, ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ▁l ens ▁in ▁America . ▁The ▁new ▁Hog ▁Island ▁tower ▁was ▁painted ▁black ▁to ▁distinguish ▁it ▁from ▁the ▁nearly ▁identical ▁sister , ▁Cape ▁Charles ▁light ▁that ▁is ▁painted ▁white . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁evening ▁on ▁Washington ' s ▁B irth day ▁a ▁huge ▁f lock ▁of ▁birds , ▁mostly ▁ge ese ▁and ▁du cks , ▁sm ashed ▁into ▁the ▁lan tern ▁of ▁the ▁Hog ▁Island ▁L ighth ouse . ▁The ▁two ▁keep ers ▁fired ▁their ▁shot g uns ▁at ▁the ▁birds ▁to ▁drive ▁them ▁away ▁before ▁the ▁l ens ▁was ▁dam aged . ▁Two ▁days ▁later ▁another ▁f lock ▁of ▁birds ▁fle w ▁in . ▁Out ▁of ▁am mun ition , ▁the ▁keep ers ▁had ▁to ▁drive ▁them ▁away ▁with ▁st icks . ▁This ▁time ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁lan tern ▁glass ▁was ▁broken ▁out ▁and ▁the ▁light ▁was ▁ex ting u ished ▁until ▁rep airs ▁were ▁made . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁Ch es ape ake - P ot om ac ▁H urr icane ▁dam aged ▁the ▁light ▁station ▁and ▁caused ▁severe ▁sh or eline ▁er os ion ▁on ▁Hog ▁Island . ▁ ▁Also ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁both ▁the ▁Hog ▁Island ▁Light ▁and ▁the ▁Cape ▁Charles ▁light ▁were ▁elect r ified ▁elimin ating ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁the ▁keep ers ▁to ▁ho ist ▁bu ckets ▁of ▁oil ▁to ▁the ▁lan tern ▁room . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁New ▁England ▁h