The Coolidge examiner., 1937-11-04
Lishtship Anchored Nantucket Shoals
Lightships and Lighthouses Save Lives
and Property Along Americas Coasts

Prepared by National Geographic Society.
Washington, d. C.-WNU Service.
'T IGHTSHIPS, bobbing
about the sea along our
coast, warning mariners
of dangerous shoals, may not
stir the imagination of pas
sengers on passing ships, but
they have played an impor-
tant part in guarding life and
property at sea.
They have repeatedly given ref
uge to the the shipwrecked. A Ger
man submarine raider visited New
port in 1916. before we entered the
World war Later ii went out and
made its lair near Nantucket light
ship, where, until the alarm spread,
vessels were contantly passing. The
submarine sank a number of un-
armed merchant ships. the crews of
which took refuge on the lightShlp.
At one time there were 1l5 ship
wrecked men aboard the lightShip.
and 19 ships boats were trailing on
a line astern.
AS bad weather ensued shortly.
and the locality is AZ miles from
the nearest land, it is certain that
many of these seamen would have
lost their lives had it not been for
the haven provided by the lightship.
The only navigational aid in this
country destroyed by the enemy
during the World war was the Dia-
mond Shoal lightship off Cape Hat
teras.
On the afternoon of August 8, 1913,
a submarine raider began firing at
a merchant ship about mile and
a half away. The hghtship broad
cast by radio a warning to other
vessels in the vicinity, and this was
undoubtedly the means of saving
many ships. But it resulted in the
submarines firing six shots at the
lightship, and later returning and
sinking it by gunfre.
The crew got away in boats, and,
after seeing the ship go to the bot
tom, they landed safely that evening
on Cape Hatteras.
Some Notable Life Saving Work.
Blunts Reef lightship marks the
outer limit Of rocks off Cape Men,
docino, wild and desolate section
of the California coast.
At 1870 on a June morning in
1916. the lookout reported boat
hailing the lightship. On coming
alongside, the officer in charge stat
ed that the steamship Bear had
stranded between the cape and
False Cape rock. In all, nine life
boats came alongside. and 155 peo-
pie from the Bear. including many
women, were taken aboard the
lightship and given hot coffee and
warm bedding.
Other lifeboats arrived later with
more survivors. Eventually all
these people were transferred to
land by the steamer Grace Dollar.
This all happened during dense
fog which had lasted for two days,
with the station fog signals sound
ing regularly. Now radio-beacon
has been placed on Blunts Reef
hghtship.
In 1916. Fire Island hghtship. in
the approach to New York, was
rammed by the steamer Philadel-
phian. and her side cut open for
four feet below the water line.
The ship was saved from sinking
only by the remarkable presence of
mind and quick work of her crew,
who shifted weights. slung out boats,
and filed them with water, so as
to list the vessel and bring the dam
age above the water line.
Lightship number one was retired
from duty in 1880. after rs years of
service. This vessel was built for
the station then known as Nantuck-
ct New South Shoals, and remained
on this exposed station for So years.
with only sails for power.
In early days it was not easy to
maintain hghtships on outside sta
tions. The first attempts in this
country were made at Sandy Hook,
at the entrance to New York bay.
in 1928, and at Diamond Shoal, off
Cape Hatteras, in 1924 In the latter
case the ship broke from her moor
ings within a few months, and, after
being replaced several times, was
wrecked in 1927. 1t was 20 years
before another lightship was placed
off Diamond Shoal.
Recent Improvements in Lightships.
Marked advance has since been
made in lightship design. The
breaking strength of mooring chains
has been doubled; even West In
dies hurricane passing up the coast
seldom parts mooring.
In the gale of September. 1888,
Diamond Shoal Eghtship dragged
her 5,500-pound mushroom anchor