Hello, everyone,
We were on site at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse several days this week and
watched the lighthouse poised over its new foundation. The process to lower
the tower and fill in the brick foundation is in progress.
While on site each time, some of the most enjoyable parts of our visits are
the opportunities to talk with the "guys" of the move. Mike Landen of
Expert House Movers talked with us while signing hard hats on this last
visit. These hats will be auctioned for funds for exhibits at the Keepers'
Quarters in the near future. Mike said, "I've been waiting for this (move)
for fifteen years. I did the SE Block Island move and loved it and this
move has been fantastic."
Sean McLaughlin handled much of the hydraulics work and the push jacks
throughout the move. Sean expressed that no one person gets credit for this
move because it was a big team effort. Everybody did a lot. And it moved
this lighthouse.
Jerry Stockbridge of Wiss, Janny, Elstner Associates, Inc., was on site to
take us into the lighthouse. He is part of a team of restoration architects
who tested the historic building materials to set parameters to what forces
they could withstand during the move. A triangle of brick was removed from
the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse before the move, and it was subjected to
pressure testing to determine the pounds per square inch the brick could
withstand. Never during the move did the stress even approach a small
percentage of the limits.
Stockbridge's firm also installed the computers and sensors to monitor the
"round" of the walls, deflection of the plinths (stepped granite stone at
the base of the tower), verticality, etc. There are even sensors to measure
the temperature of the black and white stripes. Thermal heating can change
the angle of verticality of the lighthouse; the lighthouse is a dynamic
object at all times, reacting to various elements including wind and solar
heating. The tower's flexibility increased its movability.
In case of a power failure, a plumb line is rigged in the center of the
tower with a suspended weight on a paper with concentric bull's-eyes;
deviation of the weight from the center is the manual way of measuring
verticality; Dexter Stetson, builder of the lighthouse in 1868, would have
used the same device to determine the roundness of the walls as bricks were
laid.
After a move, Stockbridge's firm inspects for any changes in the historic
buildings and comes up with the drawings and specs for any needed
restoration work. "We'll have little if anything to do after this move,"
Jerry comments, "because these guys have done such a good job in moving
these historic buildings. Even the old crack in the tower from lightning,
(reported by the lighthouse keeper on April 17, 1879), has had no change.
This is a great job."
A brief explanation of the lowering phase follows. Referring to the first
image, "at the new site" you can see: As the tower neared the concrete pad
at its final destination, oak cribbing was stepped down to meet the roll
beams upon which the tower glided. Since having arrived at the relocation
site July 9, movers have begun the "lowering phase." The goal is to remove
the support steel and transport system and put the lighthouse at its final
elevation on shoring towers.
In the second image, "jacks and cribbing" you are standing under the
lighthouse. Shoring steel is on either side of the main beams. The jacks
within one main beam are depressurized, leaving some of the steel
suspended. This steel is removed and the jacks are reset. This process is
repeated for each main beam, until all jacks are reset at the same height
and the tower is then lowered by the unified hydraulics jacking system in
small increments at a time. The process is repeated until the tower is at
about four feet, and then the shoring towers are reinstalled. Joe Jakubik,
site manager for the International Chimney team of movers, predicts the
lighthouse will be at elevation sometime this evening.
Once this is accomplished, bricklayers will build brick columns for infill
to conjoin the lighthouse base with the concrete pad. The shoring towers
are removed and the brick infill is completed.
Earthmovers have already smoothed over the old site, leaving the original
1870 pine timber mat intact and covered with water for preservation.
At the new site, earth will soon cover the concrete and brick infill and
the first plinth, restoring the lighthouse to ground level appearance at
the new site.
For a look at an archive of move updates over the past several months from
the OBLHS, see
http://ecnews.outer-banks.com (note no "www")
Other interesting sites concerning the move:
www.outer-banks.com/lighthouse-society (be sure to look at the entire web
project also)
http://ecnews.outer-banks.com (no www)
www.nps.gov/caha(livecam there also, two views)
The National Park Service announced that a relighting ceremony has been set
for Saturday, September 4, beginning at 7 pm. This gala event will mark the
beginning of a celebrated future for this historic light station. Watch the
NPS website for details on this event. The U.S. Coast Guard will take part
in this event at the light station. It will be the beginning of a tribute
to the old U.S. Lighthouse Service and the keepers who kept a light for
mariners. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse represents this tribute.
The Annual Keepers Dinner will be held Sept. 11 at the Ramada Inn in Kill
Devil Hills. Keynote speaker, Joe Jakubik, International Chimney Corp.
Project Manager for the Cape Hatteras Relocation, will give a presentation
of images and narration on "How We Moved the Lighthouse." Join us for a fun
evening of celebration with the Keepers Bar opening at 5:00 pm. Bett
Padgett will provide entertainment, singing from her new CD "If a
Lighthouse Could Speak." Move artifacts will be auctioned for funding of
exhibits at the Keepers' Quarters at the relocation site. Tickets are
$29.00 per person, $55 for two. No children's plates are available. You may
email Betty Parrish, OBLHS Membership Director, at web3755@charweb.org
Tickets are now available to all interested, and with limited seating,
please order soon. Betty will be away for the next week, but will return
your email message beginning July 26. Ticket orders will be taken in the
order in which she receives payment by postmark. You may mail your ticket
requests and money to her at 6625 Candlewood Drive, Charlotte, NC 28210
See you there!
Thanks to JB Ruffin and Associates for providing the website and list
server for the OB Lighthouse Society.
Comments/suggestions are welcomed.
Outer Banks Lighthouse Society
