 In 1898 a telephone cable was laid by Reese Hutchinson between the Biloxi and the Ship Island lighthouses at the start of the Spanish–American War.In 1916 the light was again damaged by a hurricane, and the wharf and boathouse were destroyed by a storm the following year.Maria Younghans retired on December 31, 1918 and was replaced by her daughter, Miranda, who remained as keeper until 1929.