Minot's Ledge in Need of Owner

[Grover1]

They use "legendary," not "iconic" ... From The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/sci ... tuate.html


(No Photo Credit)

[rocky5128]

They also say "often called one of the most romantic lighthouses in the country".
I never thought of them being romantic.

Kathy

[Grover1]

Check it out ... its mythically reknown as the "I Love You" lighthouse ... http://lighthousestars.com/2008/02/14/m ... thouse-143

[LighthouseNews]

In Minot's Ledge's case, that description is somewhat justified. The flash characteristic is 1-4-3 which has the same numbers as "I love you," so some romantically inclined people decided it was flashing that thought. Helen Keller referred to it as akin to Venus rising from the sea:

How delightful it was to see Minot's Ledge in the morning light. There one expects to see the ocean lashed into fury by the splendid resistance of the rocks; but as we passed the 'light' seemed to rise out of the tranquil water, like Venus from her morning bath.

I'm sure the keepers thought differently, however. Its first keeper, Isaac Dunham, was transferred there from Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, a nice tranquil, land based light in Maine. I often wondered who he pissed off so badly as to lose the cushy job at Pemaquid and ending up at Minot's Ledge. He lasted less than a year before leaving in fear for his life.

[CHUCKX53]

Begging Pardon, was this the Helen Keller (1880-1968) who was both deaf & blind ????

If so, how could she "see" anything, let alone "Minot's Ledge in the morning light" ????

Just Asking........

[Grover1]

Chuck ... My first thought as well was that's a whole lot of adjectives and adjectival phrases,
especially after reading the longer quote below ...

I'm thinking its the dramatic license of "we." I'm also thinking Miss Sullivan must have
done one superb job in conveying that early morning aura if this is how Miss Keller processed it into words ...

Jeremy has an extended version of the quote on his site ...

Helen Keller wrote of passing Minot's Ledge Light on her way into Boston Harbor after a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1901:

...the colors warmed and deepened as we watched the beautiful, gold-tinted clouds peacefully take possession of the sky. Then came the sun, gathering the mist into silvery bands with which he wreathed the islands that lifted their heads out of the purple sea as it passed. A mighty tide of life and joy followed in its track. The ocean awoke, ships and boats of every description sprang from the waves as if by magic; and as we sighted Minot's Ledge Light, a great six-masted schooner with snowy sails passed us like a beautiful winged spirit, bound for some unknown haven beyond the bar. How delightful it was to see Minot's Ledge in the morning light. There one expects to see the ocean lashed into fury by the splendid resistance of the rocks; but as we passed the 'light' seemed to rise out of the tranquil water, like Venus from her morning bath. It seemed so near, I thought I could touch it; but I am rather glad I did not; for perhaps the lovely illusion would have been destroyed had I examined it more closely.

[CHUCKX53]

I think the key word in all that is "Illusion", for you would be hard-pressed to convince me that someone who never had Remembered Experiences of Sight could construct in their mind the Images that are written about here...Not to mention "Colors".....There would be no reference memory that the rest of us sighted people employ to even formulate such an description....

And no, I can't even begin to Imagine what It would be like, never to have a visual memory of Anything, and no way to reference whatever it is that I'm thinking of.....How can these people do that, blind from birth or from an age before remembrance ?? Do they visualize lines, angles, shadows, mist ??

I guess that we would never know what our minds would Image if faced with the circumstances that a Helen Keller would have to live with....And your assessment is likely correct, Barry.....

[LeadingLight]

I guess that we would never know what our minds would Image if faced with the circumstances that a Helen Keller would have to live with

I think that's the right conclusion. Last year we went to the Hoek van Holland lighthouse with a blind friend who loves lighthouses. (http://www.lighthousing.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7998) She could name all kinds of equipment despite of the fact that she had neven been able to see them. Just the combination of feeling and the descriptions she had "read" about was sufficient for her to know how things look like. Impossible for us to imagine, but for her it's just a different way of seeing.

[Grover1]

From The Scituate Mariner

http://www.wickedlocal.com/scituate/new ... ouse-owner

[Grover1]

More ...

From WBZ-TV38 ... http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsma/Coast.Gua ... 17356.html
From The Daily News Tribune ... http://www.dailynewstribune.com/state/x ... edge-Light


(Photo/Gary Higgins)

[Fred]

Though everybody is not happy with British "Light dues" it does at least ringfence finance for the maintenance of Aids to Navigation

Fred

[Grover1]

From The Boston Globe

COHASSET
MINOT LIGHT OFFERED - Town officials are weighing whether to try to take ownership of Minot Light. The federal government plans to continue operating the light, but wants to give away the five-story, 114-foot-high historic lighthouse tower, which is on an outcrop of rocks about a mile offshore near the Cohasset-Scituate line. “It’s offered ‘as is’ and ‘where is,’ ” said Town Manager William Griffin. He said the town received a letter from the General Services Administration outlining the process for applying for the property. “You’re supposed to give them a letter of interest by Sept. 30,” he said. “We’re interested - maybe going in with Scituate - but we won’t go much further without understanding the cost implications.” Selectmen will discuss the matter at their 7 p.m. meeting Aug. 24, Griffin said. - Johanna Seltz

[Grover1]

More talk of a local takeover ... from The Cohasset Mariner

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cohasset/new ... Light-talk


(Photo/Laura Sinclair)

[Grover1]

Local concerns ... From 95.9 WATD

http://www.959watd.com/news.php?Cohasse ... eover-1481

[Grover1]

From The Cohasset Mariner

http://www.wickedlocal.com/cohasset/new ... in-the-air