THE TALLEST LIGHT TOWKR OF THIS COUNTKV, 200 1-KKT HIGH : Tllli CAl'E HATTKKAS 



LIGHTHOUSE, NORTH CAROLINA 

 The spiral painting is to furnish a distinctive day-mark to mariners. "A light must be 

 about 200 feet above the water to be seen from the deck of a vessel 20 nautical miles distant; 

 beyond that distance the curvature of the earth would prevent a light at this elevation being 

 seen. 



F.\MOUS SHORE LIGHTS 



Cape Henry lighthouse, at the entrance 

 to Chesapeake Bay, is an example of an 

 iron tower built with cast-iron plates 

 bolted together along their flanges. The 

 old tower at Cape Henry, abandoned in 

 1 88 1, was the first lighthouse built by 

 the United States government, being 

 completed in 1791. There is a letter 

 datetl December 18, 1789, from Gov- 

 ernor Randolph of \"irginia to Presi- 

 dent \\'ashington. saying: "The State 

 some years ago placed upon the shore at 



and cede the necessary land to the United 

 States (see page 22). 



Petit Alanan lighthouse, l\rainc. is a 

 granite tower 115 feet in height. On 

 Thatcher Island, at Cape Ann. Massa- 

 chusetts, are two handsome granite light- 

 towers, each 124 feet in height. St. 

 Johns River light, Florida, is of brick. 

 80 feet high (see page 24). 



The tallest light-tower in the United 

 States is that at Cape Hatteras. on the 

 low-lying coast of North Carolina, which 

 is 200 feet from base to top of lantern. 

 The highest light, however, is that at 



Cape Henry nearly a sufficient quantity Cape Mendocino, on the coast of Cali 



of materials to complete such a light- 

 house as was at that time thought con- 

 venient, which have been in the course of 

 time covered by sand. Measures are 

 taking to extricate them from this situa- 

 tion," and offering to sell the materials 



fornia, which is shown 422 feet above 

 high water; it is on a cliff, the lighthouse 

 itself being only 20 feet in height (see 

 pages 27 and 29). 



The main channel range for the harbor 

 of Charleston, South Carolina, is com- 



27 



