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From the Sun Herald
Posted on Sun, Jan. 22, 2006
BEFORE AND AFTER...
Biloxi Lighthouse at
foot of
Porter Avenue
The 1848 lighthouse that
straddles Beach Boulevard is the most recognizable man-made landmark of
Biloxi, arguably of the Mississippi Coast.
Rumors immediately
after the storm that the lighthouse hadn't survived Katrina caused heavy
hearts. If this landmark that had outwitted 17 hurricanes didn't make it,
what could?
They were just
rumors. The lighthouse withstood the surge and wind. About six weeks ago the
city turned on the night beacon, with the help of a power pole similar to
ones that bring electricity to thousands of FEMA trailers.
"It was important
to get power back to the lighthouse," said Bill Raymond, Biloxi's historical
administrator. "It is a sign that we are coming back."
Within days after
the storm, structural engineer Patrick Sparks, who specializes in historic
structures and had arrived from Texas as an early volunteer, checked out the
lighthouse's sturdiness.
"That structure is
a monument to the Coast," said Sparks, who since has opened a office on Rue
Magnolia. "It is very well constructed, made of cast-iron plates that are
bolted together and sit on a brick foundation. It survived Katrina very
well."
Sparks said water
carried away some sand from the foundation and the surge likely gave the
tower a push.
"We think it leans
a little more than before, to the northeast," he said. "The survey crew shot
some elevations. It is stable but we will monitor it over time as a
precaution."
Another effect of
Katrina is missing interior liner bricks. A pumping action from water inside
the tower brought down a 10-foot-high section.
"The brick can be
put back easily," Sparks said. "I've made recommendations to do bracing and
take this opportunity to look at the condition of the iron plates and bolts,
which have some corrosion after so many years in a marine environment. They
need to be cleaned and treated."
The tower was
manufactured in Baltimore 158 years ago for $6,347.50, brought here by
schooner and assembled. At one point, after U.S. 90 was built along the
beachfront and four-laned, "Ripley's Believe It or Not" listed it as the
only lighthouse straddling a busy highway.
- KAT BERGERON
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