The Phantom Cyclist

Wonders of the Cape Cod Bike Trails 11

The purpose of this series is to give you a look at some of the remarkable sites along - or near - the Cape Cod Bike Trails. They're a part of the rich history and charm of Cape Cod not recorded in the works of H. D. Thoreau, Joseph Lincoln, Henry Beston, Mary Higgins Clark, Robert Finch or Robert Crais. By reading about them, I hope you will gain a closer, more imtimate and meaningful appreciation of this unique little island paradise, as you pedal merrily along its bike trails.

The Leaning Tower of Phoneza, Chatham.

Welcome to Chatham's other famous vertical icon (besides the Lighthouse, Bernard Cornwell and Johnny Depp).

To the casual observer, this may look like just an ordinary telephone pole. But I assure you that it is not. The object in view was once a sturdy 12-foot in diameter observation tower for the Chatham fishing fleet that was (due to the impatience of the Town Board) constructed in 1894 of fresh, undried, fuhnoogie wood.

It shrank a full 8 feet the first year, eventually trapping a fleet observer and his stenographer for several hours before they were pryed loose by a crew from the local life-saving station. In 1896 it shrank another 2.25 feet and was closed due to the impossibility of climbing the spiral staircase - which had melded itself into an impenetrable mass. Despite these mishaps, the tower stood perfectly straight - at least for a couple of years after it's shrinking marathon.

In 1899, several valiant efforts were made to "poof out" the Tower to its original diameter, and I must admit that some of the solutions were quite ingenious. The most promising one put forth the idea of holding a "Telephone Booth" stuffing contest, wherein, 300 of the stoutest Chatham fishermen would try to insinuate themselves - one-by-one - into a small breach in the Tower. They concluded that once they were all inside they would breathe deeply in unison and the Tower would expand back to its original size.

This all might have gone well, had not a prankish child slipped a rotting pilchard into the trowser pocket of one of the fisherman. And, unfortunately, this fisherman was the first to hit the breach. He got in safely without too much struggle, then fishermen 2,3,4 and 5 managed to stuff themselves in behind him. The interior air was in short supply to begin with - and by the time fisherman number 6 had joined the fray, the smell of rotting pilchard had begun to overcome them all. One-by-one they temporarily lost consciousness and oozed out of the breach in the Tower - in the opposite of the order they had wiggled in.

Brought to consciousness by seamen's smelling salts (Rum), the fishermen all decided that the venture was too dangerous and gave up the attempt. Thankfully, each of them recovered quickly and lived to a ripe old age, often telling their grandchildren about their fascinating exploit to save the Tower. I frequently wonder why the town of Chatham has never placed a plaque here mentioning this valiant restoration attempt.

The other efforts, although interesting in their thought process, were really too feeble when compared to the "Telephone Booth" method - so I will spare the reader and not mention them.

The Tower stood defiantly in place with no prospects of regaining its previous size or stature. Then, in 1901, the elements took over. Its foundation was loosened by the notorious Chatham fog that we all know so well. And the Tower began to warp out of plumb; perhaps the result of its trying to twist off the foundation and move to neighborhood with less fog. This sounds plausible, but you should check with the town historian about it.

For 2 decades afterward, the Tower fell into disrepair. Strong winds had stripped its shutters and torn off its shingles. Its chimney crumbled, vines covered its surface and it was completely lost from view. Until one evening in 1921. A sailor on shore leave and his lady were leaning up against the vines, engaged in a passionate kiss, when a long-forgotten log book, high up in the Tower, suddenly declared its independence and came crashing down on their heads.

The next day they took their find to the Chatham Historical Society, who verified that the log book was from the long lost Tower - and they immediately formed a group to remove the vines and expose the Tower to the public view again.

Caught up in a post-WW1 swirl of renewed patriotism and sense of history, another group was formed to freshen up the Tower. Its surface was painted with a protective coat of creosote and flowers were planted at its base. That same year, it was voted to make the Tower a special focal point of local pride and it was suggested that the Tower be the center of a yearly celebration in Chatham. May 1st was chosen because the 4th of July already had its fireworks, Easter had its egg roll down the library lawn, and 'Tickle the Town Drunk' day had a peripatetic schedule (usually by word of mouth) that couldn't be pinned down.

The local telephone company made a generous offer to attach wires to steady the Tower and keep if from falling over in a strong wind. This was readily accepted. The wires are still visible in the accompanying photo. To give the Tower some "international cache" and also refer to the generosity of the phone company, it was renamed The Leaning Tower of Phoneza.

The Tower is well worth visiting any time of year, but May 1st (and for about a week afterward) is really the best time. Every year on that day local children stage a Maypole celebration, each taking hold of a colored ribbon attached to the top of the Tower and riding their bikes in unison to wind a multi-colored stripe around it.

During the early years of this ritual, the children rode in 2 coincentric circles going in opposite directions. This proved to be quite unwieldy for some. But, when it was done right, the Tower displayed colorful corn rows instead of the less eye-catching multi-colored flat stripes. To lessen the number of colliding cyclists, who often suffered scraped knees, this practice was given up - and the single-circle, one direction route was established as the norm in 1967.

Today, visitors from around the world come to picnic beneath the Tower and have their picture taken by a local photographer with an old bellows camera, who also supplies period attire for those willing to "dress the part."

Further inquiries about the Tower can be addressed to:

Chatham Historical Society
347 Stage Harbor Rd.
P.O. Box 381
Chatham, MA 02633
p. (508) 945-2493
f. (508) 945-1205
e-mail. chathamhistoricalsociety@verizon.net

-- The Phantom Cyclist