The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
NEW FASTNET LIGHTHOUSE.
IMPORTANT OUTPOST BETWEEN
EUROPE AND AMERICA.

Old Tower wlthstOod the Fury Of Atlantic
storms for 40 Yesrs-Making a Land.
ing ON the Rock u or Danser-How
the New Douglass Tower Was Built
on the southern coast of Ireland and
four and a half miles southwest Of Cape
Clear a remarkable rocky pinnacle known as
the Fastnet rises in the Atlantic from
deep water all around and ascends TO a
height Of 100 feet above sea level.
For fifty years there has been a light
house on the Fastnet. and with the present
flow OF trafic to and from America IL may
well be doubted whether any lighthouse
In the world has discharged more important
duties than that on this lonely rock, writes
Sir Robert Ball in the London Times. The
Fastnet is to the mariner the principal
outpost Of the Old World toward the New.
The Cunarder or the White Star liner
sailing from New York TO Liverpool lays
her course from the American shores for
the Fastnet. As the voyage is approaching
completion the eyes Of the passengers,
hardly less than those Of the ships officers,
are eagerly strained TO catch the first beams
Of the light. the terminal point Of the
great Atlantic highway.
In 1891 the Irish Lights Board decided
that the time had arrived when the old
lighthouse on the Fastnet must be super
seeded by a new lighthouse on the same
site. The reasons for this decision were
both various and urgent. The old tower
had done it's work well for nearly forty
years, but the fury of the Atlantic pillows
had at last threatened its stability.
In great westerly gales very heavy seas
swept right over the rock. Blocks Of stone
two or three tons in weight were some
times torn from the cliff. thrown on the top
Of the rock and even, dashed against the
tower itself. II is recorded that during
q heavy gale a sixty gallon cask Of water
which had been dashed TO the ratings Of
the, gallery 1873 feet above high water mark
vas carried away by the sea. Even the
tower itself trembled so much in such
tempests that in the uppermost room a
CUP Of coffee has been thrown from a table
by the vibrations of the building.
No doubt after these sdmonitions much
expense was incurred in strengthening the
structure by an iron casing, and this ex-
pedient was temporarily successful. IL
vas, however, always remembered hat a
lighthouse, built on much the same prin-
ciples as the tower on the Fastnet. had
formerly existed on The Calf" another
rock, exposed. like the Fastnet. TO the
force ~ the pillows. In a great Atlantic
storm in 1881 the Calf lighthouse was swept
from the rock into the ocean depths. The
lightkeepers fortunately found refuge in
their low dwellings on the rock ard they
we're rescued from their p~erilous position
when the storm abated.
But there was another very important
reason why the old Fsstnet tower should
be replaced by a modern structure. The
art of the lighthouse engineer has made
great advances in modern days. and the
light dispensed by the old Fastnet. though
very good considering the time of its in
stallation. fell short of the perfection ex-
pected in the twentieth century.
Thus il was decided TO build on the astnet
rock an entirely new lighthouse and an equip
ment which should be in every wav worthy
of it's unique, position and OF lis supreme
importance in the m of the world.
This work has been most successfully car
riei out and the new light on which Es4 900
has been srent started on It's career OF USE
fuiness On June %, 1904
The turbulent seas which break on the
Fastnet will but rarely Permit a boat 10 be
brought alongside the rock. Those who
land there have generally TO avail them
selves Of the derrick on Ike rock. A long
lib is swung ont, from which q bovine is
lowered into the boat tumbling about in
the angry sea at a safe distance from the
rock. The visitor puts his foot into the
bovine, the lightkeepers &C the winch then
hoist away and swing their visitor in above
the reach Of the waves.
For the building Of the new Douglass
tower 2,07i o Of cut granite were re-
CURED, each weighing on an average two
and a half ons II will be admitted that TO
land all these stones on the Fastnet and 20
do 80 without any serious mishap was in
itself a noticeable achievement. A small
steamer was es ec.ally constructed TO bring
the stones from the mainland
Moorsd at a safe Instance she raised a
stone from her hold to the deck. A wire
rope from the steamers winch and a wire
rope from the derrick on the rock were at
tsched to the lewis in the stone. which was
then pulled overheard by the line from
the rock while the line from the steam er
was drawn cut until the stone, Just dis
cernible in It's submar ine course. came
plumb underneath the derrick. II was then
hoisted up from the deep water, conveyed
forthwith To its pace IN the tower, and
there securely cemented IN while the next
stone was being landed. The building Of
the. tower occupied Ave years 1889 1909,
for the work could only be done in summer
ana even IL summer tfle AtlGNtlc Wedtner
caused many interruptions. The greatest
number of stones landed and set on a single
day was thirty-ore
Each stone was cut with dovetai!s. which
united tn. stones Of each course horizontally
as vel as vertically with the courses above
and below Thus THE tower 3 practically =
monolith. From its comme.cerlenr six
inches be!og the high water mark. 10 the
centre Of the lantern the height is 100 feet.
q for the first tventy-tou. courses THE
tower is solid throughout
The i!luminant used in the new Fastnet.
as well as in mar other modern light
houses, is an incandescent mantle kiadled
by oil gas. The petroleum. is supplied
direct 70 the lamp ard gasefed by g se.s-
acting apparatus Immediately below the
burner. The mantle employed il two
inches in diameter and three and a half
inches high, and il has an average candle
power OF ,20U. The lenses in the modern
dioptric lighthouse are Of much greater
size than those which were formerly en-
ployed Another very important improve
nnent facilitates the revolving Of the optical
apparatus. which in the case Of the Fastnet
seighs about six tons. This apparatus is
made 70 float on mercury by which the
friction is no more than a small Fraction Of
what IL used 70 be when the weight was
carried by rollers.
IL is impossible 10 describe the appear