On August 7, 1958, disaster struck the waters right off of Rose Island. In a heavy fog, two tankers collided near Fort Adams. The flaming wreck of the Graham floated right up to the Rose Island lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island, forcing the keepers to run to the other side of the island for fear of the intense heat. All looked lost for the lighthouse, but the winds and tides intervened to push the flaming vessel back into open water. Eighteen men from the two ships were killed in the accident.
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