eel ee i dt een hi 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
AND REMINDER 
Vol. XIV 
Manchester, Mass., Friday, September 22, 1916 
No. 38 
Beacons as Seen From the Swampscott Shore 
THE recent sounding of 
North Shore maritime in- 
terests by the United States 
lighthouse service to ascer- 
tain sentiment regarding the 
proposed establishment of a 
flashing light on Marblehead 
rock calls attention to the ex- 
cellence of ‘the American 
lighthouse service. Looking 
across the water on a clear 
night from any of a dozen 
points along the shore there 
are visible these beacons of 
safety in numerous directions. 
From the veranda of the 
New Ocean House Annex.at 
Swampscott the revolving 
Boston Light is easily recog- 
nizible. Egg Rock with its 
red glow, the Graves with 
its double flash every six- 
seconds, and Minot’s miles 
away, flashing the num- 
bers one, four and three twice a minute, are all discern- 
ible. And off a little to the left can be detected the two 
red lights of the Light-ship. From the Swampscott shore 
these lights all lie to east by south. From the New Ocean 
House to Boston Light is nine miles and a half. Yet the 
light, visible in its full strength twice a minute, is quite 
prominent, being 102 feet above the low water and of 
30,310 candle power. It is visible to incoming steamers 
Minot’s Light 
Boston Light 
under favorable conditions at a distance of almost 16 
miles. The white tower is easily recognized from the 
Swampscott shore on a bright day, being about 80 feet 
high. Boston Light is the oldest of the above mentioned, 
the present tower having been built in 1783. More than 
100 years before that a light marked the entrance to Bos- 
ton harbor. In 1674, the Massachusetts Records mention 
the beacon on Point Allerton,.which was probably a large 
lantern to guide ships by night. In 1680, the journal of 
Dankers and Sluyter, highly intelligent travelers, men- 
tions the light-house on one of the Brewster Islands. The 
romantic period of Boston Light’s history is the Revolu- 
tion. The patriots destroyed the light-house July 20, 1775. 
It was replaced by the King’s officers, who ruined it as 
their final farewell. 
Egg Rock is a little more than two miles from the 
New Ocean House and is about go feet above low water. 
It was first lighted September 15, 1856. It serves as the 
principal guide to Swampscott Bay and a warning to 
ocean craft bound for Boston. 
The dominating light in the Swampscott section is 
The Graves, about seven miles from the New Ocean 
House. It is nearly 100 feet above low water and is of 
226,280 candle power. It is visible when other lights are 
hidden in the mist. On clear nights it is visible by sea- 
men more than 15 miles out at sea. Minot’s light is a 
good 15 miles away, but is of 54,000 candlepower. Its 
cheerful flash of one-four-three, twice a minute, is readily 
noticed on clear nights as is the conical tower rising 84 
feet like a thimble from the sea. The original Minot 
lighthouse was destroyed in the gale of April 17, 1851. 
Graves Light 
