Beyond Cape Hatteras lies one of the most dangerous sections of the Atlantic Coast. Many currents converge in this area that can drive ships into a dangerous 12 mile long sandbar. Because of this dangerous stretch and the countless shipwrecks in the area, it has been named the “Graveyard of the Atlantic”.
In October of 1803 construction of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was completed. Congress felt it was necessary to build this warning tower to protect ships moving through this dangerous section of the sea. The original tower was 90 feet tall and the light used Whale oil to stay lit. Later it was found that this light tower was unable to effectively warn ships of the dangers of the sea. It was too short and the sandstone it was made of lacked sufficient coloring to be most visible by ships.
It wasn’t until 50 years later in 1853 that additions were made to the lighthouse. The Lighthouse Board decided to add 60 extra feet to a new height of 150 feet. The top half of the tower was painted red and the lower half white to make it more visible to passing ships. At this time, a new lens was used to better refract the light to make a much stronger beam.
By 1870, the original lighthouse was in need of serious repair. It was decided that instead of retrofitting the old structure, a new lighthouse was to be constructed. The new lighthouse was lit on December 1, 1870 and the old lighthouse was demolished in 1871.
Due to Beach erosion, the beacon was moved to a different location and a skeletal steel tower was used. The beacon resided here from 1934-1950 until it was moved back to the tower that was built in 1870. Beach erosion had subsided due to much construction and rebuilding efforts.
In 1999 the lighthouse was moved to its present location. It was moved 2,900 feet and now sits 1,500 feet from the shoreline.
The tower is managed by the National Park Service.
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is a great place to explore when visiting the Outer Banks. Tours are available for a small fee. Adult tickets are $7 and children and seniors are $3.50. For more information about the lighthouse please visit http://www.nps.gov/caha/historyculture/lightstationfaqs.htm.
Labels: Cape Hatteras Light Station, Lighthouses, Outer Banks
posted by Blog Administrator @ 5:35 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home