
n way that 1t Will take UP q strain of
Is, strain of $4,000 pounds
has to be put upon the spring before
any strain Is felt at all upon the cam
stan. The ship also has all the other
modern conveniences pertaining TO this
class of vessels. She Is fitted out with
her own electric light plant; has a
steam fog whistle that can be heard a
distance of 12 miles, and has an extra
arrangement OF oil lanterns which can
he used to the mast head in case the
regular electric lights should by any
reason fall to work. The ship Is. OF
course, fitted out with full steam DOW
er, and In heavy gales this power oan
be used to hold her head to the sea.
thus relieving. in a great measure, the
intense strain upon the anchor and
chain. The vessel is held In position
by an immense mushroom anchor to
when is attached chain. which, from
Its size. would be judr to hold In
place any ship that ever foated. Zach
link OF the chain. II Is said. weighs 10
pounds, and the iron composing The
INKS Is ga Inches in diameter. About
midway between the ship and the an
chor Is placed large buoy, which
holds the immense chain and prevents
IL SINKING to the bottom and becoming
Embedded in the sand. This buoy also
.akes up a portion Of the strain which
the ship has to bear when rlding ont
q storm .a#I ~ N'-.
Much has been said by those inter
ested as to the probability of the shin
holdlng her position. It was confident
~ predicted by many that the shin
would last but two severe storms,
experience has proven, however. that
theSe predictions were not well found
cd ana there now seems to be no cues
ton but that the vessel will stav ne
long rs the Lighthouse Department
chooses ITO keep her there. She has
ALREADY experienced some of the most
severe storms that have visited the
coast In years, md, as she has wealth
cred them all without any apparent In
convenience. we can only deduce tho
logical conclusion that she will con-
tinue to safely weather any storm
which. in the bounds of proba bility, she
IS likely to encounter. The storm of
october 25th, last year, was one OF the
most severe that has passed along the
coast In years. The gale ragged furious
ly for two days, and, at times the wind
assumed the proportions of n hurri-
cane. The wind at the wea Their sta
ton on shore blew from fifty to sixty
miles an hour. and 1t was. OF course
much heavier off the shoals. Shortly
after the gale the light ship was board
ed from Hatteras. I'm an open skiff, by
Captain George w. GaskIns. who went
out to put aboard a member OF the
crew Captain Gaskms inquired Of
Capt. Bluib, master Of the ship, as to
how she behaved during the gale OF
October 25th. Captain Blum stated
that tho ship behaved admirably; in
fact. he said that her behavior In the
gale was such as to more than meet
his greatest expectation, and that ne
was fully satisfied that She would re-
main in her position without any
trouble whatever. In venturlng out to
this light ship in an open boat Captain
Gaskins performed q feat which has
After coughs and colds