The Scotch Cap Lighthouse Tragedy

[@billhart4710]

I maintained a lighthouse for a couple of years as a Coast Guardsman. Was a neat job; polishing the brass and cleaning the glass of a 5 foot diameter Fresnel lens - 130 feet up n the air. Quiet and peaceful, one of my better memories as a USCG electronics technician. Those guys at that seaside light house never had a chance. At least it was quick. A snappy salute to them.

[@Oakleaf700]

Sounds an idyllic job you had..Peaceful, lovely views... But as you say, the Sea can be savage. RIP to the Men lost.

[@janicesullivan8942]

Growing up, I thought it would be interesting to live in a lighthouse.

[@baronvonjo1929]

I ust started the video and I'm scrolling down and just pondering how these light house keepers are gonna die a "quick death"

[@norml.hugh-mann]

@@lawrencet83 the heavy concrete in the wash likely pulverized the men into mush before they even felt the chill of the 34° water

[@michaelpettersson4919]

@@janicesullivan8942 Now when lighthouses are almost always automated the lighthousekeepers house sometimes end up as someone's residence.

[@Kusoka1]

USCG veteran. Visited that site more than once. The foundation was still there in 1986-1988. Very humbling site.

[@janbadinski7126]

Nature always wins when it comes to man vs nature.

[@huntercorrales6794]

@@janbadinski7126 won't stop Engineers from trying, perhaps one day we will be able to defeat her.

[@skipads5141]

Coast Guard veteran? 😀😃😄😁😆😅😂

[@martiansarepunk]

@@skipads5141 Do your emojis have you laughing and crying because you had a revelation at not understanding the most base definition of the term veteran was first applied, as someone who held long service. While it's secondary, long after, became associated, to service in (largely unjust) war. Or is it that your just a commonplace imbecile who thinks emojis are somehow valuable to reality?

[@superdave8248]

I'm curious if the USCG put up a monument in their honor. It wouldn't have to be anything dynamic or big. Just a plague with their names on it.

[@robertpickering5271]

My father still has a magazine article about this tragic event, he lost his brother there that day .

[@TheThora17]

Sorry for his loss😢

[@barbarawright5774]

So sorry. God please comfort and help him and all the family of those lost men.

[@cneterer]

"Like" is a shallow salute to such tragedy, but it's what we're allowed here. After watching this video, I can only imagine the grief your father went through.

[@donnakawana]

I honor such a brave man.. I thank him for his service. I'm so sorry for the loss of your Uncle... I am grateful for all the coasties who keep the seafarers safe... Who go where many will not to save a soul.... I am grateful for these fearless men !

[@larryarevaloproudfoot2182]

The lost souls of Scotch Cap Lighthouse: Chief Boatswain Anthony L. Petit Motor Machinists Mate Second Class Leonard Pickering Fireman First Class Jack Colvin Seaman First Class Dewey Dykstra Seaman Fist Class Paul J. Ness

[@lukesimonbrothers]

My only complaint about your channel is that there aren’t 300 videos for me to binge! Stoked to listen to this one. Can’t wait for this channel to absolutely skyrocket, your work, delivery and research are phenomenal.

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Very much appreciated, shipmate!

[@jeffcampbell1555]

I second that. I'm about to go see his home page, and now I think I may be a bit disappointed. Oh, well. I probably get more out of episodes I don't binge. Cheers.

[@zew1414]

Yea I like finding a new channel and having a ton of content to catch up on

[@genericsocks7542]

Fr Fr. It’s def a bummer when you finish them, then go looking for the rest and have that moment of realization.

[@robertsanders1310]

@@MaritimeHorrors W…by

[@The_NoBrainer]

My grandfather was stationed in the Aleutians during the Korean war. He said "there was a woman behind every tree". There were no trees lol

[@1949rangerrick]

One of my best friends was stationed on Adak Island out there on the end of the chain, during the Vietnam war. He said they actually had one tree, and it was well protected.

[@VaivaPaula95]

@@1949rangerrick because it had a woman behind it, probably

[@estieglandwr]

😆😆😆👍

[@davidlafleche1142]

The Battle of Attu Island was the only one in the war on American soil, and it was brutal.

[@werelemur1138]

@@davidlafleche1142 My grandfather was a radar operator (I think) stationed on Attu Island, but I don't know if he was there during the battle.

[@josephwarra5043]

A close relative was a "Coastie" for 25 yrs, they have a saying: "You have to go out, but you don't have to return." Up to a dozen Coastguardsmen are lost every year, brave Coasties saving lives in some of the most dangerous places on this planet, may the Lord Keep them and Bless them always. Amen.

[@druid799]

Thanks for telling this story , as a Brit it seems to me the USCG have always been very much in the shadow of the regular navy even though their job is so important . Keep up the good work .

[@kenwittlief255]

no not at all the USCG and the USN are completely separate organizations with different missions and responsibilities, except during a declared war.

[@ian3580]

@@kenwittlief255 I think he realizes that, and I agree with him. The USCG is often forgotten and assumed to just be lifeguards for boats in distress, even though they perform a wide range of duties to protect our country and mariners

[@5roundsrapid263]

@@ian3580 I also agree. They are an equal branch of the Armed Services, and deserve the same respect. I grew up near the coast, and they do an amazing job there, especially after hurricanes.

[@tamlandipper29]

Maybe to us Brits. I suspect not to folks living via the sea.

[@danweyant707]

@@5roundsrapid263 Ah - but they've long gotten short shrift there - as a part of the Department of Commerce originally and DHS now, not DoD, I've seen then excluded from military respect often and in petty ways, despite losing sailors in most conflicts.

[@smudgey1kenobey]

Great job. Really interesting story. Hats off to all coasties, I was stranded on an island after a kayak accident and saved by them 30 years ago. They are a brave service.

[@nightshadehelis9821]

I really wish this comment wasn't a year old because I want to hear about this kayak accident.

[@fransincero2242]

wow youre a lucky persons seems.

[@RainbowDash2101]

Man, RIP to those brave Coast Guardsmen. At least it was quick.

[@janicesullivan8942]

Hope so.

[@johncox2865]

It certainly would have been terrifying, no matter how quick.

[@LoserwinS1]

It's a bit perplexing that at least one of the crew was knowledgeable enough to check for signs of volcanic activity following an earthquake, but none of them were aware of the tsunami danger they posed.

[@ODSTGeneralYT]

Well the volcanic activity was common in the area, Tsunamis (let alone ones on this scale) are fairly rare.

[@jliller]

Scotch Cap Lighthouse was atop a 90-ft bluff. If any of them thought about a tsunami, they probably assumed they were high enough above the ocean to be safe.

[@Nylon_riot]

Geology was and still is a young science. In the 60s, they wouldn't have had the information about tsunamis and the warning signs that we have now. You can tell by the language that they still referred to them as tidal waves. The Coastguardsman that recorded the information may have been the only one with that kind of knowledge, and he wasn't in the lighthouse with the victims to inform them possibly. But yes,I caught that too.

[@snickle1980]

As late as the 1980s, we were still calling them tidal waves. The japanese called them tsunamis, but at some point in the 90s, we picked up what the japanese were stepping in and started calling them tsunamis. This was due to the advent of the internet, and endless docus on cable tv. Back in the 80s, we knew that the water pulled back beforehand, and we knew they came in fast...but it was niche knowledge. Like the kid who knew where all three whistles in mario 3 were hidden. Eventually everyone knew. Prior to the 80s? Anyones guess.

[@kscorp5176]

This is the first I've heard about this tragedy so thank you for making such a detailed video! Especially appreciate all the photos you included; makes the people feel more real and the tragedy more immediate.

[@seansasser2575]

I was stationed at Hilo when I was in the Coast Guard. What was original down that was destroyed in the Tsunami is now a public park with a large clock which is stopped at the time the Tsunami struck

[@hebneh]

The park and the clock you saw actually commemorate the even larger tsunami of May 23, 1960 which killed 61 people in Hilo despite hours of warnings beforehand. After that one, a substantial part of the city that had been rebuilt or developed after 1946 was left completely open.

[@DragonSpirit469]

I love the obscure stories I've never heard before. Fascinating and terrifying stuff. Well done!

[@FireTeamHarmony]

Incredibly violent and horribly tragic, I can't imagine the fear those men experienced.

[@RW4X4X3006]

A few seconds of deafening roar and violent shaking, then pulverized instantly. They didn't know what hit them. All my life, that painting of the lighthouse beaming into a huge wall of ocean, has hung in every place I've lived. Was my grandfathers. It's certainly an instant eye opener for guests.

[@chatteyj]

They should have built the lighthouse higher up at the top of the cliffs not half way down that way they would probably have survived. Poor men killed by poor design and planning.

[@JKSSubstandard]

@@chatteyj you can't plan for tsunamis when you don't know they exist. The lighthouse was built far above the normal wave heights. But a once every 500 year earthquake and tsunami is not something it was designed for

[@j.griffin]

@@chatteyj There are 104 nuclear plants in the United States and fifteen of them are located on top of the New Madrid Fault. It would be better to do something about the present and the future than to just sit around second-guessing the past…

[@cherylsmith4826]

I think it's strange any body parts were even found- thought they would have been washed away

[@scotshaver8669]

As a native son of the Great Lakes, I have grown up with a fascination with the lighthouses dotting those shores- and their interesting histories. Thank you for broadening my horizons on the topic. It was a pleasure hearing this bit of history.

[@garenburnerchannel3936]

This channel is such a hidden gem! May the algorithm gods bless u! This is amazing

[@MaritimeHorrors]

Greatly appreciate it, shipmate!

[@HaenaKauai91]

@@MaritimeHorrors the algorithm is now working its magic, congrats 🎉

[@whatitdo5297]

Great video. Small correction, the Hawaiian island hit is the island of Hawaii, sometimes referred to as the Big Island. The name of the town taking the most damage is Hilo.

[@Prone2Thrill]

I learned the bay acts like a bathtub and makes it worse. Also they wrap around the island as well not just point of impact is affected. I graduated HS in Hilo and did tours around some keys affected spots. The AYSO fields are in the tsunami zone where no new construction is allowed. Aloha!

[@huntsail3727]

USCG Veterans, we appreciate your service and the sacrifices made for our country and our freedom.

[@markbyrum4743]

My Dad was a lighthouse keeper on the Chesapeake Bay in the late 1950's: Point No Point Light. I visited that caisson light as a child and that visit constitutes some of my earliest memories. Great vid. Keep at it!

[@stevebeckerman4214]

I was stationed on USCGC GENTIAN 1987-89. We did a two week restoration project on Point No Point.

[@RandomTrinidadian]

Imagine a wave so powerful, it litterally ripped men apart. I mean, they most likely never knew what hit them.

[@danweyant707]

Well, the pulverized building was probably the instrument, but ... yeah.

[@49dwalin55]

@@danweyant707 and just natural decomposition

[@carebearann4613]

Completely mind boggling. 😮😢

[@lesliemartin3]

Describing the body parts that were found may seem tacky to some but as far as I can tell I believe it to be the only real way one can get enough information to be able to imagine how violent their site was during that storm. There really isn't another way one can gain enough context to picture exactly what had happened that day. I think you are a brilliant storyteller. I sincerely love this channel. I've been subscribed for a year and every single upload has been genuine gold💕

[@VashStarwind]

They found a knee-cap, wow, imagine that amount of force.. thats crazy

[@SoulDevoured]

I mean a wall of water obliterated that building. Imagine what would be left of a person if they were in a car hit by a freight train going 200 mph. The train does damage but what would tear them apart is the structure around them crushing and splitting and becoming essentially very large shrapnel. Terrifying thought. That's what big bombs do. Only the impact of these examples is very different. It's called a "wall of water" for a reason. I don't blame early man for thinking nature had a will of its own. It's hard to imagine such big violent occurrences without an intent, without a sentient creator. Even now we compare natures power to the easier to grasp man-made power. We measure explosive force in lbs or tons of TNT.

[@sorrenblitz805]

@@SoulDevoured I think that has more to do with a stick of TNT having a standard explosive yield with which we can use to compare other explosions to.

[@SoulDevoured]

@@sorrenblitz805 easier to study in a controlled environment for sure.

[@felixcat9318]

The 2011 Japanese Tsunami was similar to this event, though by a huge order of magnitude greater and far more destructive! The damage inflicted on the Lighthouse Crew would have been caused by the building itself being shredded by the power and volume of the tsunami. I had not known of this tragedy before finding the video, thank you for producing this superb, authoritive documentary.

[@Fightingforthelost]

Alaska is on the same subduction plate Japan is on, part of the ring of fire. I lived there for 10 years, and missed the quake from 12/2018 by 2 months. One of the pictures from it was of the exit I used to get to work.

[@michaelpettersson4919]

If the climate had been more hospitable on thst island then there could have been a much larger community living there like fishing village. That could have raked up the deathtoll considerably.

[@tinydancer7426]

Between the force and action of the moving water of the tsunami and the churning of the debris from the demolished lighthouse, the damage to a human body, being in the midst of all that, would have been like being in a humongous blender. It's a wonder they found as much as they did.

[@Arterexius]

That before/after picture of the tragedy, shows the immense power of the tsunami. To completely wash away a reinforced concrete structure.. Absolutely unfathomable

[@gabrielbennett5162]

The late Jim Gibbs, a former USCG lightkeeper, author, historian and owner of the Cleft of the Rock lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, wrote that when he volunteered for lightkeeping duty in 1945, Scotch Cap was his first choice. To his initial disappointment, he got assigned to the infamous Tillamook Rock Lighthouse (aka "Terrible Tilly") instead. This tragedy happened during his tour of duty at Tilly and forced him to count his blessings. Needless to say, had he gotten Scotch Cap, Gibbs would have been one of the men killed.

[@alsmith9853]

The terrifying and random power of nature never ceases to amaze me. Thanks for your interesting presentation, and helping these poor guys to be remembered

[@5amH45lam]

_"... enjoy hunting, fishing, photography and poker."_ Sounds like my Tinder bio.

[@654Crossman]

That site is engineered to avoid suiting you with decent girls. I can explain, but I would not use any dating app scams. If you are, quit them.

[@marvindebot3264]

@@654Crossman Tinder is not for finding "decent" girls, it's for finding indecent ones.

[@R.Oates7902]

@@marvindebot3264 lol

[@lindseyroselights2306]

I’d date you with that profile

[@nunceccemortiferiscultu7826]

@Lindsey Rose Lights women on tinder don't "date" they use.

[@allenwarburton8627]

0:40 that’s a sick shot from one of the shuttles, I would recognize that tail and twin humps anywhere

[@crapplefratzi1135]

I remember hearing about that tsunami when stationed in Hawaii in the Navy. One minor criticism: it' the CITY of Hilo, on the Big Island. Thanks for the great videos, shipmate!

[@baleksander000]

Haha yup, it’s a city not an island.

[@markstott6689]

That was the most interesting episode that I have watched so far. Maybe because I'm British and live in a temperate land, I find Alaska fascinating. Little known stories like this are also very interesting if undoubtedly tragic. Thank you.

[@tamlandipper29]

Alaska in summer is nicer than Scotland in my view. Less rain, better food. I encourage you to go if you can.

[@markstott6689]

@@tamlandipper29 if a win the lottery.......definitely.

[@kadecase7470]

Anchorage Dweller here, if you come to Alaska, bring your bug dope.

[@kvltizt]

It’s a far away place to most of us Americans too tbf

[@xr6lad]

@@tamlandipper29 better food. lol. Ok.

[@LB-oz9hv]

The Soviet freighter Turksib was stranded off Scotch Cape in 1942, the USS Rescuer (ARS 18) was sent out to help salvage the ship. USS Rescuer went ashore during salvage operations and both ships ended up wrecked near the lighthouse. Both wrecks vanished after the tidal wave hit the area and destroyed the lighthouse.

[@justinmulcahy7470]

My grandfather was in the coast guard. Captain of his coast guard pistol shooting team, served on an ice breaker and did stints as a light house keeper when called upon. His best friend was the former captain of said breaker and went to live near a light house. His friend has since passed, and my grandfather is late in years. But my family ( I included) have a undying love for coast guard stations and light houses.

[@bonnieandgenemusicus8007]

I was a USCG ET 1971-1975, serviced and automated the lighthouses in Delaware Bay. I also took care of the large monster buoys that replaced the lightships from NY harbor and along the NJ coast. The USCG Cape May Air Station housed the control panels for these automated lights and buoys. Lots of good memories, but sometimes it was dangerous work during bad weather. Sad to hear what happened to these guys.

[@danweyant707]

As a mariner, thank you.

[@theBlankScroll]

Bruh, a light house reporting a forest fire is an april fools joke. A light house reporting a quake and tidal wave should maybe be taken seriously

[@FYMASMD]

Anyone calls me “bruh” can go smoke a dikk.

[@henryhayth3303]

This channel is great! As a lifelong Maritime History buff, this channel is like a dream come true. That being said, I'd like to see you do a video on the Flannan Isles Lighthouse mystery, as well as one about life at Stannard Rock Lighthouse in the middle of Lake Superior. Just more Lighthouse videos in general. Lighthouses I suggest are: Tillamook Rock in Oregon, Minots Ledge Lighthouse and Disaster in Cohasset, Maine, Flannan Isles Lighthouse Mystery on Eilean Moor in Scotland, Life at Stannard Rock Lighthouse in Michigan, The Loss of Cape Henelopen Lighthouse in Delaware, History and Life at St. George Reef Lighthouse in California, as well as a Brief History of the United States Life Saving Service.

[@Graham-ce2yk]

This one was a lighthouse tragedy I was not aware of. The iconic lighthouse tragedy is the Flannan Isles Lighthouse incident of 1900 where the relief crew found the lighthouse deserted. The most likely cause was extreme wave conditions, but because no definitive answer is possible conspiracy theorists have tried to fill in the blanks with all kinds of crazy stories. Another tragedy from the UK was the Little Ross Lighthouse murder of 1960 where one of the two keepers on duty murdered the other and fled to the mainland, despite being caught, tried and convicted to my knowledge he never explained why he commited the murder. There is also a story about two lighthouse keepers vanishing from Great Isaac Lighthouse in the Bahama's in 1969, but there's not much information on that one outside of Bermuda Triangle lore.

[@dancingtrout6719]

light house can...lol

[@dianawingate8887]

Stumbled onto your channel & was so thrilled to watch the video on the Edmund Fitzgerald. Have long been interested in shipwrecks & lighthouses. Subscribed immediately. Well done, sir. Fair winds & following seas to you too. What a tragedy this was. God bless those men.....your watch is done.

[@grooselegacy]

Oh man this channel is wonderfully specific, I’m about to watch all of this dudes videos. Thank you KZbin recommendations! Sometimes the night is kind to me

[@doreendaykin6693]

I very much appreciated this presentation. I am interested in all history & events regarding lighthouses, their history, their keepers, & their experiences. Gratitude for sharing🙏💙

[@Glen.Danielsen]

Hilo is a city on the big island of Hawaii. Not far from Hilo was a place on the coast called Laupahoehoe Point. There had been a school there which was destroyed by the mentioned Tunami and washed away, no survivors. Sad. The graphics in this video are just excellent, creative, smart. Narration is also outstanding.

[@gundamheavyarms4879]

From a son of The Last Frontier, thank you. I've never heard of this tragedy until your video was recommended in my feed and am always fascinated to learn more bout my beloved state's history, and oceanic history as well. You've gotten a new subscriber!

[@BTScriviner]

Your channel just showed up in my recommendations, and now I've been binging it. Very well done: clear narration, good visuals, nice editing. Your passion for the subject is obvious.

[@nikevisor54]

A sad story but one that needs to be shared. Thanks for hard your work :)

[@johnbagley5341]

In the early 90's I was stationed aboard the buoy tender that maintained Scotch Cap Light, CGC Firebush. We visited a couple times during my tour, but I'd never heard this story. Thanks for a well done video.

[@xr6lad]

Would you have needed to walk right by or look down at the ruins? And you never asked? 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️. Our future…

[@jonpopelka]

God rest those boys who were lost while keeping the light. We’ve all read about or watched docs about men who gave their lives while doing their duty, but for some reason, this one hit me especially hard. Probably because I saw myself (well, my younger self anyways) as one of them- putting in a 4 year stint on a lonely island in Alaska, bitching about the lack of women and entertainment, but all the while having a f*ng great time working with a crew of brothers while hunting, fishing, playing poker, and experiencing some serious unspoiled natural beauty. It also irks me that today the Coast Guard is sometimes viewed as a “lesser” service by a lot of ignorant Americans. Those who serve and sacrifice in order to keep others safe have ALL my respect and gratitude.

[@nightshadehelis9821]

In the Air Force there was a specific lyric we would repeat as we matched "we're not the coast guard! They don't even work hard." Other branches said nonsense about the air force always being on a gold course. We all respect and value each other, it's just harmless banter.

[@StoneInMySandal]

I had never ever even briefly thought about tsunamis and lighthouses. Thank you for this.

[@bandmastertales338]

Growing up, my dad was a lighthouse engineer. It was a cool job to tell your friends about during school years, telling schoolmates that your dad works on lighthouses is uncommon nowadays! He was away for most of the year on and off, but he always brought home photos of his fishing off of the lighthouse base, when they worked on the helipads and of other things they got up to while stationed all across the UK and channel. It was scary knowing he was out there in some of the worst storms and weather, in a stone column in the middle of the sea. Luckily, he no longer does it. But he definitely has some good stories and memories he's shared along with us.

[@vict4451]

Imagine being told that a tsunami made landfall and a light house might be gone, and you think its an April Fool's joke. Then finding out that it was no joke.

[@johnlewis157]

Why are you not more famous?? This is my second video I've watched of yours and love the story telling style and fact blasting lol. Great videos man

[@gypsybluewaves580]

I'm thankful this popped up on my feed. I love this kind of stuff. Well done video. I'm subbing. Keep up the good work.

[@Haigen-MI]

I only just watched your Fitzgerald video and I'm probably gonna be on a binge of these now. Awesome work mate

[@ericcampbell6261]

Excellent content which is well presented and smoothly articulated. Not to "come off the wrong way," but too many youtubers fail to present their content without stuttering and stammering and backtracking and going off on tangents. The value of this should not be taken lightly. Consider it a very commendable aspect of your content.

[@lynn4840]

i kinda see where you're coming from, but to be fair not everyone has control over things like that. it's not a matter of taking things lightly when you have a speech impediment or adhd or something of that sort. i guess don't just take those things for something they're not & assume you know the intentions of random internet creators is all i'm asking.

[@Pauly421]

The only problem is the crappy black and white footage of water that keeps looping every 5 seconds. Can't watch more than one video without getting ridiculously sick of looking at that cheap footage.

[@spiralrose]

Lynn, I have ADD/ADHD. When I am presenting something for public consumption, I write down the script and I read it over and over again until it sounds natural. If I read the script aloud and fail to keep the narrative flowing, I edit it or I scrap it and try again. ADHD doesn’t have to hold you back if you’re willing to do a little extra work when it comes to uploads. Now if you have Tourette’s that’s harder. If I had a horrible stutter that I couldn’t control with my mind or medication, I probably wouldn’t make these kinds of uploads because fuck that, nobody wants to listen to that. That’s just facts.

[@micheleshively8557]

You do an excellent job with your stories, all of them. Kudos to you and I hope your channel blows up very soon ❣️ blessings from Texas

[@BigOldBoats]

I can't believe I've never heard this story. Great video and channel.

[@theAKGeek]

Dude this channel is awesome! Wish I would have found it sooner. Keep it up man!

[@flowerface9011]

An aunt and uncle of mine used to own/live in Point Lynas lighthouse in northern Cymru. They were not tasked with upkeep and maintenance of the light in the tower, and were not allowed to actually go into the tower alone. But the guy who was took me up there and showed me how everything worked when I was visiting them once. One of the coolest experiences of my life. There was even a pilot house for sailors to anchor off shore and catch some sleep on land.

[@vanringo]

I had read a brief synopsis of this while researching the battle of Dutch Harbor that my Grandfather was in. It was a brief segway that I read there was a light house on Unamak that was later destroyed. That was all I remember reading. It had something to do with one of the Navy ships in the area using it for a reference point or something.

[@jamesshaffer206]

I did find this very interesting, those 5 men probably knew for .5 seconds what was coming. The power of a tsunami is terrifying. RIP to the men who gave their lives in service, as to all the lives in Hawaii and elsewhere. A shack in Antarctica? Wow, that should be a question in trivial pursuit game.

[@ChiIIChief]

I was hyped to hear a story in my state, then I finished the video. Absolutely tragic. But this was an excellent video, glad I found this channel.

[@STR82DVD]

Thanks for the content lad. Totally illuminating. My daughter and I appreciate it and include some of your content in our curriculum.

[@ropeburnsrussell]

A totally new story to me. Thanks for telling it.

[@ArchFundy]

Thank you for this interesting tale I'd never heard of before. I was lucky enough to fill in for a friend as a lightkeeper on Machias Seal Island in The Bay of Fundy. It is the only contested spot on the Canadian/American border. I really enjoyed my week there.

[@Ian-np6zt]

Duuuude another awesome story! Thanks for bringing this to light!

[@joanhoffman3702]

I just discovered this channel today. Amazing the things that show up in your feed. If my father will still alive, I would show him this channel. He loved military history. USN, Korean War.

[@sp3nc3rgrant82]

"Horror" is not one of my favorite genres; however, this video's thumbnail was intriguing enough for me to watch: have been on a Naval history binge these few days. Well presented video.

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Thanks for sharing these stories, keeping them alive. Appreciate it a lot. Greets from the Netherlands 🌷, T.

[@alpenschatz]

Great video! I remember reading about this incident in a big book about historical disasters as a kid. Truly the stuff of nightmares, really puts into perspective the sheer magnitude of force the ocean possesses.

[@crazykartman]

Do you recall the name of that book by chance?

[@alpenschatz]

@@crazykartman If I remember correctly, it was called "Great Disasters: Dramatic True Stories of Nature's Awesome Powers". Published in 1989. It's a pretty hefty book, lots of pictures to keep the younger me interested while reading through it though. I definitely recommend it if you want something of that sort. Hope that helps!

[@rippervtol9516]

Thank you for an amazing video, As someone who was born and raised in Alaska and had never heard of this incident I appreciate your telling it.

[@jkocol]

I first read this story in an Alaska magazine on a fishing trip in the 1970's with my father and his friend on the friends 42' boat along the inside passage of Vancouver island. I was just about 16 at the time but I remember how I was haunted by this story and it's tragedy. Thank you so much for this video and an interesting trip down memory lane.

[@danweyant707]

The stories we read while underway can really stay with you, to be sure - but this event...just yiikes.

[@ExpoAviation]

Very interesting, reminds me of the Flannan Isles Lighthouse "mystery". Great video, keep them coming :)

[@chasjetty8729]

This is great work. Thank you very much friend. Me and my kids get a lot out of something this well put together.

[@PronatorTendon]

This is just one of those channels that make me want to listen to several videos in a row

[@jussihamalainen7692]

Great channel. I hope you get more fans soon!

[@johnshields6852]

When you look where the lighthouse was built, with the higher ground just behind it, I wonder why they didn't build it on the higher ground in the first place, the light would be much higher and more effective just feet behind where it was.

[@dsnodgrass4843]

Possibly because the frequent fog might've been more likely to obscure it that high and far from shore. Or the hill was eroding, and couldn't support the weight.

[@bender7565]

The replacement light was up higher so it wasn't the fog. Just my opinion but men and materials dropped at the beach and the wooden light had been fine in the same spot, why carry all the steel and concrete another 70'-80' straight up. Not the best design for the location but the tsunami knowledge in 46' was probably limited at best.

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

@@dsnodgrass4843 I remember a story in Kamchatka where a ferry wreck by navigational error was caused by the more distant lighthouse being below the clouds and visible, whilst the nearer one (which should have been more visible) was hidden in the clouds.

[@kenwittlief255]

what makes you think the tsunami did not go right over the top?

[@ian3580]

Think of how remote this is and the equipment they had to bring in on boats. To do it higher means building a road to get equipment and supplies higher, needing more equipment and more supplies, time, and money

[@waynecharlton8565]

This is this first video I've seen of yours. I'm pleasantly surprised and impressed. I'm looking forward to more of your content. Good work.

[@imxploring]

Fantastic video about an obscure but important story about some brave servicemen!

[@aleshazimmer161]

I have absolutely no interest in the sea or the horrors that go on there as I am deathly afraid of water. But I can't stop watching your videos!! Awesome research and delivery

[@denali9449]

I first heard of this tragedy in the 70's when I started crab fishing in the Bering Sea. Our cook's father ran cannery boats through the area after the war, they relied heavily on the Scotch Cap Light and the RDF. I have since made hundreds of passages through Unimak Pass and have always looked forward to putting that light off my stern. Got the crap slapped out of us dozens of times, never had anything serious go wrong but something about that area that really bothers me - False Pass and Isanotski Strait with their crazy currents never bothered me. Almost like the area is cursed.

[@Cetok01]

I'm privileged to be a friend of a Coastie who served on Unimak Island some years after this event. The next time someone tells you to be wary of a tsunami (ahem...Florida residents), keep this tale in mind.

[@rapturebound197]

I lived in Hawaii and spoke to an old man who was a young boy living in Hilo on the Big Island when that same tsunami that demolished this Scotch Cap lighthouse traveled south across the pacific all the way to the Hawaiian Islands. He said he and some friends were out playing on the beach of Hilo bay when all of a sudden the water began to recede out of the bay. The boys didn't know what was happening and thought it was cool to go pick up all kinds of fish stranded by the receding waters. But then one of the boys saw the incoming tsunami wave and the boys knew there was no time to run so they climbed up the tall palm trees there on the beach. He said the incoming rush of water came all the way to the tops of those palm trees. The tsunami devastated the town of Hilo. I did not know that this tsunami had originated up in the Aleutian Islands so I now know the full tragic story. Thanx for posting and doing such a good job narrating. 👍

[@garyreid6165]

I have heard and read about the tsunami that hit Hilo, Hawaii but not of this disaster. Lighthouse work, I assume, is difficult and constant. And, perhaps, a little scary or scarier because of the location. It’s not a job for everyone but back then, it was necessary. To see a huge wall of water at sea coming at you with everything it has is terrifying. There is nothing you can do to stop it and you have to pray like mad that the building is built stronger and on higher ground. But, nature has a way of springing surprises.

[@OmmerSyssel]

Lighthouse work is actually quite calm and mostly dull. Not much to do except for standard observation procedures..

[@franceshaypenny8481]

It's hard to fathom the courage and grit of the kinds of wonderful men who man these Lighthouses and Vessels. God Bless them forever.

[@angelachouinard4581]

Every once i a while KZbin gets it right. I knew about this tsunami hitting Hilo but not this sad loss. There is nothing like a good sea story for a cold, dark November night. I am going to love your channel. Subscribed.

[@alicecuriosityoftenleadsto6288]

I had never even heard of this. Thank you for making this video to help us remember what happened to these men.

[@appey67]

Jesus, 400-500 miles an hour? I had no idea tidal waves moved that fast! Great Job. Thanks for the informative video.

[@danweyant707]

yikes.. In deep water it's a pure wave of energy.

[@JoshuaTootell]

A tsunami might not even be noticable either at sea. It isn't until the water gets shallow

[@hebneh]

They only move at that speed in the open ocean, in extremely deep water. They slow down considerably once they move into increasingly shallow water. But it's why a tsunami moves across the Pacific as fast as a jet plane, and since the speed is well established, it's also how arrival times can be forecast when there are warnings.

[@clivebrook]

Tsunamis are shallow-water waves - that is, their wavelength (crest to crest) is several times the water depth (totally unlike storm waves or wind waves). Consequently, the deeper the water, the faster the tsunami energy propagates. There’s an equation to plot tsunami velocity: velocity is equal to the square root of the product of water depth and gravitational acceleration. As depth increases, velocity increases. In the deep ocean, the tsunami pulses along at the speed of a jet aircraft.

[@mRibbons]

I'm always left feeling thrilled and guilty when I find a new morbid channel. I apparently love learning about horrible things. I'm now subscribed.

[@DeanStephen]

I am shocked that men of the Coast Guard, of all organizations, had apparently received no training on the risks and responses to tsunamis. It is also surprising that the lighthouse was not built at the highest point near the promontory, rather than down near the shoreline.

[@kenwittlief255]

to stop ships from sailing into the peak of the mountain?! LOL!

[@DeanStephen]

@@kenwittlief255 They are working for the coast guard, is it too much to ask that they all know at least the basics of ocean mechanics, even those working on land?

[@danweyant707]

I don't think that the correlation between seismic events and tidal waves was understood then. At least not in the US.

[@hebneh]

Tsunamis were well known in 1946, but there was no established warning system to detect them then. That's why so many people were killed in the Hawaiian Islands by this disaster, and why the warning system was then subsequently established. Even today there is no way to know beforehand how large a wave will be in any specific location because there are so many variables involved - direction of the waves, proximity to the earthquake, underwater topography, etc. That this wave was so immensely large at Scotch Cap was impossible to forecast.

[@nancysmith2295]

I love lighthouse history. This was a good story I hadn't heard before. Thanks.

[@opalishmoth8591]

Growing up in California, it was ingrained into to move to higher ground if you are at the beach during the earthquake. And our earthquakes occur on land (so not the type to cause tsunami) but I cannot fathom staying at sea level after a large earthquake. Of course, the reason that instinct is engraved into me is likely because of tragedies like this. Those tsunami evacuation signs are part of the Pacific Tsunami Warning System.

[@vk2ig]

"I cannot fathom staying at sea level". I sea what you did there.

[@Alexis_Nemesis189]

The minute you said undersea quake, I knew where it was going. Those poor men

[@xr6lad]

The thought also entered my mind ‘why did they build the lighthouse in such an exposure position and not the Cliff behind where the signals station was’. It seems such a rookie mistake. Plus surely on the Cliff any light would have greater viewing point as well.

[@HrLBolle]

@@xr6lad My humble guess would be that the ones responsible did not want to spend extra for the needed equipment to move the material up top the cliff. as it looks like the site was reachable by ship -based cranes

[@ungurdagda813]

I'm not gunna lie, I read the thumbnail as "The Scotch Tape Lighthouse Tragedy" at first and was like, "DAMMIT, Scotch Tape, why must you kill AGAIN!?"

[@ollieisaninja]

Thank you for making this video, its fascinating & well presented.

[@TanukiDigital]

Large open water gives me a really creepy feeling I've never been able to shake. This channel is not helping my affliction.

[@jordanistrying]

just imagining the power to completely rip them apart, thats terrifying. Its wild most of us have never heard of this tragedy. Thank you for sharing this story

[@Moz29]

Probably from being inside a collapsing lighthouse.

[@mhmm4303]

Looked up one video about the Fitzgerald and I’m absolutely hooked. Wonderful channel. Thank you for the solid content!

[@A21A11A]

Great video, keep up the good work!

[@adimeter]

Tidal waves are awe inspiring phenomena. But mostly frightening and devastating. Thank you for this info.

[@mauricedavis8261]

Thank you for a maritime tragedy I was unaware of!!!🙏⚓😪

[@smilingcat1703]

I like to think myself as a history buff. Looking at your channel makes me sad because there isn't a bunch of content for me to binge watch lol. Thanks for putting out this high quality content and I look forward to more

[@cmcc0408]

The Anthony petit is a hell of a cutter in the fleet one of the hidden gems in the CG

[@MaritimeHorrors]

I've always heard ATON was where it was at. To be honest, I hoped a ride on a BUSL one time and worked 3 buoys and hated it lol. I was always a SAR guy myself. Semper P, shipmate.

[@JoshuaTootell]

180's will always be better 😉