Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-08-28
The DIAMOND SHOAL.
LIGHTSHIP

| Washington, D. c.-The sinking bv
herman submarines Of the u, S. Diamond
| Shoal llghtship anchored on Cape Hat
| {eras gives timely interest to the fol-
| lowing war geography bulletin Of the
J National Geographic Society, based on a
I conmunlcation concerning lightshps re-
celVed by the society from George r
Putnam the foremost authority on light
| houses. The bulletin says:
| . NotWlthHtanding the severe cundi-
IONS, Diamond Shoal light vessel, off
cape Hatteras. has in recent years been
maintained on the station with little in
! terF4ption- The vessel was moored with
a l,bO0-pound mushroom anchor and l5O
tathoms 600 feeD of heavy chain About
-thlrd of the length from the vessel
a submerged spherical buoy was at
tached to the chain carrying a part Of
US weight and greatly easing the pull
! of the vessel
THE latest lrhtships are provided
with powerful and distinctive lights and
| fog signals. They more nearly approach
the lighthouses in design, having a heavy
tubular iron mast surmounted by a Ian
tern, sometimes with a revolving lens
| supported like a pendulum to hang yerti-
calIy so that the Hight beam win be kent
/ near the horizon regardless Of the mo-
J ton of the vessel An example is the
recently completed Milwaukee light YES
gel, which shows double flash every
| ~ seconds This vessel has o fog signal
| giving two blasts each minute, with in
| teryals Of and 4G seconds
Life on a lightship is somewhat dreary
| nut not without excitement During ev-
| cry log the crew on Nantucket Phip know
mat numerous vessels are headed direct
I ~ Tor them, ana In a storm, anchored
as they are In the open sea, they may be
far more comfortable The men in turn
are allowed liberal leave ashore There
are often serious difficulties in getting
coal and provisions to the ships on eX-
| posed stations, 30 that It is necessary
that they carry sufficient supplies to
last over stormy periods
In 1898 the Columbia river light yesl
eel was stranded near Cape DisaDpOnt-
/ ment, and as It could not be gotten off
\ INTO the sea again. il was hauled 700
yards across the land through the woods
| ana launched In the Columbia river
The lightships, being necessarily near
the channel ways, are frequently col
| lided with. In January 1912. a schooner
ran into Diamond Shoal light vessel The
master, In his report. describes the dam
age done and states that the seamen and
also the cook worked manfully all night
| IN trying TO save the malnuast' and
that repairs having been made, the light
having been kent burning as usual the
ship kept IN right position unless very
severe weather sets Ia the vessel will
stay here until relieved
The directions Of the superintendent
or lights In 1929 to the master Of a light
vessel instruct him not to slip or cut
the cable, or suffer it to be done in
any event, and II the vessel should be
| likely to founder 10 abandon her with
his crew
"Lghtsh ps are placed in locations off
the coast whore it would be impracti-
cable or Heedlessly expensive to build a
| lighthouse, and they usually mark the
approach to port or bay or the outer
| limit Of an off lying danger They are
also sometimes used In inside waters.
| They may be moored in the channel or
close to IL. and thew have the advan-
tage over most lighthouses that a vessel
may steer directly for them without dan
ger 80 long as collision with the light
vessel is avoided, and also that they may
! be moved and mOorcd in another posi-
tton when change Of conditions or neces-
gity requires, On the other hand light
vessel is more expensive to maintain
and there is the possibility of its being
driven from it's station, though this Is re-
duced in recent years by improved yes
sells and moorings
THE first llghtshp, the More, was
mouth Of the Thames The first in this
country was stationed In 1920 IN Chesa-
neafe Bay off Wlloughby Spit. Sandy
Hook: now Ambrose. light vessel was
placed off Cane Hattera8 in 1924 and
was driven ashore In 1927, and a ship
was not established again in this dan
gerous position until 1897, after unsuc-
cessfu attempts had been made to build
a lighthouse on Diamond Shoal
THE United States maintains light
vessels on 81 stations, and there are d
number Of relief ships 50 that the regular
ships may be brought in for repairs.
Some Of these positions are Of the great
est Importance to mariners as for OK
ample, the Nantucket Shoals light yes
sci. moored Al miles from land. for
which most Of the transatlantic vessels
steer in approaching America, and the
Diamond Shoals light vessel. uoored in
20 fathoms of water IL miles of Cane
Hatteras and marking the most danger
ous locality on the Atlantic coast Of the
United States These larger shfps are
full-powered vessels, capable OF return
ing to their alton. and they each have