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

Since the government has signed
a contract with Captain A. F. Eells
and his associates for the construction
of a light house and fog signal on the
outer Diamond Shoal, off Cape HATTIE
ras, which is regarded as the grave
yard of the Atlantic, the engineering
world particularly and the maritime
world generally, are watching the I'M
~dertaking with no little interest. Pre-
yious attempts 70 place a lighthouse
but Captain Eells and his associates
are absolutely confident of success.
Congress appropriated $4,000 for
the light Louse, lei and equipment
the largest amount eve authorized
for a single lighr station, and the con-
tract is the second entered into Gi-
rect by congress with an individual,
The first was with James Beads, Ike
engineer who constructed the jetty
system at the mouth of the MISSISSIPPI
III
Dcforc going into a description OF
this great project, a word should be
said in behalf OF the man who has
made the proposed engineering wen
O.: POSSIBLE. That man is John H
Sn III, the Repr, IS :ntative from the
first North Carolina district. He it
wa: who introduced the bill for the
Construction of The light house in
Cog ess and fought through two sue
cess'ye Congress IS against r'any ',b-
s.ac'es for it's passage. Senators Ii
members of Congress alike thought
the plan impracticable, the most per-
sistent and energetic effort was re-
CURED to ire way this prejudice.
Mr.. Small shoulders the responsibility
and his triumph came March }, 1853,
the last day of the session when rts-
idcnt ROos evelt signed the bill, uak-
ing the appropriation available. HIS
work had hardly begun, for the light
house heard. which failed in It's eG1rt
tC. locate q lighthouse at Hatteras, tp-
posed the Eells plans, Mr.. Small car
ried the fight direct to Secretary Met
calf. of the department Of labor and
commerce, and finally won out.
The lighthouse must Withstand the
storms of Hatteras for five years be-
fore the contractors receive a cent.
J MS WIS d COllulllOH iIHpOoOu Ny nv
lighthouse board. In 1902 .. L. Spauld-
ing, acting secretary of the treasury,
reported that the probable cost OF a
permanent light station at Hatteras
would be 81, 5S8. 900. Doubt was even
expressed that a station could be Quilt
in any event. The Importance of the
project was shown in a statement to
the effect that 70 vesseis and II lives
hoI Loan Lost 1f tho deadly cane dir
inc the last thirty years. This rec
ord, as much as anything else spurred
Congress to action.
1t is a safe prediction that. in The
next few years there will be a large
increase in the number of vessels to
pass Hattreas. TIE opening of the
Panama canal will mean a much great
er volume of traffic by water FROM
the ports of the eastern seaboard to
the Pacific coast of both American
continents and to the Orient.
THE LIGHTHOUSE DESCRIBED.
The building of this lighthouse VII
be under the patent granted to Captain
Eeils providing for the constructor
of submarine foundations for light
house, and providing means by which
that Structure can be located at points
ordinarily accessible. The ~foundatlcn
for the lighthouse will be a massive
steel caisson in the form OF the lower
nartion of a cone, with a cylindrical
base. Upon this will be erected the
lighthouse proper,a plate steel cyllnaei
with a slight batter from base to toI
supporting a light of the first order a
$50 feet above tide leyel.
The caisson, which will be towed to
Hatteras by tugs, will be 1OS feet II
diameter at the bottom, 20 feet hlsn
and so feet in diameter at the top
II will be of steel. and will have Z
double shell of steel plates, parale
double shell of steel plates, parale
attached to "a upright inclined plate
eirders. which will divide the space
between the shell into "a water-tish'
compartments. 1t will have a double
bottom, about Z feet above the QUITE
bottom edge of the caisson.
The estimated weight of the entire
structure. including the lighthouse arr
contents is to be 27 1000 tons. The dis
placement of water will be about 10,
600 tons. which will leave an effec
tive weight resting on the Diauont
Shoal of about. $4,000 tons, GOVERN:
an effective area on the base of $3.50
square feet, which will give a pressure
on the Ease from vertical weight o
one and nine-tenths ton per squar'
foot.
1t is proposed to build the caisso!
at a s%hip-yard, by some steel company
who have the facilities for constructor:
large government war vessels, al
though it's method of construction am
cost in comparison with shinhulld
ing is greatly minimiZed from the fac
that it's parts are similar n mad II
multiple lots. whereas most every plat
and frame for a government wal vesse
is moulded to a different pattern an
shape.
All the inside horizontal girders ar
covered at the different elevations I
make temporary floors and rooms
the caisson and it is proposed to plac
in these rooms at the time of town