I have always been fascinated with lighthouses. We know seat belts save lives but I have often wondered how many lives have been saved by lighthouses. The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is located off the outer banks of North Carolina. It was built in 1870 and is over 200 feet high. This makes it the 23rd tallest lighthouse in the world.The National Park Service decided to move it 2,870 feet inland in 1999. This was a very controversial as well as monumental task. Some feared that it could not survive such a move. It was agreed to go forward with the project and move it. Over the years it sat closer to the ocean. This was due to changing currents and erosion. Hurricanes and tropical storms were threatening also. The move took two years to complete and the new location was dedicated in 2000.
A hurricane had passed through the week before Cape Hatteras National Park was opened to the public. The ground was still pretty saturated from all the rain. I was walking around the old foundation looking for a whole brick as a souvenir. I had read where this original foundation used over one million two hundred and fifty thousand brick. There were a lot of bricks still strewn about the sand but most were broken. It was then that I heard someone holler. Not far from me was an older man who had stepped in quicksand. I was the first to reach him. He handed me his camera and my wife came over to try and assist. We grabbed him by the arms and pulled with all our might. This was to no avail. His right leg was all the way under the sand and the more we pulled, the more he sank. I sent my wife to hurry and find a park ranger. Soon we had three park rangers pulling and they were not getting anywhere either. Quite a crowd was gathering so they closed the park and asked everyone to leave. That included my wife and I. I explained to them that we were holding his personal effects. They let us stay and next tried with a mud hog to pump out sand so they could pull him out. Over two hours had passed and the whole time this trapped stranger from Ohio did nothing but complain and curse. Several sheets of plywood were ordered from their supply trailer. When the plywood arrived it was placed under the mud hog which was also sinking. Finally after almost 3 hours the man was freed. He was still ungrateful and I walked over and gave his camera back. He stated that he would never vacation in the south again. What a stupid remark!
I hate first impressions. A lady in Ann Arbor, Michigan once asked me where in the south I recommend they go on their vacation. I told her they would love Charleston with all its history, beautiful homes and gardens. I suggested they start on Market Street with all the black ladies making beautiful sweet grass baskets. There they would also find lots of quaint shops. She thanked me and I did not see her until about two months later. She told me that they had gone to Charleston like I suggested. The first day as her husband parked the car, she was putting money in the parking meter. A teenage thug came from around the corner and ripped her pocketbook from her arm. That ended their vacation and any thoughts of returning south. I never saw these individuals again but hope they did give the Carolinas another chance.
