Abstract American Lightships, 1820-1983: History, Construction, and Archaeology within the Maritime Cultural Landscape by Morgan MacKenzie April, 2011 Director: Dr. Lawrence Babits DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, PROGRAM IN MARITIME STUDIES In 1820, the United States Government began funding construction and conversion of watercraft for use as lightships. Floating beacons utilized to mark dangerous shoals, reefs, and shifting channels in inland as well as open waters, lightships served where lighthouse construction was unfeasible. This study intends to examine the general history of U.S. lightships, improvements to construction design, technological modifications in illumination and signaling, venue of employment, as well as use, re-use, and the maritime cultural landscape associated with these craft. American Lightships, 1820-1983: History, Construction, and Archaeology within the Maritime Cultural Landscape A Thesis Presented To The Faculty of the Department of History, Program in Maritime Studies East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts By Morgan MacKenzie April 2011 © Copyright 2011 Morgan MacKenzie American Lightships, 1820-1983: History, Construction, and Archaeology within the Maritime Cultural Landscape by Morgan MacKenzie APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF THESIS:___________________________________________________ Dr. Lawrence Babits, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER:__________________________________________________ Dr. Wade Dudley, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER:__________________________________________________ Dr. David Stewart, PhD COMMITTEE MEMBER:__________________________________________________ Dr. William Thiesen, PhD CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY: ________________________________________________ Dr. Gerald Prokopowicz, PhD DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: ________________________________________________ Dr. Paul J. Gemperline, PhD TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ……………………………………………………………………… vii LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………….. viii CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………… 1 History……………………………………………………………........... 1 Previous Research……………………………………………………….. 3 Previous Archaeological Research……………………………………… 4 Research Questions……………………………………………………… 5 Research Methodology………………………………………………….. 6 Historical Methodology…………………………………………………. 7 Archaeological Methodology…………………………………………… 8 Analysis and Conclusions……………………………………………….. 9 CHAPTER 2 : HISTORICAL OVERVIEW…………………………………………… 10 Lightships in American Wars…………………………………………… 20 CHAPTER 3 : THEORETICAL INTERPRETATION………………………………… 34 CHAPTER 4 : WOODEN CONSTRUCTION…………………………………………. 42 CHAPTER 5 : METAL CONSTRUCTION……………………………………………. 64 Composite Construction………………………………………………… 65 Iron Construction……………………………………………………….. 69 Steel Construction………………………………………………………. 72 CHAPTER 6 : CHARACTERISITIC FEATURES……………………………………. 88 Luminary Devices……………………………………………………….. 88 Audible Fog Signaling Devices…………………………………………. 101 Day Marks, Hull Markings, and Exterior Paint…………………………. 110 CHAPTER 7 : ARCHAEOLOGY: LV83 2010 DOCUMENTATION PROJECT…….. 111 CHAPTER 8 : CONCLUSION AND ANALYSIS……………………………………. 124 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………… 131 APPENDIX A : SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE CAPE HATTERAS LIGHTSHIP…... 143 APPENDIX B : LV41 CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS………………………. 146 APPENDIX C : SPECIFICATIONS FOR LV66……………………………………… 177 APPENDIX D : GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE LAST IRON LIGHTSHIPS…………………………………………………………………. 181 APPENDIX E : RIGGING PLANS…………………………………………………… 186 Plan View………………………………………………………………………. 187 Bow View……………………………………………………………………… 188 Stern View……………………………………………………………………... 189 Port Profile View……………………………………………………………….. 190 APPENDIX F : COMMUNICATION WIRING PLANS ON LV83………………….. 191 Machinery Deck Plan…………………………………………………………… 192 Main Deck Plan………………………………………………………………… 193 Spar Deck Plan………………………………………………………………….. 194 Port Profile Plan………………………………………………………………… 195 Starboard Profile Plan…………………………………………………………… 196 APPENDIX G : LIGHTING WIRING PLANS ON LV83……………………………... 197 Forward Hold Plan………………………………………………………………. 198 Machinery Deck Plan…………………………………………………………… 199 Main Deck Plan…………………………………………………………………. 200 Spar Deck Plan………………………………………………………………….. 201 Port Profile Plan………………………………………………………………… 202 Starboard Profile Plan…………………………………………………………… 203 APPENDIX H : LOCATIONS OF JUCTION BOXES ONBOARD LV83……………… 204 Port Profile Plan…………………………………………………………………… 205 Starboard Profile Plan…………………………………………………………….. 206 APPENDIX I : ARTIFACT ACCESSION FORM FROM THE 2010 LV83 DOCUMENTATION PROJECT…………………………………………………. 207 APPENDIX J : ARTIFACT PHOTO LOGS FROM THE 2010 LV83 DOCUMENTATION PROJECT…………………………………………………………………………. 209 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: Chronological listing of domestic lightship stations…………………………… 17 TABLE 2: Frame composition for select wooden lightships………………………………. 48 TABLE 3: Hull planking information for select wooden lightships……………………….. 49 TABLE 4: Mast Information for select wooden lightships………………………………… 50 TABLE 5: Decking information for select wooden lightships……………………………… 50 TABLE 6: Stanchion, ceiling, beam, and knee information, for select wooden lightships…. 51 TABLE 7: Information regarding clamps and wales on select wooden lightships…………. 52 TABLE 8: Ballast information for select wooden lightships……………………………….. 52 TABLE 9: Limited lightship class descriptions…………………………………………….. 58 TABLE 10: A sampling of maintenance costs associated with wooden lightships………… 61 TABLE 11: Lightship dimensions in feet, inches, and tons………………………………… 85 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1: The Nore……………………………………………………………………….. 12 FIGURE 2: Lightship sunk in the Rappahannock River……………………………………. 23 FIGURE 3: Union blockade near the town of Plymouth utilizing scuttled lightships……… 25 FIGURE 4: Table listing shipwrecks per year, 1858-1868…………………………………. 26 FIGURE 5: LV71 prior to sinking by a German U-boat……………………………………. 29 FIGURE 6: LV83 armed for WWII…………………………………………………………. 31 FIGURE 7: A lightship armed for WWII…………………………………………………… 32 FIGURE 8: Degaussing coils onboard LV83………………………………………………... 33 FIGURE 9: Robert F. Cairo‟s drawing of a 1792 Danish lightship, Rigsarkivet……………. 44 FIGURE 10: Bilge keel of a steel lightship constructed in 1904……………………………. 53 FIGURE 11: An 1848 English lightship…………………………………………………….. 55 FIGURE 12: Nantucket New South Shoals lightship sheer, body, and half-breadth plans…. 56 FIGURE 13: LV1, the first domestic lightship built to specifications……………………….. 56 FIGURE 14: First class lightship, Martins Industry, constructed in 1856…………………… 57 FIGURE 15: Second class lightship, York Spit Relief, 1856………………………………… 58 FIGURE 16: LV29 undergoing repairs at Pregnall‟s Railway, Charleston, SC……………… 60 FIGURE 17: The first composite lightship, LV43……………………………………………. 65 FIGURE 18: Composite lightship, LV46…………………………………………………….. 66 FIGURE 19: The launching of composite lightship, LV69…………………………………... 68 FIGURE 20: Composite lightship, LV71……………………………………………………... 69 FIGURE 21: The 400 ton iron Revenue Cutter, formerly known as Legare………………….. 70 FIGURE 22: Iron lightship, LV52…………………………………………………………….. 71 FIGURE 23: LV77 moored on station……………………………………………………… 75 FIGURE 24: LV81, moored on Heald Bank, Texas………………………………………… 76 FIGURE 25: Rough lay-out of LV76, starboard profile view……………………………… 77 FIGURE 26: Steel whaleback lightship, LV101……………………………………………. 79 FIGURE 27: LV116 under construction (29 March 1929)…………………………………. 80 FIGURE 28: LV116 under construction (25 May 1929)…………………………………… 81 FIGURE 29: LV116 under construction (25 September 1929)…………………………….. 82 FIGURE 30: LV116 after construction (26 December 1929……………..………………… 83 FIGURE 31: All-welded steel lightship under construction……………………………….. 84 FIGURE 32: Lightship N. Built by Henry Eckford, 1823…………………………………. 89 FIGURE 33: The lighting apparatus on LV3……………………………………………….. 91 FIGURE 34: Constant level oil lamp……………………………………………………….. 92 FIGURE 35: Sectional plan of an electric lantern employed on lightships………………… 96 FIGURE 36: Locomotive train lights on the Columbia lightship…………………………… 99 FIGURE 37: Fourth order lamps……………………………………………………………. 100 FIGURE 38: Fifth and sixth order lamps…………………………………………………… 101 FIGURE 39: 1,000 pound, metal signaling bell installed onboard LV83…………………... 103 FIGURE 40: Daboll‟s fog signal with Ericcson‟s caloric engine…………………………... 104 FIGURE 41: Lightship steamwhistle……………………………………………………….. 106 FIGURE 42: Brown‟s First-Class Fog Siren……………………………………………….. 107 FIGURE 43: Hornsby-Ackroyd oil engine…………………………………………………. 107 FIGURE 44: Mud map drawing of the forward wall of the pilot house……………………. 113 FIGURE 45: Stenciling on main steam pipe………………………………………………… 113 FIGURE 46: A signal light on the weather deck of LV83………………………………… 114 FIGURE 47: Different wrapping techniques on shrouds………………………………….. 116 FIGURE 48: Pilot house communication switches, wiring, and devices………………….. 117 FIGURE 49: Scaled image shows two junction boxes and wires…………..……………… 118 FIGURE 50: Electrical wiring onboard LV83……………………………………………… 119 FIGURE 51: Port Side Crew Quarters……………………………………………………… 121 FIGURE 52: LV83, port quarter…………………………………………………………….. 123 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Lightships served a vital role in protecting U.S. maritime interests from 1820 to 1983. Employed as navigational aids, lightships were stationed along shipping lanes and intercoastal waterways in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, and various estuarine environments in the Chesapeake, North Carolina, and the Pacific Northwest. Different sources offer brief