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Rock of Ages,
Michigan
HL271 Limited
Edition
"Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure."
-- Augustus M. Toplady, 1740-1778
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The haunting refrain from this historic hymn reminds mankind of his
ultimate vulnerability. So it was no coincidence that mariners named a
deadly underwater hazard in the frigid waters of Lake Superior
"Rock of Ages." After all, this menace took vessels. It
swallowed cargo. It stole lives.
Located near Isle Royale, the Rock became infamous among sailors trying
to capitalize on the discovery of copper in the area. In fact, ore
freighters visiting Isle Royale would avoid the relatively calm western
passage, where the Rock dwelled, in favor of navigating the stormy
eastern passage.
The Rock itself, only 150 feet long, was impossible for mariners to spot
with enough notice to avoid it. So officials began the arduous task of
building a sentinel on the exposed portion of the Rock.
All the materials to build a steel caisson lighthouse were brought by
ship. Workers blasted an enormous hole in the stone and secured the
'sparkplug' sentinel to the concrete pier. It is hard to imagine the
construction crews accomplishing all of this while floating on nearby
boats. The sheer remoteness is enough to make this undertaking nothing
less than an engineering feat. But difficult or not, the light was
desperately needed.
Established in 1908, the Rock of Ages Lighthouse cast its second-order
Fresnel lens from a focal height of 130 feet. The Keeper’s Quarters
were integral to the tower and the Lightkeepers endured long months of
isolation without reprieve. There was no running to the store for
supplies; there was no room for a garden, and no place to keep chickens.
The station was as basic as any could get. One could only imagine what a
difficult and dangerous job it was to serve at the Rock of Ages.
By 1978, the beacon was fully automated. A 190 mm optic replaced the
originally revolving Fresnel lens, which is now displayed at the Windigo
Information Station at Isle Royale National Park. Rock of Ages is still
an active aid to navigation, warning navigators away from its hidden
hazards.
| HL# |
Name |
MSRP |
Introduced |
Edition |
|
HL271
|
Rock
of Ages MI |
$60 |
Jan 02 |
5,500 |
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Anchor Bay ships are copyright B.C. Younger & Associates, Inc.
These Harbour Light text & Images are from the Harbour
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