The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-10
DIAMOND SHOALS LIGHT HOUSE
Gigantic Undertaking Under Way
to Protect Shipping.
teras is a acknowledgement Eels.
at His Own Risk. to Build a Light
HOuse-MethOd OF Construction.

Ever since American shipping a.
mounted to anything the Diamond
Shoals extending for eighteen miles
out into the Atlantic, off the point of
Cape Hatteras, on the North Carolina
coast, has been the worst menace to
shipping knowE to mariners.
a properly placed beacon light at
that point is an imperative necessity;
for the light house located on the outer
bar is too far inward from the Dia-
mOnd Shoals, while the light ship is
too distant seward. but is far enough
out to insure depth for all vessels. In
rough weather the light is not easily
discernable. \ permanent structure
located at the edge of the outer shoal,
and high enough to be seen in all
kinds OF weather, has become a feces-
sity. An attempt was made not very
long ago to build a light house on his
shOal, but was unsuccessful. Flo four
n five years past Captain Albert f.
Eells, Of Boston, Mass, has given the
subject much study, and has recently
been successful in persuading con-
gress to give him an opportunity to
build Il light house at his W eX-
pense. Under the terms Of the bill
he is authorized to construct Il sub
stantial, sufficient light house and fog
signal of the most improved construc-
ton, together with auxiliary works.
The act specifies that Captain Eells
and his associates shall build the light
station ut their w p e maintain
the structure and operate the light in
accordance with the regulation Of the
lighthouse board for one year, also at
their own cost, after which 1t shall be
placed under the control Of the light
house board, who shall operate it for
four years more at the cost Of the
United States. Ellis and his assO-
ciates shall then be entitled from the
United States to the sum of $4,000,
provided the structure is a substant al
and satisfactory condition.
In their report of 1888 the lighthouse
board stated that the erection of Il
permanent lighthouse off Cape Hat
teras would be an engineering task Of
graf magnitude.
In 1902 OIL. Spaulding, acting Sec
rotary Of the Treasury, stated that the
probable cost Of erecting such q per-
manent light on Diamond Shoals ac-
cOrding to the best plans then pro-
posed would be ~$1,5SS,OOO.
The ship-Owning and sea-faring peo-
pie throughout the country clearly
IL go ~ +J,ot. rrO,N-
erty and their lives of the work in
trusted to Captain Eells and his asso-
ciates. The petition to congress for
the passage of the act contained the
names of fifteen marine insurance
companies, fifteen national banks do
ing business of marine men, and 2O9
steamship ines and miscellaneous ma
rine organizations
Through the courtesy Of Hartman
Brothers, the engineers who have been
Entrusted with the designing ana the
erection of the lifht house, we are en-
abled to present the following descrlp-
ton Of the proposed structure.
The foundation for the lighthouse
will be a massive steel calsSOn IN the
form of a truncated cone with a GYM
dricaI base. Upon this will be erected
a tower comprising essentially Il plate
steel cylinder with a slight batter from
base to top. which tower will support
a lantern at a height of $50 feet above
sea level.
The foundation caissOn will be lOS
feet in diameter at the bottom, ; feet
high and 30 feet in diameter at the
top. 1t will have Il double shell OF
steel plates parallel to each other'
spaced 6 feet apart u attached ~
t~wenty-fOur upright inclined plaCe-
girders. which will divide the space
between the shells n twenty louI
water tight compartments. IL VIII
have a double bottom, which Is ABOUT
: feet higher than the outer pottonl
edge of the caisson. n space pet
veen the two floors of the ootonl'
ahOut { feet apart, is divided mo
twenty four sections by twenty loui
frames or trusseS, extending fadlally
from near the bottom OF the twenty
four outer inclined gfrders, norlzon.
tally. to within s feet Of the centre Oh
the caissOn. :,
n central part of the caissOn Will
he in the form of an open Vertcal
shaft. Is feet in diameter, eXtendlhs
from ton TO bottom, fnclosed by steer
nirders extending horizontally from
+his raft to the inner edge of n
twenty four inclined girders mention
ed. These horizontal girders, beng
about Is feet one above the other, acl
as temporary floor beams that will d.
vid the caisson into five large clrcu-
lar rooms.
The estimated weight of the entire
structure. including the lighthouse anu
contents. is to be 27,000 tons. The dlS-
placement of water will be about ~
COO tons. which will have an effective
weight resting on the sands OF the
Diamond Shoals of about 1900 TONS
covering an effective ares on the base
If $3.50 square feet, This will give a
pressure on the base from a VertlcaI
weight Of 10 m per square iooI'
- ---.L+--.- nrasSrre On he DaSe