Linda’s Month Monday Morning Mornings for August 5, 2024
While waiting for the ‘Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast’ to be published I have been researching and working on the last of the lighthouse books for Arcadia Publishing, no firm title yet, but’ Lighthouse of the Southern Atlantic and Gulf States’ is probably a good start. While research North Carolina lights, I came across an amusing story written some time ago, and wanted to share this article, worthy of a smile.
A new lighthouse was built in 1812, in the Outer Banks area of treacherous shoals and beautiful safe harbor. The lighthouse was constructed with an inner brick core and an outer wooden structure, with cedar shingles painted in red and white diagonal stripes. It didn’t take long for it to be realized, that the light tower was not tall enough or bright enough. It wouldn’t be until 1859 before a new and very much improved light tower was constructed called Cape Lookout Lighthouse. With the two lighthouses only 100 feet apart, what should be done with the old light?
A contractor was hired to demolish the structure, normally using dynamite, with the keepers house and the new light, stable and barnes so closed that idea wasn’t good. It was then thought of ‘Uncle Billy Hancock’ considered to be the ‘fastest man in North Carolina’. But, could he out run a falling brick lighthouse? Piece of cake, bragged Billy, “If’n I can get that last brick out, I can outrun her”.
The date was set, the word was put out, Uncle Billy was going to knock down the old lighthouse. People would come from all around, school was let out early and it became a public holiday. This would be the biggest event in those parts for some time.
Uncle Billy set his plan. “I’ll swing with all me might, and when the last brick goes out, then I’ll let go of the hammer and right on aturnin’, then I’ll cut on back to the house, and pocket my five dollars”. Well Billy’s plan worked just fine, he swung the hammer, the brick fell out and the hammer dropped. But while he was aturnin’ his feet got tangled up and he fell onto his hands and knees, right beneath the falling lighthouse……
This story picks up the next day, when Buddy Earl, who had witnessed the event, was over at the Harkers Island ‘Beehive’ the local general store and post office. People were anxious to hear what happened, so when Buddy got to the point where Billy fell, one of the impatient listens said, “hurry up, tell us”, HOW FAST DID UNCLE BILLY RUN? The storyteller spit out his chew of tobacco, took a long pull on his long necked Pepsi then paused for effect. “Wal” he said slowly, “don’t rightly know how fast he kin run- but he kin shore as the devil crawl 35 miles and hour”!
On that ‘wee note’ till next month Monday September 2nd, 2024.
Courtesy of ‘Fishhouse Lies’ by Sonny Williamson, 1996, courtesy of the Carteret County Historical Society, Morehead City, North Carolina, courtesy of Lighthouse Digest, 2023. Artist rendition of the first Cape Lookout, courtesy of Karen Duggan, Cape Lookout National Seashore.
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Linda Osborne Cynowa 