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The process of relocating the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is moving right along. The bi-monthly press tour began at the future site. The museum is still parked on the moving dolly were it has sat since Feb.25. Workmen are still readying the foundation to receive the house.

There has been a small change in plans in recent days. Originally it was planned to use the brick piers exactly as they were used at the old location. Now, there is a team employed to break away the old mortar that held the brick together. This brick will then be reset with new mortar and used again as piers. The new foundation has to be exactly constructed. Laser levelers are used to achieve perfect levels. Keep in mind that the museum has to be driven over this construction area in order to be put in place. Special re-bars will arrive on Monday. These steel strips will allow the museum to roll over the footings during the placing process which will occur in approximately three weeks.

The dewatering pumps continue to run around the clock. The Primary Keepers Quarters is still patiently awaiting its trip. Still sitting near the black and white spiral, Expert House Movers continues to experience difficulties in preparing the building for moving. This structure was built in three different increments and there are no plans that indicate what is there. Making a clear path to insert the I beams underneath the floor has been challenging. They have been surprised by what they have found. It is anticipated that Primary keepers Quarters will be moved sometime after March 15.

The moving corridor for the main event is nearing completion. As you stand at the base of the tower, you can now see ground zero. The land is perfectly flat and even. The dune has been moved to either side of the corridor. Sand is piled everywhere for there wasn't one place big enough to handle the huge amount of sand.

The rock base of the lighthouse on the northeast side has been replaced by orange shoring towers. Eleven feet of original foundation has been removed. Workers are still experiencing difficulties in breaking apart the old mortar. Though more equipment was sent for 2 weeks ago to assist with this process, it still hasn't arrived. The men continue to chip away. The diamond wire cutter continues to cut the granite like butter, leaving a super smooth surface. The platform that is being assembled under the shoring towers is 7'(20' in some places) wider than the original pine platform.

On March 3, a wind gust of 78 mph from the southwest was recorded atop the lighthouse. Despite the amount of foundation that has been removed from the northeast side, this structure was unaffected by this hurricane force wind.

Working diligently at removing the mortar from the museum's brick piers was 85 year old Willard Gray of Avon. Working with the speed and agility of a man half his age, Mr. Gray is held with high respect from his coworkers. According to Kenny Rollinson of Buxton, "He never slows down, never takes a break even for lunch."

Park Service employee Rob Bolling was bestowed with the dubious honor of turning oft the power to the lighthouse's beacon on the morning of March 1. He agreed only to do this deed if he would be the one to restore the light after the move. This friend and historian to America's Greatest Sentinel was emotional about this process. He likened it to the lighthouse "taking a nap". He couldn't wait until the time to "wake her up". When asked when that would be, Boiling answered, "as soon as possible."

In the January 1 issue of the Hatteras Island News, we wrote about the original wrought-iron fence that surrounded the lighthouse. Even though there was a picture taken of it in 1893, where and when it went was unknown. As the tour was ending on March 9, we saw pieces of of this orginal fence sticking out of varioius piles of rubble. This fence had been recycled. It was used as re-bars in the sidewalks that connected the museum. Primary Quarters and the Monument itself. As this sidewalk was being torn up, the old fence could be plainly seen.

In the court case of Dare Co. vs. the National Park which concerns the stop work injunction on the Lighthouse move, the Judge has decided to hear the case on Monday Mar 15. The hearing will take place in Elizabeth City. Dare County is citing absent or incomplete environmental or economic analysis as well as the Park Service's failure to provide the county with a copy of the contract with International Chimney Corp. A Raleigh law firm will be representing the county in this hearing.

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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