The Washington herald., 1908-04-26
THE FAMOUS FASTNET LIGHT
Something About the Most Costly
Beacon Ever Built.
Located on Coast of Ireland, 1t
Is First spot Seen by
Travellers.

How would you like 10 live in a house
that would tremble and sway in the shock
of storm TO such an extent that it
would upset the coffee cups on the din
ing-room table? You would probably con-
slider such habitatlon as decidedly un-
safe and would not relish life under such
conditions. Well. on the Irish coast there
used 20 be a house that did that way
sometimes, 1t was cast iron tower used
as a lighthouse. says the Pathfinder.
Owing 10 it's inability to withstand the
shocks Of the sea il has been replaced by
a new stone building. The lantern in the
iron tower was high above the normal
sea level. vet in storm the waves often
dashed full over L. Ef:I|
The new stone lighthouse has founda-
tions twenty feet thick and made Of solid
granite. This is the neE Fastnet Light
house. four and half miles from Cape
Clear. OF the southeast corner OF the
coast of ireland. Fastnet Rock is famil-
lar to persons who have crossed from
America 20 Europe, as it is the first spot
Of Erin that they see on the eastward
voyage. RFgSGIH
OF course. this is not the first time a
lighthouse has been put up on a wave
washed rock, but it is the only time in
the history OF the world that $4,000 has
been expended in erecting a beacon to
warn and guide the mariners. This mod
ern pharos has been built by the Irish
lights board. and is one Of the most i'm
portant on Ireland's coast, standing, as IT
does, in the direct route of Atlantic ship
ping which passes to the south of Ireland
over into Cornwall went the builders
when il was finally decided something
over four years ago. 10 erect the Fast
net Light. There they dug out great
blocks OF granite, 2.074 stones in all. the
total Of whose weight is 1900 tons. Nor
did they put in this masonry as the foun-
dation Of a stone house is laid. They
knew that such work could never with
stand the infuriated pounding Of old Nep-
tune when he arose in his wrath and
hurled himself upon the masonry No; a
solid front must meet the great king of
the ocean. ana the whole lot of stones
were dOvetailed together. SO that the en-
tire structure is practically one great
stone. No single stone can be taken out
until all those above It have been dis
placed, and even then a portion of the
stone must be broken of, for there is a
joggle dovetailed into the course Of stone
below. Each stone weighs from one and
three-quarters to three tons. There were
great obstacles in the way of laying the
lower courses of these stones, for rough
weather often caused much delay The
greatest number ever laid in a single day
was twenty-five. Gradually. however. ii
rose. until now the focal plane of the
light is 159 feet above high-Water mark
The lantern on top of the big tower is
Of the latest lighthouse lantern design, of
dioptric type, the light being made by a
series of incandescent burners which give
through the lenses a light Of $50, 900 candle
power. The beam is brilliantly white and
resembles the ray given off by an electric
searchlight. The duration of the flash Is
three-twenty-ffth of a second The lam
tern is II feet in diameter and IS q feet
high. On the roof above the lantern are
two fog signals, which are fired by cleo
tricity. The tower is entered through a
door nearly fifty-eight feet above the
hgh-water mark When storms arise
the keepers close the heavy teak door and
let down over 1t heavy gun metal cas-
ing All the windows, TOO, have storm
shutters.
OF course, fresh water has to be sup
piled to the keepers of the lighthouse,
and down In the masonry there is tank
which holds more than 5000 gallons of
water. It is divided into two compart-
ments, so that one can be cleaned out
without emptying the other. Four men
are in the lighthouse all the time, being
relieved twice a month.
In a storm the Fastnet Rock is a ter
rible place to be. The roar of the sea as
II gathers strength for a spring sends
fear into the heart of any but the stanch-
est, and the shock as 1t leaps against the
great granite wall is terrific It howls
and means and roars as If a whole army
of demons out of the sea were seeking
the destruction Of the place. It is said
that a plumber went over from the main
land to fit up some oil pipes in the light
house. but while over there the loneliness
and wildness of the place so worked
upon his nerves that he refused to remain
any longer and had to be taken back on
board lifeboat So terrible and nerve
racking is the situation in a lighthouse
on a lonely coast that men have been
known to go stark mad in a single night
from their trying. experiences.
Sounded Like That.
From Puck
The Sergeant Tin the discharge Of his