USCG Sledge at Thomas Point Lighthouse

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B><U>U.S.C.G. SLEDGE AT THOMAS POINT LIGHTHOUSE</U></B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=170 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="St. Augustine Lighthouse"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mildred Cruso at Biloxi Mississippi"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" 16 x 20 Pen Ink"><U><B><IMG SRC="00d0d1d0.gif" border=0 width="13" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" 16 x 20 Pen Ink"><U><B>Return to 16" x 20" pen and ink page</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" 16 x 20 Pen Ink"><U><B><IMG SRC="3cc967e0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="126" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#990000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT>           </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>In 1832 a retired bricklayer in Ireland, Alexander Mitchell (1780-1868), discovered that the use of a propeller like screw on the end of an iron piling enabled it to be screwed deep into unstable soil or sand making it very firm and immovable.  This invention, which became known as the screw piling, became the preferred method around the world of constructing lighthouses in unstable areas and was first used for the Maplin Sands lighthouse at the mouth of the Thames River.  The screw pile soon became the standard method of constructing off shore lighthouses in the Chesapeake Bay.     </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse was completed in November of 1875.  It replaced an earlier Thomas Point Lighthouse built of stone and masonry by John Donahoo in 1825 on the point itself.  This light served for many years but ultimately proved to be too far from the shoal to provide many mariners adequate warning.  The new 42 foot tall lighthouse was built on six ten inch wrought iron pilings screwed nearly 12 feet into the sandy bottom.  It was automated in 1986 and was the last lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay to have a keeper.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>As an active lighthouse it is operated by the United States Coast Guard and is serviced and maintained by periodic visits from the U.S.C.G. Sledge and her construction or work barge.  The Sledge is one of ten 75 foot inland construction tenders operated by the Coast Guard.  Because of their designed purpose all were named after hand tools (the others being Anvil, Hammer, Mallet, Vise, Clamp, Wedge, Spike, Hatchet, and Axe).  These vessels are designed to perform a wide range of heavy construction tasks including pile driving in water 4 to 20 feet deep and all have their own work barge which carries the equipment necessary to perform their duties.  The Sledge is unique in one regard in that her work barge is 85 feet long, the only such barge in USCG service; all other tenders have work barges 68 feet long.  The Sledge was built in Morgan City, Louisiana and  commissioned on December 5, 1962.  She remains in service today and regularly visits the Thomas Point Lighthouse.   </B></div> <div> <B>  </B></div> </td> </tr></table></body>