Smyrna times., 1925-03-04
.HENLOPEN LIGHT NOT WORTH
SAVING FEDERAL EXPERTS SAY
COST $4,000 FOR TEMPORARY
WALL AND 100000 PERMANENT
Old Light 25O or More Years Old May
Slip Into Sea Most Any Time
Governor Robinson Gets Report

mltted last week TO Governor TCODln-
son in his office at Dover. 1t is bas-
ed on the opinion rendered by Charles
w. Stamford of New oYrk, tidal eX-
pert and advisory engineer of the
Wilmington Marine Terminal. Cover
nor Robinson will submit the report
to the Legislature probably this week.
AS tersely summarizing the situation
in metaphor the observation of +. T.
Bardo, one of the commissioners, was
quoted: "The commission went out to
shoot a rabbit and they got a bear"
Temporary preservation of the his
toric lighthouse is estimated by Mr..
Stamford as $4,000, while perma-
nent preservation that may be called |
permanent is estimated at between |
| $4,000 and 100000, this being de-
pendent upon action being taken by |
the United States government to pre-
vent by completion of the breakwater
further washing away of the coast
line.
Former Secretary of State Everett
c.. johnson, chairman of the commits
:. sion, H. Warren Cornelius, its secre-
tary, and Joseph Bancroft, accom-
panied by Mr.. Stamford, presented
the report to Governor Robinson with
the following suggestions:
"First: That either the lighthouse
be preserved in its present position
is possible, but the hazard seems too
great, requiring construction very
sDeedilv of a rip-rap ietty at cOnSid-
! cradle cost.
Second: Removal of the lighthouse
tower to some point in the State
s where it would be preserved as his
: toric monument, possibly the campus
! of the University of Delaware, where
it could be used as an observatory.
- Third That the Legislature either
= empower the present commission or
a similar commission to solicit funds
by subscription for such work
Fourth: That the Legislature take
due regard of the findings of the COM
mission and lay before the President
of the United State the cause of the
interest therein of two departments
namely the War Department and the
Department of Commerce, in what, in
their judgment, should be the compile
ton of the breakwater by construction
of DETECTION arm to throw the out
flow of Delaware Bay offshOre, anC
thus save the Atlantic coast section o.
the State and at the same time furth
er preserve Rehoboth."
Conclusions of Marine Expert
Mr.. Staniford's final conclusion an,
recommendations, are:
"First, that no guarantee can b
given for a permanent retention o
the lighthouse unless the basic con
ditiOn which is causing the destruC
tion is removed or sufficiently COZ
rected.
Second, that the most destructiv
element is produced by cOmbinatio
of northeast storm with the nature
southerly trend of the off-shore cul
rent.
"Third, that this current is at lea:
accentuated by the outer gOvernmeI
breakwater north of the light.
Fourth, that the location of TIL
4 DI6thWclGl II petI blNuletAAy NOAuNNA'
to such accentuatiOn.
"Fifth, that no local attempts
protection at the light will be pc
| manent unless steps are immediate
| taken to correct the basic evil whit
| is causing the destruction.
"Sixth, that the lateness of appl
| ing means for preservation to a tin
! when any future storm may cause t
| light to tOpple over, renders an a
surance of permanence impossible.
Seventh, that the plan present
is selected from many, as the on
means for relief, and that it mig
survive until relief could be obtain
from the large breakwater jet
| should the government undertake it
the near future.
Eighth, that even if plans for t
retention of the lighthouse are aba
| dOned, it is maintained that the el
sion to the south will continue a
that the State has sufficient inter'
at stake to endeavOr to have the &C
dition rectifed.
"Ninth, in closing, reference is 81
ply made to the following: Perha
same thought has been given 10
possibility of removing the lighthol
if it cannot be retained, TO some otl
place where its tradition could be p
petuated and what it represent
seen by many people at all times"
Henlopen Lighthouse ceased TO
a night-beacon with the old year.
new light set upon a steel frame
about 800 yards farther ashorewa
1t is declared that the old hghthO
still is used by navigators in the d
time, especially during ''thick wea
er."