The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-12
Favorable Report on a
New Lighthouse.
FOR The OUTER SHOAL
Capt. EeIls to Build it at His Own Ex-
pense and to Maintain il for One
Year Without Cost. The
Bill Passes the
Senate.
(From Our own Correspondent

FROM Our own COrreSpOndent.)
Washington Feb. 1.-THE House Com
mittee on Commerce practically decided
to report favorably the bill for light
house on the Outer Diamond Shoals of
Cape Hatteras. N c., and suh-commit-
tee was appointed to draw up detailed
specifications for the superstructure.
The, bill authorizes Capt. Albert F.
Ecils, of Boston, to erect the lighthouse
and makes therefor an appropriation OF
$4,000 to be paid to him on the follow
ing conditions: The work to be done
without cost to the Government anu
tbs light to be maintained at Captain
Eells's expense for one year, then turned
over to the Lighthouse Board. 1t at the
end of four more years the Board OF Army
Engineers finds the lighthouse standing
and suited to the purposes for which IL
was, erected Captain Eells is to be paid
$500 600 tor the work and maintaing the
light for a year and $4,000 interest for
I'VE years.
The bill has passed the Senate and an
effort will be made to get 1t tnrougn the
House at an early date, as it will be ne
cessary to begin work on the lighthouse
foundation within the next 80 days in O.
der to complete it before the tropical
storms of midsummer begin. Otherwise
the work must be postponed until next
year.
Hattoras, and the Inner and the Outer
Diamond Shoals, which extend from the
cape dozen miles into the ocean, is
known as the most dangerous point for
shipping in the world Its peculiar situa
tion as we'll as its hidden and dangerous
shoals make it so. Directly in the path
or vessels bound between the northern
and southern ports of the United States,
the West Indies and South Aerica, it is
also the meeting point OF the northeast
and northwest winds, and these tropical
and North Atlantic storms meet and COM
bine forces. The winds frequently att1in
a velocity of 80 to 100 miles an hour, and
the height attained by the waves mas
never been measured. Added to these
dangers are frequnt fogs. cross currents
updercurrents and shifting sands.
This region has long been known as the
graveyard OF the Atlantic" because OF
the many ships that have gone down
thcre and the hundreds OF lives and the
millions of dollars worth or vessels anG
cargoes that have been lost there. Re-
cords of the Life Saving Service show
that from 1875 to 1902 there have been 81
wrecks off Hatteras, with loss of $1,000
Geo and 62 lives. OF these 81 wrecks, Is
were on Outer Diamond Shoals and nin
Oh Inner Diamond Shoals. From 1899
to 1900 the loss of property and shipping
a WAC fha, mill nd
a half. In 1902 there were two wrecks
one on the inner shoals and one on the
outer. One life was lost and $50, 900 of
property. Last year one steamer and ore
schooner were wrecked on the shoals, one
not far away and one on Cape Hatteras.
So far this year there has been only one
wreck at Hatteras. That was on Janu-
airy 3rd
These figures include, of course, only
the wrecks known to the life-saving sta
tions. 1t is believed that many vessels
have gone down off Hatteras during some
u the many great storms there of which
there has never been any human record.
Certain it is that many vessels have dis
appeared near that treacherous coast ard
their fate has ever remained a mystery.
And yet. strange to say, this treacherous
spot has never been marked by any per-
manent light to warn mariners away or
to aid them in their course. Since the
shoals extended dozen or more miles
into the sea and gradually shelve off IN
such way as to be of the most danger
Gus character known, a lighthouse on the
shore would be OF little value, especially
during the kind of weather in which il is
most needed. It is therefore necessary
to build it. If built at all. in water some
30 feet deep and on a foundation of sand
For this reason, ana because of the FREE
luency and violence of the storms it
would have to withstand. the Lighthouse
Board, until a few years ago declared that
such q thing as a permanent lighthouse
at Hatteras absolutely is inpracticable
AMI impossible. In later years. however.
modern methods of construction have
somewhat modified that opinion. and in
1889 Congress appropriated halt Il million.
dollars for "a lighthouse on Outer Dia.
mond Shoals. The contract was awarded
to a Pittsburg, Pa, firm, and the strue
ture was TO be completed by January /.
1902, at a cost TO the Government OF
$4S5. 600
The contract called for a foundation AT
least l. feet down. to be obtained by
sinking a steel cai>son into the sand 20
that depth and filing it with solid masor
~ to a specified height above the 80
feet OF water. On this foundation was
to be erected a skeleton structure cf
steel to height Of 100 feet, surmounted
by a powerful light. 1t was to be
equipped throughout in the most modern
and approved way, designed to withstand
the force of wind and wave, and absolute
~ freproof.
At a cost of some $50 900 or $50. 900 the
contractors built the huge caisson that
was to form the foundation and towed II
to the site for the proposed lighthouse
Though everything possible had been done
in advance and not moment was lost
in the work, a sewers storm came up
before the caisson could be anchored in
the sand and carried it away. The con
tractors threw up the job and since tha-
time no further efforts have been made TO
build "a lighthouse off Hatteras.
Recently. however, Capt Albert r.
EelIs, native of Maine, but now a resi-