Paul Revere's Lantern

Origin
Paul Revere (1735-1818) was an American silversmith, engraver, early industrialist and patriot during the colonial years of America. Though he did many things in his life, he is best known for keeping an eye on the British military movements in Boston and his famous "Midnight Ride" to warn everyone that the Regulars (British military) were coming. Revere rode with fellow patriot William Dawes to warn Concord about the British's plan to seize the military armaments there. The famous saying for the warning system is "one if by land, two if by sea"; this refers to the lanterns at the top of Boston's North Church. One lantern would be lit if the troops took a land route, and a second would be lit if they chose a route across the Charles River.

Effects
The Lantern lights up whenever the United States of America is in danger. The danger is usually imminent, as the Lantern has been noted to light up approximately a few hours before the disaster strikes. The danger is to the country as a whole and not an individual person. The Lantern turns off when the imminent danger has passed.

Collection and History
The Lantern was collected in 1812 when stories flew about Boston about a lantern supposedly belonging to the famous Paul Revere lighting up just before the British attacked. The Warehouse collected the Lantern, and realizing its only effect was to announce danger, kept it on a random shelf. Although the Agents suspected there was a second lantern, they were unable to locate it and left.

When the Warehouse moved to America, it remained on a shelf until one agent doing inventory saw the lantern light up. A few hours later, the Lusitania was sunk. The agent made a request to the supervisor that the Lantern be moved to the main office, which was agreed. Before the attacks on Pearl Harbor, the Lantern lit up again and remained lit. The Regents began considering moving the Warehouse to Germany but quickly scrapped the idea when the Lantern turned off. It also lit up just before September 11, 2001.

Trivia

 * It is suspected that there is a second Lantern, which only lights up when the United States is in danger from the sea. Agents suspect that the Lantern is currently lost somewhere in the Boston area.