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On the afternoon of September 21, 2008, the 70th anniversary of New England's catastrophic Hurricane of 1938, a memorial was established at Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown, Rhode Island. The plaque — now on display at the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum — is dedicated to the memory of Walter B. Eberle, the assistant lighthouse keeper who died when the Whale Rock Lighthouse, at the entrance to the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, was destroyed by the powerful storm.
More than 700 people died in the hurricane, including seven at lighthouses on New England's south-facing coast.
David S. Robinson, a marine archaeologist who has dived in the area where the lighthouse once stood, founded the Friends of Whale Rock Light for the purpose of establishing a memorial to Eberle. The plaque became a reality with assistance from the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association and the Foundation for Coast Guard History.
Around 50 relatives of Walter Eberle gathered for the event along with area residents and visitors. Along with David S. Robinson, the speakers at the dedication included Richard Sullivan, president of the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association; George Warner, vice president of the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association; C.A. (Sandy) Schwaab of the Board of Regents of the Foundation for Coast Guard History; Lt. Commander Richard Wester, commanding officer of the Coast Guard cutter Juniper; Dr. William Thiessen, Atlantic Area Historian for the U.S. Coast Guard; Robert W. Sutton, councilor, Town of Jamestown; and Jeremy D'Entremont, first vice president of the American Lighthouse Foundation.
This story appeared in the
November 2008 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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