Evening star., 1911-08-09
Mass Of Granite.

The present lighthouse is a mass OF
granite. eighty-five feet high and thirty
two feet in diameter at the base. The
first forty feet are OF solid masonry.
Above that. reached by climbing ladders.
is a series Of five rooms, one above the
other with iron floors, averaging fourteen
feet in diameter. The walls OF the lowest
room are five feet six inches thick. and
those Of the highest room are two feet
six inches thick. The building Is shaped
like a frustum Of a cone. tapering until
it Is eighteen feet in diameter at the
spring Of the cornice. It took five years
to build it. Three summers were spent
in grading the surface of the ledge before
a single stone could be laid. For weeks
at a time it was impossible for workmen
to land. Even In the best OF weather
they could work only few hours each
day during low tide, and no work could
be done in winter.
When the surface OF the ledge was
| leveled holes were drilled five feet deep
into the rocks. and steel bars. twelve
inches In diameter. were set IN them.
The first course Of granite blocks was
through them, and the stone was dove
tailed and mortised, 30 that one block
could not be moved without taking the
rest with 1t. Every successive course
| above by doweis of steel. until the solid
mass Of forty feet was finished. The
masonry above that height IL lighter.
but as secure az II 1t were monoiith.
which is absolutely necessary, because
the storms are so severe and the waves
rise 30 high that they often hing them
selves over the lantern which Is eighty
i've feet above high tide.
Gen. Totten. then chief Of the Engineer
Corps Of the army, planned the present
tower. and It was built by Gen. Barton
Is. Alexander, then lieutenant OF engi-
neers The last stone was laid June -.
1850. five years from the day work com
menced.
During 1856. notwithstanding diligence,
| only 1870 working hours could be put in
on the rock. During 1856 an iron scaf-
fold rising twenty feet above low water
was erected. using the holes drilled Tor
between the posts. crossing In various
directions giving the workmen something
| to hold on to when the waves struck
them.
ously injured during the building. There
was great difficulty in laying the stone
under water, and q special device was In
vented to keep the cement in the joints.
| Visible Fifteen Miles.
The new light was exposed for the first
time at sunset. November ID. 1850. 1t
is visible fifteen miles. It flashes white
and its signal is Jag every thirty Sec
onds, made up in this way: One Hash,
eclipse thirty seconds; four flashes
eclipse three seconds; three flashes.
eclipse fifteen seconds. There 10 q fog
bell, worked by electricity, which strikes
every thirty seconds
The keeper 10 Milton Reamy, and his
son. Octavtus II. Reamy, 10 first assistant.
There are two other assistant light keep
ers.
Mfnot Ledge lighthouse coust $382O00
The only ones in the United States that
cost more are Spectacle Reef lighthouse
on Lake Huron, which Is almost dupli-
cation of this, and cost 100000. Seal
Rock lighthouse on st. Georges reef. on
the Pacific coast. near the northern
boundary Of California, was the most ex
pensive piece Of construction ever un-
dertaken by the government Of the