The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-26

its total depth of 26 feet in the sard
and partially filed with granite AMI
cement and surrounded with rip-rap,
that it will Withstand as great a storm
as has ever been recorded off these
shoals. even before it has been COM
pleteLy filled with concrete, as at mat
time the lighthouse extending $50 teet
above high water will not be compiet-
ed. and therefore, the structure viii
not get the maximum pressures that
it will afterwards have 10 Withstand.
After having filled the entire smell
of the caisson with concrete, and nav
ing filled the central tube with sand,
excepting a space of about II feet deep
for a cistern that will hold $4,000 gal
Ions Of fresh water, and for rooms
II fet high for storing the oil, water,
and hosting engine for the lighthouse,
the foundation then becomes complete
| and the erection of the lighthouse or
superstructure is begun. The light
house is also of steel construction and
consists Of an outside circular steel
| shell with an inner central steel tube,
which contains the spiral stairway,
chimneys, and yentilators. all of which
| are well braced by steel orders, frames
and partitions. and which has eight
| different floors besides the lantern
| gallery and watch room. The outer
shell of this structure is TO be lined
| with a layer of concrete or plaster,
| placed upon wire mesh or expanded
| metal, about 4 inches thick.
INTERIOR OF THE TOWER.
The first floor will be equipped with
three l~ife-boats, with a crane fOrh hoist
ing or lowering on the outside. The
second floor viii be divided into four
rooms and will contain the fog-signal-
ing apparatus and two old engines.
The third floor win contain the hoist
ing apparatus and two oil engines.
two large provisions rooms and a bed
room. The fourth floor will have Two
bedrooms, a writing o and a path
room. The fifth floor will have two
bed rooms, a writing o and a bat1
room. One-half of the sixth floor will
be devoted to the dining o and Will
have a we'll equipped kitchen, pantry
and refrigerator. The seventh roor
will have a double sitting room anc
a laundry and on this floor Will be
placed a tank that will hold 1,6OO gal
Ions of fresh water. The eighth floor
will be properly equipped for the llSht-
house service room. The ninth floor
will contain the watch room and Will
have a gallery extending all the way
around it, where those connected with
the i~fe-saving service, as we'll as the
light service may keep constant watch
and records. during calm or storm. The
floor above this will contain the light,
which is to be of the first order and
magnitude. for which the government
has separately appropriated $4,000 TO
install. and. it will be $50 feet above
the surface Of the ocean, n should
he seen at a great distance in storm or
calm.
In its general outline this proJect
has some precedence in the best Amer
lean and European practice, especially
in the construction of the great Rotn-
ersand lighthouse on the shore OF the
North Sea. In many respects, now
ever. it represents an important de-
parture from all previous models. The
caisson is constructed in the form Of
truncated cone instead OF a cyllndt.
as hitherto. It's double walls ano
double bottom dividing it into air and
water-tight compartments, and It's
large open central tube for facilitating
the work of excavation are other de
partures from earlier practice. ABOVE
:. all It is a work of much greater mag
nitude in dealing with structures O.
larger size than any that has ever
been undertaken before in the con
struction of a lighthouse. The engi
neering work and the general manage
ment are in charge of Hartman Broth
ers. civil engineers. of Boston, WIFI
; the assistance of Edward S. Shaw al
consulting engineer. Many promlnen'
: capitalists of New England are inter
! octod financially