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Hearing Held to Stop Construction
March 15, 1999
Cheryl Roberts
UPDATE
HATTERAS ISLAND, NC
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The initial hearing in North Carolina Federal District Court in Elizabeth
City at 11 am March 15th by Judge Terrence Boyle lasted about one and
one-half hours. The judge did not give a ruling from the bench but plans
to read all relevant materials and later announce his decision. Plaintiffs
include the Dare County Commissioners and three private property owners
north of the lighthouse. They have filed for a stop-work order to the Dept.
of the Interior and the National Park Service. A concern expressed by
Judge Boyle is that some issues in the injunction request filed by the
plaintiffs' include ones not concerned with the lighthouse and its
relocation.
The point has been made that even if the judge orders a temporary
injunction, this does not mean the relocation will stop; it only means the
judge will have time to ask further questions and receive answers from the
plaintiffs or the U.S. Attorney.
The judge's ruling will be announced when available.
Move Accelerates
March 4, 1999
Cheryl Roberts
UPDATE
HATTERAS ISLAND, NC
The first photo shows the steepened headline on which the Cape Hatteras
Lighthouse is perched today. The image was taken about noon March 3rd, and
the tide is almost exactly between high and the approaching low tide around
3 PM.
Photos courtesy Bruce Roberts
Workers are making good progress coring and mining the granite foundation
rock. This is a slow process involving the careful removal of the stone
foundation and replacement with temporary shoring (support).
The National Park Service reports that the movers have discovered
identification on one of the plinths (the eight sided, stepped granite
stones around the base of the lighthouse) marked in soapstone and still
evident from around 1868. This is approximately when the plinths would have
been put in place by crews of Dexter Stetson, foreman of construction for
the U.S. Lighthouse Service (then known as the Light-House Board). There's
brick rubble and mortar holding the stone together in the foundation, as
recorded in Light-House Board documents. The workers removed some of the
plinth stone yesterday, and very well-bonded rubble masonry was found
underneath. Movers are keeping the same numbering as the original builders
for this plinth.
Plinth one, below grade, will be removed and stored for resetting after the
move. Plinths 2-5 will move with the tower.
Photos courtesy Bruce Roberts
The second photo shows the Double Keepers' Quarters well on its way last week
down the move corridor to the relocation site.
And the third photo is an aerial looking West, showing you the cordoned-off
construction site, the cleared move corridor, and the Double Keepers'
Quarters at the new site, waiting for its companions. The double-wide
trailer in the right background is the temporary visitors center.
Photos courtesy Bruce Roberts
Not seen is the Principal Keeper's Quarters, endearingly called the "Pink
House," just out of the picture to the right. It is planned to be moved
during the week of March 7.
Note the fading sandbags in front of the tower, the only line of defense
remaining.
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Shoring Up
March 15, 1999
Cheryl Roberts
UPDATE
HATTERAS ISLAND, NC
The first photograph from "underneath
the lighthouse" shows the process of building the support system well
underway. From bottom of picture to top:
Where the granite foundation stone meets the ground is the 1870 pine timber
mat. As room is opened up with two-foot cuts at a time, steel beams are
laid and welded together to make a solid steel mat to help spread the load
of the lighthouse evenly.
Photos courtesy Bruce Roberts
On top of the steel beam mat is oak cribbing; on the oak
cribbing are the base plates of the shoring towers with hydraulic jacks
pressing down on the baseplate to tension everything above against the
cutline of the tower.
The shoring towers are four steel posts with cross steel bracing and top
baseplate. Sitting on the top plates of the shoring towers are the shoring
beams...one of these strong shoring beams is sticking out past the edge of
the underside of the tower,
where the cutline appears are the face stones of the first plinth (usually
below grade). Above it covered in plastic and reinforced by strongback
beams are plinths 2-5 that will move with the lighthouse. Plinth 1 face
stones have been removed, identified and will be reset after relocation.
(lighthouse builder Dexter Stetson's markings are still evident on the
plinth stones, marked with soapstone)
Photos courtesy Bruce Roberts
In the second image "workers putting in shoring towers" International
Chimney Inc. and Expert House Movers workers are securing the cross bracing
of the shoring towers. One worker is kneeling on the steel beam mat that
covers the 1870 pine timber mat.
The Principal Keepers' Quarters is expected to move to its new location
Tuesday and the only remaining structure at the site is the tower. 40% of
the foundation stone has been cut and approximately 25% of the stone has
been removed and replaced with temporary support.
Keepers Quarters Moved
Feb 25, 1999
Cheryl Roberts
UPDATE
HATTERAS ISLAND, NC
The following images show the Double Keepers quarters being moved today on
rubber tire dollies (aircraft sized tires and hydraulic assembly). The Principal Keepers Quarters will be moved in about two weeks.
The second image shows the lighthouse's original granite foundation exposed by
excavation. The timber shoring beams are resting on the 1870 pine timber
mat. Movers have begun mining the stone and replacing it with the
temporary support system. The stone will be mined over the next several weeks
and replaced with strong support that allows the transport system to be
installed.
Photos courtesy Bruce Roberts
It's really happening. The Cape Hatteras Light Station is being moved to
safety to be preserved for future generations.
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