What does Cape Hatteras Lighthouse do?
Cape Hatteras is positioned on the coast of North Carolina to warn sailors. The rotating light at the top (originally it was a candle wick flame, which had to be extinguished at the first sign of day by the keepers) flashes a white light. The area located just off of the the coast is called the Diamond Shoals, and nicknamed "The Graveyard of the Atlantic." Since records began in the early 1500s, over 2,300 ships have wrecked here, and who knows how many lives were lost! The light lets sailors know they are approaching a treacherous area.
Click picture or here to find out more about the Graveyard of the Atlantic
During the day, sailors can tell which lighthouse is which, by the distinctive pattern painted on the sides. Cape Hatteras is painted white with a black spiral stripe around it. At night, the flashes help sailors distinguish which lighthouse they are seeing. Cape Hatteras' light flashes once every 7.5 seconds, whereas Cape Lookout flashes once every 15 seconds (for example). The flash has been rated to be 800,000 candlepower, which can reach a distance of more than 20 miles. In addition to the light, located in the Diamond Shoals is a modern light station (similar to a Texas-style oil drilling platform) which also emits a light every 2.5 seconds and a regular radio signal of "DS DS DS" to warn the proximity of the Diamond Shoals. This modern light station was built in 1967. (Carr, pg 108).
"The 20th Century has
seen a decline in the number of ships lost along the coast due to the advent of
electronic navigation and superior shipbuilding technology. However,
occasionally a fishing boat or pleasure vessel is caught in the clutches of the
Graveyard, and the Coast Guard springs into action. And the curious can still
see the remains of ships scattered among the sands, especially after a storm,
which uncovers bones long forgotten in The Graveyard of the Atlantic," (Eric Hause, http://www.coastalguide.com/packet/nc-shipwrecks.shtml).
Hauntings
As with most places with decades of history and numerous deaths, there are many ghost stories associated with lighthouses. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse--the Guardian of the Graveyard of the Atlantic--is naturally, no exception.
The most common haunting is of the "shadow people". Shadow people often walk up the steps to the top of the lighthouse with tourists. Many believe that these shadow people are the ghosts of the people buried in the unmarked graves by the original site of the lighthouse. Over the decades, bodies of those lost at sea or of those who have perished in the Graveyard eventually float to shore. By the time that they do, they are usually unrecognizable and often go unclaimed and unnamed. The bodies are buried in unmarked graves.
Another popular ghost story is that of the Gray Man. The Gray Man is believed to be a sailor who drowned at sea. He appears just before a hurricane or other violent storm. Many take his appearance to be a warning of impending doom. Others claim that he has actually spoken to them, and told them to leave the island before the storm!
There is also the story of the woman dressed in dark clothing, who walks along the beach or by the base of the lighthouse. She usually disappears if one gets too close--but people have claimed that they can see water dripping from her dress, and others claim to smell the horrible stench of decay when they see her.
Possibly the most curious story is the story of the Sailing Ship, "The Carroll A Deering."
"On a mid winter morning in 1921 the coast guard men stationed at the lighthouse woke up to a strange sight. The Sailing Ship was stuck just off shore on Diamond Shoals and all her sails were up. It really would have been quite a sight.
When the Coast Guard boarded the ship later that morning they found that the ship had been abandoned and other than a few half starved cats not a living soul was aboard the ship. A meal had just been cooked and served on a table on the ship but no sign was ever found of what happened to the people on the ship. The ships life boats were missing but they were never found.
Several government agencies eventually investigated the Carroll A Deering mystery but no sign was ever found of the people that were supposed to be on the ship. Why did they simply get into the life boats and leave the ship and why did they not lower the ships sails before leaving the ship. What happened to cause them to leave a perfectly good ship.
The ship eventually broke up and washed ashore. But the life boats were never found. Some people over the years especially at the edge of dark or daylight have heard screams coming from just off shore there on the beach just down from the lighthouse. When people try to discover who ever is making the screams no one is ever found." (http://crazyhorsesghost.hubpages.com/hub/Haunted-Cape-Hatteras-Lighthouse).
