Watch Sankaty Being Moved As a Volunteer
By Sue Clark on Oct 1, 2007 in News 
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Sankaty Lighthouse moved about 130 feet in the first day of its move, about one third of the way to the fifth hole at the Sankaty Head Golf Club. Bob Felch, president of the Sconset Trust, which owns the historic lighthouse and is spearheading the move, said there were no major glitches on the first day as it slowly inched along rails closer to its eventual home on more stable ground about 400 feet to the northwest of its original location on the Sconset Bluff. The move will get tougher in the days to come, as the movers contend with about a 12 foot drop, Felch said.
According to the Nantucket Independent Online, the only way lighthouse buffs will get close enough to be considered a ring side seat at the movement of Sankaty Lighthouse, will be to volunteer for crowd control. The Sconset Trust is looking for volunteers to help the Nantucket Police Department with keeping the crowds back from the site and helping to move vehicles through the area. Although it’s unknown how many lighthouse enthusiasts will turn up, and for how long, safety while Sankaty is relocated is primary.
The entire move will be visible from behind a chain link fence, so anyone that wants to go will still be able to see the amazing spectacle. Sankaty has been jacked up and placed on rollers and the move was expected to start October 1. The pistons pushing the lighthouse along the special beams set up are capable of pushing it ahead 62 inches per stroke. When the move is complete, the tower will be taller than it is now, because the movers expected the bottom of the tower to break during the lift and built the new foundation to compensate for it. But amazingly, the base stayed intact.
If you would like to watch Sankaty Head Lighthouse inch along steel I-beams toward its new foundation, the Sconset Trust is looking for volunteers to help with crowd control, along with imparting the mechanics of the move and the history of the 157-year-old lighthouse to theonlookers. Call Sconset Trust Executive Director Erika Mooney at 508.228.9917.
Also be sure to check out their website at www.sconsettrust.org for Rob Benchley’s complete photo essay on the move. Benchley, of the Independent, is the official photographer. The navigation for the photos are at the bottom of the box (next screen and previous screen). And check out the link to the story (above), as some unusual photos are there, particularly the ones looking up into the lighthouse from the underside.
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1 Comment(s)
By heather on Oct 2, 2007 | Reply
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