The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-04-30
LOFTY STORM BEACON
Captain Eeils' Plan to Defy
Sands Of Diamond Shoals.
WILL ERECT HUGE LIGHTHOUSE

son Hopes 10 Accomplish Task
the American Government Aban-
doned-Bears the whole Expense
In Case lie Fails.
For the first time in tile history Of
the United States private individual,
at his own expense, is about TO at
tempt a feat which the United States
government department has abandoned
after repeated failures as beyond its
power to accomplish, says the Boston
Herald. The individual, whose colos-
sal courage has won for him universal
admiration, is Captain Albert +, Eells
of Boston, and the feat he will at
tempt Is tie erection Of lighthouse
and fog signal on Outer Diamond
shoals, off Cape Hatteras, known as
the graveyard Of the Atlantic
Captain Eells has received the au-
thorization OF congress to undertake
the work, subject to specified condi-
tions and with the understanding that
if after years operation, conducted
at his own expense, and four years adj
ditional. at the expense of the govern
ment, the lighthouse is not in a sub
stantial and satisfactory condition he
is TO receive not one cent Of remunera-
ton. If, on the other hand, the light
house and signal are satisfactory to
the government after five years oper-
alton, Captain Eells shall be entitled
to draw upon the United States treas
ury to the extent Of 100000
The stupendousness and seeming
hopelessness Of Captain Bells under
taking is we'll understood by the gov
eminent aud by those who have
braved the awful dangers Of Diamond
shoals. Cape Hatteras is marked by
a lighthouse and also by a lghtship,
anchored about fifteen miles offshore
in 200 feet Of water. Between these
two marks lies the graveyard with
out a buoy to indicate its presence. 1t
extends about eight miles from the
shore, and on it thousands Of wrecks
have occurred.
NO lghtship VIII stay on this terrible
permanent structure can be raised.
The lightship referred to, though held
by mushroom anchors weighing 5000
pounds, has been driven from her
mornings time after time. The life
saving service has been practically
powerless to save life and property at
this point, and between 1875 and 1902
the records show that ninety -seven
wrecks occurred, with a loss of sixty
two lives and S3,000,0OO worth OF prop
erty In the face Of such appalling
facts the advantage which a perma-
nent structure would afford dit this
point is recognized hy an.
Captain EeIls intends to construct
huge, solid rock which viii deeply inn
bed itself IN the shifting sands, So
large. 50 heavy and firm in its founda-
tons that neither sea nor tide nor tenn
pest can affect it. The rock of Gibral-
tar itself, if the daring captain sue
ceeds in his enterprise, viii not be
more secure than this artificial foun-
dation, on the top OF which win be
erected q strong steel tower bearing on
its pinnacle beacon to the world
Captain Eells plan i to construct at
a nearby shinyard 4 monstrous steel
diving bell which will not only be hol-
low IN the center. bnt win have hollow
sides. SO that it Will float Just enough
stone and concrete will be dropped
into the lower part Of the air space to
sink the bell mouth down to a depth OF
twenty-eight feet below the surface
The bell win be flowed to the shoal ana
its hollow sides filed with stone and
until it sinks to the bottom.
The water viii then be pumped out
from the top. when the structure be-
comes an immense caisson. Workmen
Will remove the sand from within, and
the caisgon viii be sunk to any desira-
ble depth into the sea bottom.
Ten layers Of masonry win bc laid IN
the bottom and fastened down by steel
cross beams. Then the hollow viii be
entirely filled with gravel, stone and
cement to height Of thirty feet above
the surface When this mass hardens
it viii form a rock weighing many
thousands of tons and win last many
centuries The outer covering of steel
may corrode away and disappear in
time, but the bell shaped rock win re
main
On top Of this the steel superstruc-
ture viii extend to Il height OF 200 feet
above the sea level 1t will contain
living rooms for tile lighthouse keepers
md an engine room with a dynamo
for generating the electric light. The
platform balcony surrounding the Iiv-
ing apartments win be eighty feet
above high water, and the men and
supplies will reach it by means of
huge derrick and tackle. The life
savers and their boats viii also be
hoisted and lowered in the same way.
All the details Of construction, etc,
must be submitted for approval to the
Of commerce and labor who
viii also have supervision Of the equip
nent.
Captain Eells is famous as the origi-
nator, with his uncle, Enoch Piper, Of
Tie cold storage system in use the
world over He belongs to an old
family who emigrated to Virginia in
1886. Several of his ancestors were
officers in the Revolutionary war.