Montauk Lighthouse: A Beacon Through Time
Written/Produced/Directed by Tom Garber
Principal photography is currently underway for this production commissioned by the Montuak Historical Society. The finished product will be screened at the Lighthouse Museum and sold in the Gift Shop. The production is being shot on 16mm film and digital video, and will have a running time of 45 minutes.
Shooting Script
Fade up from black: we see a recreational sport fishing boat, at dusk somewhere in the ocean, being tossed like a cork in a heavy sea. The sky is dark, with rain pelting the boat in a howling wind. Inside, two men hover over the glowing green screen of a global positioning system/chart plotter. As the screen intermittently flashes on and off, the skipper exclaims "Even if it did stay on, we can't trust it's fix." A large wave rolls over the bow into an open hatch, and all the interior lights, including the light on the compass go out. "Oh boy" exclaims the other man onboard. They both peer out into the diminishing light ahead of them. Out of the darkness, on the horizon, a white light flashes. Both men train their eyes in that direction. Again the white flash is seen. "That's Montauk. Head for the light" the relieved men exclaim. We see the boat power off towards the light.
Cut to: the "Host" standing in the lantern room of the lighthouse at sunset. The beacon flashes behind him as he speaks. "It is hard to overestimate the importance of Montauk Lighthouse. This conveyance of navigation has saved countless lives for over two hundred years. Even today, in the age of satellite navigation, radios, and electronic charts, boaters still loose their way, and the lighthouse points the direction home. They share a feeling of security and reassurance common to mariners who have plied these waters for hundreds of years. When George Washington signed the order in 1792 appropriating the money to build Montauk Lighthouse, he had little idea how the role of the lighthouse would evolve over the next 200 years."
We see shots of school groups on a tour of the museum, and various shots of "Lighthouse Weekend". Narration continues, "While Montauk Lighthouse's importance as an aid to navigation has diminished in recent years, it's role has been transformed into an educational tool, a recreational destination, and an icon of security and safety." Shots of surfcasters and surfers in the shadow the lighthouse are shown, as dramatic music builds. In a short montage, we see the many faces of the lighthouse. From bucolic summer days to crisp autumn colors in the cliffs, to wind driven snow, fog, and wild seas. The music reaches a crescendo and the main title appears "Montauk Lighthouse: A Beacon Through Time". Fade to black.
Fade up: Close up of hands throwing twigs on a small fire. The camera pulls back to reveal three Montaukett Native Americans on a bluff, gathering and cutting wood for a large fire. "Montauk Point, or the Indian term Womponamon, meaning "to the East" has been known for a long time as a significant promitory for signaling with light. The Montaukett Indians, rulers of the surrounding Long Island tribes, used fires on the bluff to signal for a tribal council. Many tribesmen arrived in dugout canoes large enough to hold 18 paddles."
We see slow motion shots in black and white of wild surf and snow. Waves break and roll in on the rocks. "When the British occupied Montauk during the American Revolution, they built large signal fires on Montauk Point, also known as Turtle Hill, for their Squadron of ships blockading Long Island Sound". We see a painting of the "Culloden", or similar ship, and an antique chart of the area. "In the winter of 1778, during a ferocious Nor'easter, the British gun ship "Culloden" didn't see those signal fires, and consequently missed rounding Montauk Point. They mistakenly sailed on to Skagwong reef ". We see more black and white footage of breaking waves in a violent storm as narration continues, "Unable to free the ship, it was burned to the waterline. This event may have been fresh in the memory of our young nation 15 years later as we entered into an era of economic growth."
Cut to: an interview with a colonial America historian. "After we won the Revolutionary war, the newly formed Congress realized it needed to stimulate commerce with Europe. They established the Lighthouse Service in 1789 to erect and repair all lighthouses, beacons and buoys in the new nation. In 1790, President George Washington authorized completion of new lighthouses, the first built by the federal government. Montauk Point was certainly one of the most dangerous areas on the new trans-Atlantic trade route. Initially there was some dispute as to the best location for a light guiding the way into New York Harbor, with local sea captains opting for Fisher's Island. A vehement group of shipmasters and owners protested that along the more than 100 miles of Long Island's southern, shoreline there was no haven for vessels".
We hear an actor's voice while seeing a hand written letter, "I Joseph Anthony, merchant and captain from New York, have drove the coasting business through all seasons for twenty years, and often reflected upon the settling of a light upon Montauk which in fact would be favorable to the trade of all the middle States-upon the whole I can't have a doubt upon my mind, but that a light upon Montauk would give the most universal relief and satisfaction of any spot you could fix upon".
Resume interview with historian, "While many colonial lighthouses marked the entrance to a particular port, Montauk was the first lighthouse to mark a way point, benefiting the commerce of multiple states, a fine task for the newly formed federal government". We see images of the survey of Turtle Hill. "Ezra L'Hommedieu, on behalf of the New York Chamber Of Commerce chose to site the lighthouse on Turtle Hill, the very tip of Montauk. It is interesting to note that he expressed concern over erosion, a problem that has plagued the lighthouse through the years". We see black and white motion pictures of the Montauk downs, cattle grazing, birds flying. "Montauk in 1796 was owned by approximately 150 people, and was used as pasture land. Initially the owners expressed concern over selling a piece of the land, for fear Connecticut fishermen would build structures there, and pilfer their cattle. It seems there was a bit of rivalry between the owners or, proprietors of Montauk, and these fishermen from Connecticut, who are described in documents as "worthless characters". Evidently, these Connecticut men would set up fishing camps on Montauk Point, spending months there, and making a good dollar selling fish. The local proprietors considered this an infringement on their rights. Finally, on January 16, 1796 the land owners deeded the land for the lighthouse to the United States for $250, with the provision that no building not associated with the function of the lighthouse would ever be erected".
We see an image of John McComb, and images of his other buildings, as we hear the narrator. "John McComb was the low bidder on the construction contract at $22,300. He had previously built the Cape Henry Lighthouse in Virginia, and went on to build the Eaton's Neck Lighthouse, the old City Hall in New York City, and a mansion for Alexander Hamilton. His work is highly regarded, and still stands today as a proud testament to his character". We see a mock up of McComb's "Memorandum Book" and a hand writing in it, as we hear the narrator continue. "McComb approached the project with the precision of a military operation. He encamped masons, laborers, carpenters, and blacksmiths, 50 men in all, at the worksite". The camera shows a list of provisions, and drawings of the lighthouse. "They began the operation with building roads and carting material in May 1796, with the first stone laid on June 7th. It is presumed the sandstone blocks used to build the tower were shipped from Connecticut. They were unloaded onto lighters, or small boats, then unloaded at shore and carted up the hill to the construction site. It must have been grueling work in the hot summer sun. Remarkably by October, four months after they first stone was laid, the tower was complete, along with an oil house and Keepers dwelling." We see black and white shots of rain eroded gullies in the sand. "Immediately after the tower was finished gullies caused by rain at the construction site began to erode and undermine the tower, a harbinger of things to come. These were shored up with stone dams."
We see early drawings of the first light in the lighthouse as we hear and see an interview with a historian. "The first lamps were delivered in late November, and consisted of eight wicks hung in two tiers. With the lamps in place, it was still several months, maybe even the Spring of 1797, before they were lit. In an ironic twist, the ship carrying the whale oil for the new lamps went aground in a storm on the shores of Nappeague. One can't help but wonder if the ship would have made it safely into port if the light was lit. In the same gale that drove the oil ship ashore, 15 panes of glass were blown out in the lantern room. This was the first of many incidents of damage done to the lantern room by high winds. In a report dated April 5, 1799, a few years after the light was first lit, the Keeper, Jacob Hand, was badly cut by flying glass as he attempted to repair damage during a hail storm that broke out half the glass in the lighthouse. It took several years for the light's Keepers to fully strengthen the structure against the brutal storms" .
Cut to: a close up of the current beacon flashing at dawn. Narration, "We have come al long way from the days of whale oil lamps. Today's illumination is provided by a 2600 lumen 12 volt Tungsten-Halogen lamp inside a Vega VRB-25 rotating beacon." We see shots of removal of the previous beacon and the installation of the new beacon as narration continues. "This lamp was installed in the Summer of 2001, replacing the automated DCB 224 that was installed in 1987. Prior to that a three and a half order bi-valve fresnel lens was the beacon since 1903, though it was electrified in 1940. These older beacons are on display in the museum". We see scenic shots of the lighthouse casting it's beam under various conditions with music. Narration continues. "The familiar five second white flash that mariners have come to recognize as Montauk's signal, was not always the case. When a new lighthouse was constructed in Hampton Bays in 1858, Montauk's light was changed from a fixed signal to flashing, and the Hampton Bays light took on Montauk's then familiar fixed light. This change in characteristics proved fatal for at least one ship".
We see an etching of a barque similar to the "John Milton", and hear the voice of a ship wreck historian. "The barque, "John Milton", out of New Hartford, Massachusetts, had been at sea for two years in the Pacific Ocean, and had not gotten word of the new light house in Hampton Bays, then called Great West Bay". We see photos of the Hampton Bays light, and black and white footage of storm conditions. "On it's return to local waters February 19, 1858 the "John Milton" experienced a wild Nor'easter off the South shore of Long Island. It is assumed the Captain, Ephraim Harding, spotted the fixed light at Hampton Bays, and assuming it was the Montauk light, proceeded on his Easterly course until he thought he was well clear of the point, then turned north. Sadly, the course the ship took ran it into the rocks west of Montauk. The wreck went undetected until the ship's longboat was discovered ashore. All that was in the boat was a bag with a compass, food, and the ship's log. The last entry in the log indicated they had been unable to determine their position for several days".
We now see etchings of a shipwreck, and hear an actor read. "My father was coroner at the time, and I recollect how a messenger came on horseback bringing from Montauk news of the fearful wreck; and later, just as the dusk of twilight gathered around,(we know see blowing snow across a dirt road) how two farm wagons rolled slowly through the snow up to our home and fourteen frozen corpses were lifted out and laid side by side in the carriage house. For days afterward the remaining bodies were brought by twos and threes as they were found along the shore". Music builds as the narrator again speaks and we see the obelisk in East Hampton Cemetery. "All 33 persons aboard the Milton were lost in that tragedy. The village of East Hampton memorialized them in a grand funeral procession, and buried them in their cemetery."
Dissolve to color slow motion shots of the tumultuous sea, as the narrator continues to speak. "The sea is unforgiving. It provides much, and takes much. Before and after the lighthouse was built, Montauk has born witness to hundreds of lives lost." We see shots of the Lost at Sea Monument, and the memorial ceremony from "Lighthouse Weekend". Narration continues, "Local fishermen, who for hundreds of years have made their living in these waters, have paid a particularly heavy price." We see a close up of the names on the monument. We see Father Peter Libasci give a eulogy, and the Pawtuxet Rangers fire their rifles into the air. Fade out.
Fade up on host/narrator sitting in the Keeper's Room at the Museum. He explains how Keepers were appointed by the Lighthouse board, and even though it was often lonely and difficult, it was a highly coveted job, and commanded the respect of the community. "The first Keeper at Montauk was Jacob Hand followed by his son Josiah Hand". We see a montage of photos of Keepers faces as the narrator continues. " For the first 100 years, many of the Keepers came from well established East Hampton families; the Edwards, Hobarts, Lopers, Osbornes, Bakers, Paynes, Mulfords, and Millers. The Keepers and their assistants housed their families in the Keepers Quarters".
We see black and white photographs of the lighthouse. Narration, "Life at this remote area was unique. Until 1920, the only road to the lighthouse was sand, and it often wasn't passable. During the summer months, the lighthouse was visited by adventurous tourists, often walking the distance from East Hampton". We see etchings of Montauk from "Harpers Magazine", and modern color footage of surfcasters, hunters, and bird watchers. Narration continues, "Harpers Monthly wrote eloquently on the delights and adventure of taking a trip to Montauk. For generations these hills and shores have drawn sportsmen to partake in their rich bounty".
We see archival photographs of early Keepers. Narration, "Besides giving tours of the light, and feeding guests, the Keeper's primary responsibility was keeping the light burning. Before it was electrified in 1940, the light took a half an hour to ignite. The weights that powered the revolving beacon also had to be wound, and when fog rolled in they had to power up the fog horn. There was always maintenance, white washing, repairing. Most Keepers had gardens in the summer." We see images of old diaries, and guest books. "Many old diaries from East Hamptonites tell of going "on" to Montauk and staying overnight at either the lighthouse or thirdhouse. For young people this was a thrilling experience. One entry in thirdhouse's guest book "The place to come and drink one's fill, Of the nectar of life that the God's distill." Gunning parties traveled from a far to partake in the wildfowl, fox, and deer hunting. Often stopping at the lighthouse for a meal. Fishing was extraordinary in those days. You could catch as many striped bass as you wanted".
We see and hear an interview with Margaret Buckridge Bock, daughter of the last civilian Keeper. She describes living in the lighthouse with her father and sister; how they had no electricity, no telephone, and no indoor plumbing. "Heat was from a coal stove, and we read by kerosene lamps." We see photographs of her and her family. "My sister Elizabeth got married in the lighthouse. It was a small wedding. No champagne, or anything like that. Not in my father's lighthouse."
We hear from retired Coastguardsman Frank Abel, Keeper of the light in the mid 1970's. "I always liked the solitude of winter. I would sit in the tower and watch deer swimming from Block Island. We could see the storms coming in from Connecticut, it was very romantic."
We again hear from the narrator/host as we see images of Patrick Gould, and/or the "Flying Cloud". "One outstanding Keeper was Patrick Gould. He was born in East Hampton the year the lighthouse was lit, 1799 and then moved to NYC and worked as a carpenter. He was appointed Keeper in 1832. In December of 1856, when the brig "Flying Cloud" ran aground on the rocks at Montauk Point, Patrick T. Gould climbed down the face of the bluff in a gale and pulled drowning crew members to safety." We see black and white footage of waves pounding into the rocks. "While he risked his life in this effort, Mrs. Gould took charge of tending the light. He was awarded a gold medal by the grateful Lifesaving Benevolent Association of New York." We see a close up of the medal. " The inscription on it told of his "courage and humanity saving from inevitable death the crew of the brig "Flying Cloud," wrecked on Montauk Point December 14,1856."
The host speaks to the camera as he walks the beach, "Not all wrecks on Montauk ended in disaster. Just before Christmas, 1922, during prohibition, the "S. S. Madonna V.", flying the British flag and loaded with Canadian whiskey for the holiday market, went ashore at the west end of Montauk and was soon pounded to pieces. The wet goods fared better than the steamer. Cases came through the surf in such numbers that it looked as if a barrel full of corks had been thrown into the sea. Men, women, and children tore into the surf and salvaged case after case, from dawn to dark. It was noted that a very active salvager was an elderly dyed-in-the-wool prohibitionist who worked as a beaver. "Might come in handy in case of sickness," he would reply, when anyone dared take time out to speak to him about his activity". Fade out
Fade up, on Host. "Though geographically remote, Montauk Point has played significant roles in various wars and conflicts through the years. At the close of the Spanish American war in 1898, 29,500 men of the 5th Army Corps passed through Camp Wikoff on Montauk. Most notable of these were Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, the first all volunteer calvary." We see archival motion pictures of the men and Roosevelt. "They had returned flush with a victory of the Spanish in Cuba, and needed a remote place to recover. Malaria and yellow fever were running rampant through the troops, and isolated Montauk proved a perfect rest and recovery location. Colonel Roosevelt's volunteers, three-quarters of whom were cowboys from the West, with a sprinkling of Indians and wealthy Ivy League collegians, were camped down by Ditch Plains. Nearby were the "colored" 9th and 10th Cavalries, the Buffalo Soldiers, so called because they had been sent to Cuba from the Indian wars in the West. Captain John Scott was the Montauk Lighthouse keeper, a veteran of the Civil War who greeted and fed Camp Wikoff soldiers who made the long walk or ride from the camp to see him. At its peak, Camp Wikoff was a city of tents and telegraph poles, with thousands of horses, men, doctors, nurses, and a "newspaper row" of reporters. By October 1898 it was all over, and Montauk slowly returned to normal."
We hear an interview with a "WWII Historian", and see archival photographs and films of Camp Hero. "The site known as Camp Hero, or the Montauk Air Force Station, was originally commissioned by the U.S. Army in 1942. The site was chosen because of the fear of a New York invasion that might be staged from the sea. Two large concrete bunkers were half-submerged beneath several feet of topsoil. The walls and ceilings of these bunkers were made of concrete that were over three feet thick. Four 16 inch Naval guns were housed in these bunkers that faced the sea. They were to be used against any enemy craft that might attempt a landing there. The tall white rectangular firing tower just to the East of the lighthouse, was to be used to coordinate attacks. The guns were never fired, and there was never any battle over Camp Hero during World War II. In 1947, the guns were dismantled by the Army and the metal was salvaged for scrap uses."
The "WWII Historian" continues as we see archival motion pictures and police photographs of George Dasch and the other Nazi saboteurs. "Shortly after midnight on June 13, 1942 a German U-Boat, under the cloak of fog, slid within a mile of the beach in Amagnsett. Four men in Nazi uniforms, and loads of explosives and weapons were landed on the beach." We see shots of the beach at night and the silhouette of figures. "They quickly buried their supplies, and were spotted by a Coast Guardsman on patrol. In a bumbling effort, the German leader, George Dasch offered the excuse they were fishermen, and gave the Coast Guardsman a bribe to keep quiet. The Guardsman ran back to his station and informed his superior." We see black and white shots of the train tracks, and a station. "The saboteurs made their way to the train station and boarded a train to New York City before the search party could find them. Dasch's resolution to be a saboteur faltered, perhaps he didn't believe they could pull off their grand scheme of bombing trains and factories, so he called the FBI and turned himself and his colleagues in." We see newsreel footage of the men arrested. "The four Germans who landed on Long Island were tried with four others who landed in Florida. All were convicted and sentenced to death. Dasch and one other were spared with a jail sentence." Fade to black.
Fade up as we hear from the Host standing on a bluff, overlooking the water. "Another significant event that occurred within a few miles of the Lighthouse was the landing of the slave ship "Amastad". On July 1, 1839 African slaves aboard "Amastad", led by Cinque, took over the ship and began an erratic course up the East Coast of the United States. On August 26 they anchored off Culloden Point, and sent a boat ashore in search of food and water. These Africans were met by two men from Sag Harbor, Henry Green and Pelatili Afordam (sp ?), who informed them they had landed in a free state of the United States. The slaves rejoiced, but were soon under the control of the U.S. Revenue Cutter "Washington", who escorted the ship to New London. The slaves were charged with the murder of the captain and the cook. The case wound its way to the Supreme Court, where the defense convinced John Quincy Adams to pleas their case. Adams argued eloquently for more than eight hours before the Supreme Court, and on March 9, 1841, the court declared that the Africans were indeed entitled to their freedom and must be released. This could considered the first civil rights case. Blacks and whites worked together to pull this off, and in pre-Civil War America that was incredible to think about".
Cut to the Host standing in front of the lighthouse. "Montauk Point has played host to wide array of significant events through history. And like sand through an hour glass, the sands of time have taken their toll on the point". We see historic paintings and photos of the lighthouse far removed from the bluff. "The erosion qualities of this area were first noted by Ezra L'Hommedieu on his initial survey of the land, and then again by the lighthouse's builder John McComb, who recommend the lighthouse be set back from the water an additional 50' from Hommedieu's initial recommendation". We see photographs of boulders at the base of the bluff. "The first efforts to control erosion occurred while the U.S. Army occupied the lighthouse during WWII. They installed large boulders at the base of the bluff. But time and tide wait for no man, and by the 1970's serious erosion was still taking place".
"The efforts of one woman, which may be viewed as turning point in the public's perception of the lighthouse as a historic landmark, set in motion a entire bluff stabilization program." We see photographs of Georgian Reid, and "Dan's Papers" newspaper clippings about a candle light vigil, as the narrator continues. "In 1967 public support for saving the lighthouse was galvanized at a candlelight vigil organized by Dan Rattiener of "Dan's Papers". Georgian Reid, a textile designer, and author of the book "How To Hold Up a Bank" heard about the erosion problem at Montauk, and set about terracing and planting the bluff with her patented reed and trench terracing method. The Coast Guard initially helped fund her work, along with the Montauk Historical Society, and a series of nine concerts by singer Paul Simon".
We see images of the fundraising concerts for the lighthouse. "The community's support for saving the lighthouse grew, as the Coast Guard's use for the buildings diminished. New technology was making it easier to automate lighthouses, and Keepers were no longer necessary. In 1987 the Coast Guard moved it's personnel out of the lighthouse, and signed an agreement with the Montauk Historical Society giving them the rights to the buildings for a museum." We see shots of the restoration of the lighthouse, and a staff photograph. "What followed was a massive restoration project, resulting in opening the grounds to the public, and turning the facility into a first rate museum". We see color shots of people enjoying the grounds and museum as narration continues. "By giving the public an opportunity to climb the lighthouse, and see the same views that lighthouse keepers for over 200 hundred years have experienced, history is brought to life".
We see a montage of picturesque shots of the lighthouse and surrounding hills in varied seasons and weather conditions. Soft music accompanies as the narrator speaks. "Even though the lighthouse is little more than sandstone and mortar, simple elements from the earth, somehow there is more here. What draws us to this American icon? Maybe it is knowing so much has taken place here, the 100's of years of accumulated experiences, the tragedies, good times, the beauty and inspiration. Like a silent sentinel of time, it's light sweeping across land and sea, the lighthouse bears witness to our human endeavors. Montauk Light is truly our beacon through time". Fade out and credit roll.
The End
Copyright 2002 Tom Garber