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If you haven't yet been out to see the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in motion, you may be out of time. Due to some improvements made in the moving plan and favorable weather conditions, the Lighthouse is almost at the end of her journey. Initially, International Chimney, the contractor for the relocation project, estimated that it would take 58 days for the historical beacon to travel 2,900 feet inland. it was June17 when the beloved landmark took her first step. As we complete the July 4th holiday, the many visitors and well wishers have found the tower close to the new concrete foundation which was finished May 1.

When the Lighthouse first moved, there was a collective sigh of relief that everything was thought out and implemented correctly. There were no short cuts, no chances taken, The I beams that were welded together to create the floor upon which the beacon would travel were exactly placed. The dirt on the moving path was compacted to 95% while the 12 inch layer of crushed stone atop the dirt was 98% compacted. When the push ram jacks first nudged the Lighthouse, it was only a distance of two inches. That two inch test proved that the moving plan had worked when put into action and it was safe to proceed. Then the push rams extended to their full length and the structure moved five feet. The push rams were retracted and hydraulically moved 5 feet forward on the travel beam. When the minds who controlled the project felt that it was time, the push rams once again went to their full extension and the Lighthouse proceeded another 5 feet. On June 171 the tower spent her first night in a slightly different place - ten feet and two inches away from the place where she stood for 130 years.

From that point forward, It was off to the races. The very next day, the Lighthouse traveled 71 feet. It was Friday evening when the tower reached the end of the travel mat. Then it was the weekend, a period when many workers took time to be with their families. It was also the first time the travel mat and beams needed to be leapfrogged and subsequently, the numbers slowed down. On Saturday June 19, the tower still remarkably moved 19 feet and yet another 24 feet on June 20. On Monday, June 21, it traveled a distance of 65 feet.

From then on, the Matyiko family threw things into high gear and the range the Lighthouse trekked daily remained over 100 feet until June 28. On that day, the distance they pushed the Lighthouse was 96 feet. June 24 was a notable day for the black and white structure moved 219 feet only to be moved another 223 feet the following day. On July 1, the crew' of Expert House Movers relocated the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse a phenomenal 355 feet in one day. It was mind boggling as the spiral guardian of the Diamond Shoals constantly changed her position on the landscape of the island. In seventeen days, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse journeyed 2,270 feet.

The single most note-worthy enhancement to the moving system involved the push ram jacks and the manner in which they attached to the travel beams. Prior to the Cape Hatteras project, the push rams jacks were attached manually with the help of air guns which were similar to what a Nascar pit crew would use to change tires during a race. On this move, Expert House Movers employed a new system which would hydraulically lock and unlock the push rams. Each push ram clamped the I beam at 3,000 PSI and provided a sturdy grip as the five rams created forward motion.

The operation was very smooth and even looked very rehearsed after a few days. At the beginning of every push sequence, Jerry Matyiko, the operator of the push jacks, sounded a bullhorn which alerted all workers that the Lighthouse was moving. The Lighthouse then moved 5 feet and stopped when the push jacks reached full extension. The center jack stayed locked to keep the tower in place while the other four retracted. The hydraulics unlocked to allow the rams to be moved forward and assume their new position. When they were in place and locked down, the middle ram was then repositioned. With the use of hydraulic power, it took seconds to lock and unlock the powerful push jacks. It is easy to imagine how much slower the air gun procedure would have been for there are several bolts on each of the five rams. However, with this modification, the entire process only took a few minutes before it was ready to repeat.

The 208 foot tower has well passed the dangerous part of the moving path where it was closest to the ocean. During the first part of the move, the Lighthouse actually moved slightly up-hill but has now leveled off and only used four of the push rams during the last part of the move. Despite the grade, the Lighthouse was moving quicker than workers could keep the road finished out in front of the move. The travel path had the same specifications as an airport. Steve Crum's men have had a busy time keeping pace for they had to recycle the materials used in making the road. After the structure passed an area, excavators dug up the marl and loaded it into a dump truck. The rock was then dumped on the other side of the move and work began again to compact the path It was a lot of exertion and it takes time to compact the road to 98%. There is so much activity at the base of the tower that there did not seem to be enough room. Not only is the road being leapfrogged but also are the many I beams that comprise the temporary floor and its related pieces. Something else that is noticeably making the move southwards are the portable toilets.

When the move first started, all the equipment looked much different than it does now. Curiously noticeable is the rust that is showing on the screws which were used on the brand new hydraulic jacking machine for the salt air has its way with most metals. The dry conditions have soiled everything in sight and much of what is not in view. The jacks under the Lighthouse were manufactured to keep out the dust which is every-where. Each unit has a sweeper on them to keep the internal workings clean and free of debris. It has become very hot and dusty on location. The once 99.9% pure Ivory soap that is used as a lubricant on the travel beams is now very dirty and full of gunk as it seems to attract dust and dirt.

When the dedicated workers in hard hats took their short break for the summer holiday, there was some maintenance required on the moving equipment. There are 100 Hilman rollers under the Lighthouse, one for each jack. After 17 days and 2,270 feet of carrying a 4,800 ton load, three of these rollers needed to be replaced. All 100 jacks that support the Lighthouse were inspected, repaired where necessary, and lubricated. This scheduled maintenance took less time than anticipated. The relocation project is now running ahead of schedule which is a fact that makes many people happy. It was the mining of the old foundation that was grueling work and took more than the expected time to complete but it was during the moving phase of the operation that workers were able to move the project ahead of estimated schedule.

Three red umbrellas have become part of the scenery on the yellow strong backs to provide shade to the busy workers during the hot days. Despite the uncomfortable conditions that the summer has bestowed upon Cape Hatteras, the pace of these hard working dedicated men has not slowed. They start daily around 7 am and don't stop until at least a dozen hours later. If there is an objective to achieve, they work in a collective effort to make goals into reality. There is no complaining to be heard but there is a strong energy of success which can be easily felt.

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is expected to be at her new home late this week as preparations begin for her attachment to the new concrete pad. The shoring towers that supported the monument's weight earlier in the year are once again ready to hold the 4,800 tons. They have been inspected and lubricated since they were removed from under the Lighthouse several weeks ago. When the structure is positioned over the concrete pad that will serve as her new legs for the next century, then will begin the process of "stepping down". Currently the Lighthouse is raised higher for the move and will need to be lowered between three and four feet to attain the desired level. During the stepping down process, the strongbacks, travel beams and mats will be systematically removed. It is estimated that is will take maybe two days to accomplish the lowering process. When done, the Lighthouse will be once again sitting on the temporary orange shoring towers and cribbing.

Industrial strength brick will connect the concrete pad and the Lighthouse, the job that granite and mortar performed over at the original ocean site. These bricks individually weigh seven and a half pounds each and will support a load of 10,000 PSI The estimated number of bricks required to fill the void between the pad and the building is 140,000. They are arriving by tractor trailer from Pennsylvania and there have been several shipments of this red brick. When completed, the brick will be hidden behind granite that was originally used but was carefully removed during the mining process. However, it will not be the entire block of granite, only the veneer face of the original pieces.

An open door policy exists at the Cape Hatteras Relocation work site as several house movers from other parts of the country journey to the coast of North Carolina. Many of these volunteers came from other parts of this state while others traveled from Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois and Michigan. There was no pay for the jobs they performed or remuneration for travel expenses. They were present to observe the techniques used on this project. There was also the curiosity factor for many of the guests had only experienced moving houses. Lastly, most of the guest workers wanted it in their resumes that they had worked on the Cape Hatteras project. Many people want a piece of Cape Hatteras history.

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The Hatteras Island News will be documenting each and every move the lighthouse makes, from ground level and also from the air.

The Hatteras Island News is a free By-Weekly Publication by the Hatteras Monitor. It arrives in our mailboxes twice a month.

Publisher
Richard Jones
Anne McDermott

Printing
Curtis Cromwell

P.O. Box 364
Frisco, NC 27936
252-995-5378