A lighthouse is a tower, building or, framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire and used as an aid to navigation and to pilots at sea. Towers are tall human-made Structures that are always taller than they are wide usually by a significant Margin. A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate Axial symmetry which transmits and refracts Light, converging or diverging Navigation is the process of reading and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another A pilot is a Mariner who guides Ships through dangerous or congested waters such as Harbours or River mouths Legally the master remains This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas.
Lighthouses are used to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, safe entries to harbors and can also assist in aerial navigation. A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored Once widely used, the number of operational lighthouses has declined due to replacement by modern electronic navigational aids.
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Lighthouse technology
In a lighthouse, the source of light is called the "lamp" (whether electric or fueled by oil) and the magnification of the light is caused by the "lens" or "optic".
Originally lit by open fires and later candles, the Argand hollow wick lamp and parabolic reflector was developed around 1781 in Europe. The Argand lamp was invented and patented in 1780 by Aimé Argand. In the US, whale oil was used with solid wicks as the source of light until the Argand parabolic reflector system was introduced around 1810 by Winslow Lewis. Winslow Lewis (1770-1850 was a Sea captain, Engineer, Inventor and contractor active in the construction of many American Lighthouses
[1] Colza oil replaced whale oil in the early 1850s, but US farmers' lack of interest in growing this caused the service to switch to lard oil in the mid 1850s. Bremerhaven (bʁeːmɐˈhaːfən is the seaport of the free city and federal state of Bremen, Germany. Colza oil is a non-drying Oil obtained from the seeds of Brassica campestris, var Kerosene started replacing lard oil in the 1870s and the service was finally totally converted by the late 1880s. Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage is a Combustible Hydrocarbon liquid Electricity and carbide (acetylene gas) started to replace kerosene around the turn of the century. [2]
Lens technology
Prior to modern strobe lights, lenses were used to concentrate the light from a continuous source. Two tasks were involved:
- vertical light rays of the lamp are redirected into a horizontal plane
- horizontally the light is focused into one or a few directions at a time, with the light beam sweeping around; as a result, in addition to seeing the side of light beam, there are instants that one can see the light directly from a further distance away. A light beam or beam of light is a narrow Projection of Light energy radiating from a source into a Beam.
Fresnel lens
This concentration of light is accomplished with a rotating lens assembly. In classical period lighthouses, the light source was a kerosene lamp, and the lenses were rotated by a weight driven clockwork assembly wound by lighthouse keepers, sometimes as often as every two hours. The kerosene lamp (widely known in Britain as a paraffin lamp) is any type of lighting device which uses Kerosene (paraffin as a fuel A clockwork is the inner workings of either a mechanical Clock or a device that operates in a similar fashion The lens assembly usually floated in mercury to reduce friction. Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum Friction is the Force resisting the relative motion of two Surfaces in contact or a surface in contact with a fluid (e In more modern lighthouses, electric lights and motor drives were used, generally powered by diesel electric generators. Diesel or Diesel fuel (ˈdiːzəl in general is any Fuel used in Diesel engines The most common is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum In Electricity generation, an electrical generator is a device that converts Mechanical energy to Electrical energy, generally using Electromagnetic These also supplied electricity for the lighthouse keepers. [3] Efficiently concentrating the light from an omnidirectional light source requires a lens of very large diameter. This would require a very thick and heavy lens if naively implemented. The development of the Fresnel lens (pronounced FREH nel) in 1822 revolutionized lighthouses in the 1800s, focusing 85% of a lamps light versus the 20% focused with the parabolic reflectors of the time. A Fresnel lens (pronounced or) is a type of lens invented by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel. Its design enabled the construction of lenses of large size and short focal length without the weight and volume of material in a lens of conventional design. Although the Fresnel lens was invented in 1822, it wasn’t used in the US until the 1850s due to the parsimonious administrator of the United States Lighthouse Establishment, Stephen Pleasonton. A Fresnel lens (pronounced or) is a type of lens invented by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel. Stephen Pleasonton was the Fifth Auditor of the Treasury of the United States he is chiefly remembered today for his work in overseeing the United States Light House Establishment during With the creation of the United States Lighthouse Board in 1852, all U. The United States Lighthouse Board was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United S. lighthouses received Fresnel lenses by 1860. [4]
Fresnel lens order of magnitude
Fresnel lenses were ranked by Order, with a first order lens being the largest, most powerful and expensive; and a sixth order lens being the smallest. The order is based on the focal length of the lens. A first order lens has the longest focal length, with the sixth being the smallest. Coastal lighthouses generally had first, second or third order lenses, while harbor lights and beacons had fourth, fifth or sixth order lenses. [5]
Some lighthouses, such as those at Cape Race, Newfoundland, and Makapu'u Point, Hawaii, used an even more powerful hyperradiant Fresnel lens manufactured by the firm of Chance Brothers. Cape Race is a point of land located at the southeastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland, Canada. Newfoundland and Labrador (ˈnuːfɨn(dlənd ən(d ˈlæbrəˌdɔr (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador is a province of Canada, the tenth and latest to join the Confederation Makapuu is the extreme eastern end of the Island of O{{okina}}ahu in the Hawaiian Islands, comprising the remnant of a ridge that rises 647 feet (197 m above The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Hyperradiant fresnel lenses are Fresnel lenses larger than "first order" lenses so they are larger than 12 feet (3 Chance Brothers and Company was a Glassworks in Spon Lane Smethwick, West Midlands (formerly in Staffordshire) England.
In recent decades, many Fresnel lenses have been replaced by rotating aerodrome beacons which require less maintenance. An aerodrome beacon is a Beacon installed at an Airport or Aerodrome to indicate its location to aircraft pilots at night In modern automated lighthouses this system of rotating lenses is often replaced by a high intensity light that emits brief omnidirectional flashes (concentrating the light in time rather than direction). These lights are similar to the obstruction lights used to warn aircraft away from tall structures. More recent innovations are "Vega Lights" and initial experiments with LED panels [6]
Light characteristics
In any of these designs an observer, rather than seeing a continuous weak light, sees a brighter light during short time intervals. These instants of bright light are arranged to create a light characteristic or, pattern specific to the particular lighthouse. See also Lighthouse Pilotage Isophase light Flashing light Occulting light [7] For example, for the lighthouse of Scheveningen the time intervals between these instants are alternately 2. Scheveningen (ˈsxeːfənɪŋə is one of the eight Districts of The Hague, as well as one of its subdistricts ( wijken) 5 and 7. 5 seconds.
To assist in distinguishing between lighthouses, the time interval of the light or the color pattern of the lens is varied. Sector lights may additionally have a red or green filter on parts of the lantern house to distinguish safe water areas from dangerous shoals. Sector lights are a man-made Pilotage and Position fixing aid that indicates a safe channel through shallow or dangerous waters
Modern lighthouses often have unique reflectors or Racon transponders so the radar signature of the light is also unique. A Racon is a type of Radar Transponder commonly used to mark maritime navigational hazards In Telecommunication, the term transponder (short-for Trans mitter-res ponder and sometimes abbreviated to XPDR XPNDR TPDR or TP has the following meanings [8]
Building
Design
To be effective the lamp needs to be high enough to be seen before the danger is reached by a mariner. The necessary height is calculated by taking the square root of the height of a light in feet and multiplying it by 1. 17, yielding the distance to the horizon in nautical miles. [9]
Where dangerous shoals are located far off a flat sandy beach, the prototypical tall masonry coastal lighthouse is constructed to assist the navigator making a landfall after an ocean crossing. Often these are cylindrical to reduce the effect of wind on a tall structure on less stable soil. An example of this style is Cape May Lighthouse. Smaller versions of this design are often used as harbor lights to mark the entrance into a harbor, such as New London Harbor Light. New London Harbor Light is a Lighthouse in Connecticut, United States, on the west side of the New London harbor entrance Connecticut
Where a tall cliff exists, a smaller structure may be placed atop it as the location is already high above the water, such as at Horton Point Light. Horton Point Light is a lighthouse on the north side of Eastern Long Island New York near Southold. Sometimes, such a location can actually be too high as along the west coast of the United States. In these cases, the lights are often placed below the top of the cliff to ensure that they can still be seen at the surface during periods of fog. An example of this is Point Reyes Lighthouse. The Point Reyes Lighthouse, also known as Point Reyes Light or the Point Reyes Light Station, is a Lighthouse in the Gulf of the Farallones Another victim of fog was Point Loma Light (old) which had to be replaced with a lower light, Point Loma Light (new). The original Point Loma Lighthouse was built on top of Point Loma at the mouth of San Diego Bay in San Diego California. New Point Loma Lighthouse is a Lighthouse on Point Loma in California, United States, near San Diego, California
As technology advanced, prefabricated skeletal iron or steel light houses tended to be used for lighthouses constructed in the twentieth century. Hyperboloid structures are Architectural structures designed with Hyperboloid Geometry. Adziogol Lighthouse (Аджигольський маяк Аджигольский маяк is a graceful vertical lattice Hyperboloid structure of steel bars 70 Vladimir Grigoryevich Shukhov (Владимир Григорьевич Шухов ( - February 2 1939) was a Russian Engineer - Polymath Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year These often have a narrow cylindrical core surrounded by an open lattice work bracing, such as Finns Point Range Light. The Finns Point Range Rear Light, located just east of the Delaware River was part of Range light pair that guided ships into the Delaware River
Sometimes a lighthouse needs to be constructed in the water itself. Eddystone Lighthouse is on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks, 9 Statute miles (14 kilometres south west of Rame Head, United Kingdom Wave washed lights are masonry structures constructed to withstand water impact, such as Eddystone Lighthouse in Britain and the St. George Reef Light off California. Eddystone Lighthouse is on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks, 9 Statute miles (14 kilometres south west of Rame Head, United Kingdom The St George Reef Light was a Lighthouse located six miles (10 km off the coast of northern California near Crescent City. In shallower bays, screw pile ironwork structures are screwed into the seabed and a low wooden structure is placed above the open framework, such as Thomas Point Shoal Light. Screw-pile Lighthouses stand on piles that are screwed into sandy or muddy sea or river bottoms The Thomas Point Shoal Light, also known as Thomas Point Shoal Light Station, is a historic Lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay on the East coast of the As screw piles can be disrupted by ice, in northern climates steel caisson lighthouses such as Orient Point Light are used. In Geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining watertight structure used for example to work on the foundations of a Bridge pier, Orient Point Light is a Lighthouse off Orient Point New York Orient Long Beach Bar Light (Bug Light) is an interesting blend of a screw pile light that was later converted to a caisson light because of the threat of ice damage. Orient Long Beach Bar Light is a Lighthouse off Orient New York. [10]
In waters too deep for a conventional structure, a lightship might be used instead of a lighthouse. A lightvessel, or lightship, is a Ship which acts as a Lighthouse. Most of these have now been replaced by fixed light platforms (such as Ambrose Light) similar to those used for offshore oil exploration. Ambrose Light, often called Ambrose Tower, marks the convergence of several main shipping lanes in Lower New York Bay; Ambrose Channel, the main deep water [11]
Components
While the buildings differ depending on the lights location and purpose, they tend to share the following components.
A Light Station consists of the Lighthouse tower and all of the outbuildings, i. e. the keeper¹s living quarters, fuelhouse, boathouse, fog-signaling building, etc. For other meanings see Foghorn (disambiguation. A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of hazards (or of the The Lighthouse itself consists of a tower structure supporting the lantern room where the light operates. Towers are tall human-made Structures that are always taller than they are wide usually by a significant Margin. A lantern is a Portable Lighting device used to illuminate broad areas
The Lantern Room is the glassed-in housing at the top of a lighthouse tower containing the lamp and lens. Its glass storm panes are supported by metal Astragal bars running vertically or diagonally. At the top of the lantern room is a stormproof Ventilator designed to remove the smoke of the lamps and the daytime heat that builds up in such a glass enclosure. A Lightning rod and grounding system is usually connected to the metal Cupola roof to provide a safe conduit for any lightning strikes. A lightning rod (USA or lightning conductor (UK is a single component in a Lightning protection system.
Immediately beneath the lantern room is usually a Watch Room or Service Room where fuel and other supplies were kept and where the keeper prepared the lanterns for the night and often stood watch. The clockworks (for rotating the lenses) were also located there. On a lighthouse tower, an open platform called the gallery is often located outside the watch-room (called the Main Gallery) and/or Lantern Room (Lantern Gallery. ) This was mainly used for cleaning the outside of the windows of the Lantern Room. [12]
Lights near to each other that are similar in shape are often painted in a unique pattern so they can easily be recognized during the daylight. This marking is called a daymark. A daymark is a structure such as a Tower constructed on land as an aid to navigation by sailors The black and white spiral pattern of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is an example of this. Cape Hatteras Light is a Lighthouse located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina near the community of Buxton The only stone lighthouse in Western Canada, constructed in 1860 by the British at Race Rocks is now a significant historic sight in the Race Rocks Marine Protected Area It was painted in horizontal black and white bands in order to stand out against the horizon. Race Rocks Lighthouse is the second Lighthouse to be built on the west coast of Canada. The Race Rocks Marine Protected Area is a marine ecological reserve in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
History
- Further information: History of lighthouses
Ancient
Perhaps the most famous lighthouse in history is the Lighthouse of Alexandria, built on the island of Pharos in Hellenistic Egypt. Ancient Roman lighthouses are among the best preserved and best known examples of Lighthouses from Ancient History. Kõpu lighthouse is one of best known symbols and tourist sights on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. The lighthouse of Alexandria (or The Pharos of Alexandria, Greek:) was a tower built in the 3rd century BC (between 285 and 247 BC on the Island The lighthouse of Alexandria (or The Pharos of Alexandria, Greek:) was a tower built in the 3rd century BC (between 285 and 247 BC on the Island Ptolemaic Egypt began when Ptolemy I Soter declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BC and ended with the death of queen Cleopatra The name of the island of Pharos is still used as the noun for "lighthouse" in some languages, for example: Albanian and Catalan and Romanian (far), French (phare), Italian and Spanish (faro), Portuguese (farol), Bulgarian (фар), and Greek (φάρος). Albanian (sq ''Gjuha shqipe'' ˈɟuha ˈʃcipɛ is an Indo-European language spoken by nearly 6 million peoplewhile others claim that it derives from Daco - Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The word "pharology" (study of the lighthouses) is also derived from the island's name. Pharology (named after Pharos, the famed Lighthouse of Alexandria) is the study of lighthouses and signal lights [13]
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was originally built in 280 BC to serve as that port's landmark. The lighthouse of Alexandria (or The Pharos of Alexandria, Greek:) was a tower built in the 3rd century BC (between 285 and 247 BC on the Island Events By place Seleucid Empire Antiochus makes his eldest son Seleucus king in the east but he proves to be incompetent With a height variously estimated at between 115 and 135 metres (383 - 440 ft) it was among the tallest man-made structures on Earth for many centuries, and was identified as one of the Seven Wonders of the World by classical writers. Two lighthouses, each called the Pharos, were built at Dover soon after the Roman conquest of Britain. Dover is a town and major ferry port in the county of Kent, England. This page refers to the conquest begun in AD 43 For other Roman invasions see Caesar's invasions of Britain and Carausian Revolt. They were sited on the two heights (Eastern Heights and Western Heights) and modelled on the one built for Caligula's aborted invasion at Boulogne. The Western Heights of Dover are one of the most impressive fortifications in Britain Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (August 31 AD 12 &ndash January 24 AD 41 more commonly known by his nickname Caligula (kəˈlɪɡjʊlə was a Roman Emperor This page refers to the conquest begun in AD 43 For other Roman invasions see Caesar's invasions of Britain and Carausian Revolt. Boulogne-sur-Mer ( Bonen in Dutch is a City in Northern France. [14]
In the Islamic world, lighthouses were also known. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Tang Dynasty Chinese writer Jia Dan once wrote in his book (written between 785 - 805) that in the sea route forming the opening mouth of the Persian Gulf, the medieval Iranians had erected large minaret towers that served as lighthouses. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. For the mountain formation see Minarets (California. Minarets ( Arabic manara (lighthouse منارة but more usually مئذنة Confirming the Chinese reports, a century later, the Arab writers al-Mas'udi and al-Muqaddasi wrote of the same lighthouses. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding TemplateInfobox Muslim scholars --> Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn íbn Ali al-Mas'udi (transl) (born c Muhammad ibn Ahmad Shams al-Din Al-Muqaddasi (محمد بن أحمد شمس الدين المقدسي also Transliterated as Al-Maqdisi and el-Mukaddasi [15]
In China, the medieval mosque at Canton had a minaret that served as a lighthouse. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger Guangzhou ( Jyutping: Gwong²zau¹; Yale: Gwóngjàu) is the Capital and a Sub-provincial city The later Song Dynasty Chinese pagoda tower built in medieval Hangzhou, known as the Liuhe Pagoda (erected in 1165), also served as a lighthouse for sailors along the Qiantang River. The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms The Chinese Pagoda is a Landmark in Birmingham, England. It is a stone carving of a Chinese pagoda, carved in Fujian, China ( Postal map spelling: Hangchow) is a Sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the People's Republic of China, Liuhe Pagoda ( literally Six Harmonies Pagoda or Six Harmonies Tower, is multi-storied Chinese Pagoda in southern Hangzhou, Zhejiang The Qiantang River ( also known as the Qian River is a southeast Chinese River that originates in the borders of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces
During the Dark Ages, Roman lighthouses fell in disuse but some still remained in use, such as the Tower of Hercules in A Coruña, Spain, and others mainly in the Mediterranean Sea. The Tower of Hercules is an ancient Roman Lighthouse located on a peninsula about 2 A Coruña ( Spanish: La Coruña; Galician: A Coruña; also Corunna in English, and archaically The Groyne) is Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. As navigation improved, lighthouses gradually expanded to Western and Northern Europe. [16]
Classic period
Lighthouse development accelerated in the seventeenth century with national lighthouse services established in Denmark (1650), Finland (1696) and Britain's Trinity House constructing its first in 1619. Barnegat Lighthouse, colloquially known as " Old Barney " is located in Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on the northern tip of Long Beach Island George Gordon Meade ( December 31, 1815 &ndash November 6, 1872) was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer involved Long Beach Island (colloquially known as LBI) is a barrier island and Summer colony along the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ocean County New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. The Corporation of Trinity House is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England Wales and other British Territorial waters (with the exception of Scotland Eddystone Lighthouse was first lit in 1698. Eddystone Lighthouse is on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks, 9 Statute miles (14 kilometres south west of Rame Head, United Kingdom As Britain became the dominant seapower, lighthouses constructed by the Stephenson family for the Northern Lighthouse Board began to appear in Scotland. Robert Stevenson (8 June 1772&ndash12 July 1850 was a Scottish Civil engineer and famed designer and builder of Lighthouses Early life The Northern Lighthouse Board ( NLB) is the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. [17]
The first lighthouse in America was Boston Light on Little Brewster Island (1716). Boston Light, also known as Boston Harbor Light, is a Lighthouse located on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Little Brewster Island is a rocky outer Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. The first keeper was George Worthylake who was drowned, along with his wife and daughter, when returning to the island in 1718. The original tower was destroyed by the British during the evacuation of Boston and eventually reconstructed in 1784. The oldest existing lighthouse in America is Sandy Hook Lighthouse, NJ (1764), which is still in operation. The Sandy Hook Lighthouse, located about one and a half statute miles (2 By the end of the 19th century, the United States with its long coastlines had the most lighthouses of any nation. [18]
The US Bureau of Lighthouses was created in 1789 by the 9th Act of the first Congress which placed lighthouses under federal control. There is also a Saint Paul Island in the Indian Ocean and another in Alaska Over the years, lighthouses were placed under the direction of Department of Revenue (this department was disbanded in 1820), Department of Treasury (until 1903), then the Department of Commerce. The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government. The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting Economic growth The Lighthouse Board (of the U. The United States Lighthouse Board was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United S. Lighthouse Establishment) held sway from 1852 to July 1, 1910 when Commerce created the Lighthouse Service. The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep The United States Coast Guard took over on July 7, 1939. [19]
After 1852 the country was divided into Lighthouse Districts; originally eight, they eventually numbered 19. Each District was run by a Naval Officer appointed by the Lighthouse Board as the District Inspector. He ran the district in tandem with an Army Corps of Engineers' officer who was in charge of engineering projects. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel In 1910, civilians started replacing the military officers. [20]
Lighthouse keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning lenses and windows. A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a Lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms In 1907 Nils Gustaf Dalén produced the sun valve which turned the beacon on and off using daylight. Nils Gustaf Dalén ( November 30, 1869 &ndash December 9 1937) was a Swedish Nobel Laureate and industrialist the founder of the A sun valve ( Solventil, "solar valve" is a form of Flow control valve, notable because it earned its inventor Gustaf Dalén the Nobel prize The first one was erected on Furuholmen’s lighthouse between Stockholm and Vaxholm[21]. ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Vaxholm is a town in the Stockholm archipelago in central Sweden. In 1912 Dalén was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his invention of 'automatic valves designed to be used in combination with gas accumulators in lighthouses'[22]
Dalén's inventions, electrification and automatic lamp changers began to make lighthouse keepers obsolete. The Nobel Prize in Physics (Nobelpriset i fysik is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. However, for many years, lighthouses still had keepers, partly because lighthouse keepers could serve as a rescue service if necessary. Improvements in maritime navigation and safety such as GPS have led to the phasing out of non-automated lighthouses, with the last keepers removed in the 1990s. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth [23]
Modern
Often in inaccessible locations, modern lighthouses are much more functional and less picturesque; usually they use solar-charged batteries and have a single stationary flashing light sitting on a steel skeleton tower. A flashing light is a rhythmic light in which the total duration of the light in each period is clearly shorter than the total duration of the darkness and in which the flashes The last manned lighthouse built in the US was the Charleston Light constructed in 1962. Charleston Light on Sullivan's Island South Carolina, which is the northern entrance to Charleston harbor was built to replace the old Charleston light on Morris Resembling an air traffic control tower, it has such modern features as a triangular shape, aluminum alloy skin, air conditioning, an elevator and the most powerful lamp in the Western Hemisphere. An elevator or lift is a Transport device used to move people or goods vertically from one floor to another It too is now automated. [24]
Famous lighthouse builders
Some builders are well known for their work in building multiple lighthouses. The Point Reyes Lighthouse, also known as Point Reyes Light or the Point Reyes Light Station, is a Lighthouse in the Gulf of the Farallones The Stevenson family (Robert, Alan, David, Thomas, David Alan and Charles) made lighthouse building a three generation profession in Scotland. Robert Stevenson (8 June 1772&ndash12 July 1850 was a Scottish Civil engineer and famed designer and builder of Lighthouses Early life Alan Stevenson (1807 Edinburgh – 1865 was a Lighthouse engineer who was Engineer to the Board of Northern Lighthouses. David Stevenson (1815&ndash1886 was a Lighthouse designer who designed over thirty lighthouses in and around Scotland, and helped found a great Dynasty For the chemist see Thomas Stevenson (toxicologist Thomas Stevenson (1818-1887 was a pioneering Lighthouse designer who designed over David Alan Stevenson (1854 Edinburgh – 1938 was a Lighthouse engineer who built twenty six lighthouses in and around Scotland. Charles Alexander Stevenson (1855 Edinburgh – 1950 was a Lighthouse engineer who built twenty three lighthouses in and around Scotland. Irishman Alexander Mitchell invented and built a number of screwpile lighthouses despite being blind. Alexander Mitchell, ( April 13, 1780 – June 25, 1868) was an Irish Engineer who from 1802 was blind. Corps of Engineers Lieutenant George Meade built numerous lighthouses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts before gaining wider fame as the winning general at the Battle of Gettysburg. The United States Army Corps of Engineers ( USACE) is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 34600 Civilian and 650 Military personnel Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services George Gordon Meade ( December 31, 1815 &ndash November 6, 1872) was a career United States Army officer and civil engineer involved Background and movement to battle See also [[Gettysburg Campaign]] [[Gettysburg Battlefield]] [[Gettysburg Confederate order of battle]] [[Confederate order of battle]] Alexander Ballantyne built two of the most challenging wave washed lighthouses on barren rock in the Pacific, Tillamook Rock Light and St. George Reef Light. Tillamook Rock Light is a Lighthouse on the Oregon Coast of the United States, located one mile offshore from Tillamook Head. The St George Reef Light was a Lighthouse located six miles (10 km off the coast of northern California near Crescent City. [25] Englishman James Douglass was knighted for his work on lighthouses
Range lights
Aligning two fixed points on land provides a navigator with a line of position called Range. A position line is a line that can be identified both on a Nautical chart or Aeronautical chart and by observation out on the surface of the Earth. Ranges can be used to precisely align a vessel within a narrow channel such as in a river. If the landmarks of a range are illuminated with a set of fixed lighthouses, navigation can also be done at night.
Such paired lighthouses are called Range lights. Two lights are used in this scheme. The one closer to the vessel is named the beacon or front range; the furthest away is called the rear range. The rear range light is always taller than the front range light.
When the vessel is on the correct course, the two lights line up above one another. But when the observer is on the wrong course, the difference in alignment makes it very obvious whether to travel left or right to correct the problem. [26]
Maintenance
In the United States, lighthouses are maintained by the United States Coast Guard. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the [27] Those in England and Wales are looked after by Trinity House, those in Scotland by the Northern Lighthouse Board, and those in Ireland by the Commissioners of Irish Lights. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Corporation of Trinity House is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England Wales and other British Territorial waters (with the exception of Scotland Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The Northern Lighthouse Board ( NLB) is the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL is the body that serves as the Lighthouse authority for all of the island of Ireland plus its adjacent seas and islands In Canada, they are managed by the Canadian Coast Guard. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Canadian Coast Guard ( CCG) ( Garde côtière canadienne ( GCC) is the Coast guard of Canada. In Australia, lighthouses are looked after by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA is responsible on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and safety oversight of Australia's shipping
The Soviet Union built a number of automated lighthouses powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators in remote locations. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 A radioisotope thermoelectric generator ( RTG, RITEG) is an Electrical generator which obtains its power from Radioactive decay. They operated for very long periods of time without external support with great reliability[28]. However numerous installations have been found deteriorated, stolen and/or vandalized. Some of these lighthouses cannot be found due to poor record keeping. [29]
Preservation
As lighthouses have become less essential to navigation, many of their historic structures have faced demolition or neglect. In the United States, the Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 [30] provides for the transfer of lighthouse structures to local governments and private non-profit groups, while the USCG continues to maintain the actual lamps and lenses. In Canada, the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society won heritage status for Sambro Island Lighthouse and has sponsored a bill to change to Canadian federal laws to protect lighthouses. The Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society (NSLPS is a non profit charitable organization that works to save Lighthouses in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada Sambro Island Lighthouse is landfall Lighthouse located at the entrance to Halifax, Nova Scotia, near the community of Sambro. An Act To Protect Heritage Lighthouses, officially known as Bill S-215, is a federal act to designate and preserve historically significant Canadian Lighthouses. [31]
Many groups have been formed to restore and save lighthouses around the world. They include the World Lighthouse Society and the United States Lighthouse Society. Another international group is the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, which sends amateur radio operators to publicize the preservation of remote lighthouses throughout the world. Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a Hobby and a service in which participants called "hams" use various types of Radio communications [32]
Popular culture and symbolism
Visiting and photographing lighthouses are popular hobbies as is collecting ceramic replicas of them. In some locations, lighthouses have become popular travel destinations in themselves and the buildings are maintained as tourist attractions. In the US, National Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is celebrated on the first weekend of August and International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is celebrated on the third weekend. Many lighthouses are open to the public and Amateur Radio Operators often communicate between them on these days. Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a Hobby and a service in which participants called "hams" use various types of Radio communications
Lighthouses are popular icons on vehicle license plates. A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a Motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes Barnegat Lighthouse, Tuckerton Island Lighthouse, Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, Saybrook Breakwater Light and Biloxi Light are so depicted. Barnegat Lighthouse, colloquially known as " Old Barney " is located in Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on the northern tip of Long Beach Island The Thomas Point Shoal Light, also known as Thomas Point Shoal Light Station, is a historic Lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay on the East coast of the Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse is a Lighthouse in Connecticut, United States, at Fenwick Point on the Connecticut River near Old Saybrook Biloxi Light is a Lighthouse in Biloxi, Mississippi, adjacent to the Mississippi Sound of the Gulf of Mexico. [33][34]
The Disney film Pete's Dragon featured a lighthouse and the resulting Helen Reddy song "Candle on the Water" alludes to it. Pete's Dragon (first released on November 3, 1977) is a live-action/animated musical Feature film from Walt Disney Helen Reddy (born October 25, 1941) is an Australian/American Singer / Songwriter. " Candle on the Water " is a song from Walt Disney Picture's live action/animation film Pete's Dragon. An Australian television series Round the Twist also involved a family living at Split Point Lighthouse. Round the Twist is a Logie Award -winning Australian Children's television series about three children and their widowed father who live in a Split Point Lighthouse is a Lighthouse located in Aireys Inlet &mdasha small town on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia
To recognize the role of Lighthouse keepers in the nations maritime safety, the US Coast Guard named a class of 175-foot (53 m) coastal buoy tenders after famous US Lighthouse Keepers. The United States Coast Guard commissioned a new Keeper -class of coastal buoy tenders in the 1990's that are 175 feet (53 m in length and named after Lighthouse 14 ships in the class were built between 1996 and 2000. [35]
Due to their function as beacons of safety, lighthouses are used as symbols by certain organizations. The musical instrument is spelled Cymbal. A symbol is something --- such as an object, Picture, written word a sound a piece Marriage Encounter uses the lighthouse as their symbol. Marriage Encounter (ME is a religiously-based weekend program designed to help married couples improve their Marriage, grow closer to each other and improve commitment to The lighthouse is also the symbol of US organization for the blind. [36] Lighthouses are often interpreted in dreams as beacons of truth or as male fertility and influence. Dreams are the images sounds thoughts and feelings experienced while Sleeping, particularly strongly associated with Rapid eye movement sleep. Beacons are aids to Navigation devices Intentionally conspicuous beacons help guide navigators to their destinations
Shurgard Storage Centers used a lighthouse as their logo and incorporated lighthouse towers in their facilities, which still stand following the company's acquisition by Public Storage. Shurgard Storage Centers Inc was a Real estate investment trust (REIT based in the Cascade neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Public Storage ( a Real estate investment trust (REIT is one of the largest Self-storage companies in the United States with headquarters in Glendale [37]
See also
- Day beacon
- Fresnel Lens
- Jean Guichard - Lighthouse photographer
- John Richardson Wigham - Innovator in lighthouse engineering
- Knott family (lighthouse keepers)
- Lens lantern
- Light on the Island (book)
- Lighthouse keeper
- Flannan Isles Lighthouse Mystery of 1900
- List of lighthouses and lightvessels
- List of lighthouses in the United States by height
- Lady Isle Lighthouse and beacons
References & Sources
References
- ^ Lighthouses: An Administrative History
- ^ Crompton & Rhein (2002)
- ^ Crompton & Rhein (2002)
- ^ Lighthouses: An Administrative History
- ^ Lighthouse Lenses and Illuminants
- ^ Crompton & Rhein (2002)
- ^ Aids To Navigation Abbreviations
- ^ Lighthouses And Radar Beacons
- ^ How far is the horizon? - BoatSafe Kids!
- ^ Lighthouse Construction Types
- ^ Lightships of the US
- ^ Light Station Components
- ^ Crompton & Rhein (2002)
- ^ Crompton & Rhein (2002)
- ^ Crompton & Rhein (2002)
- ^ Crompton & Rhein (2002)
- ^ Crompton & Rhein (2002)
- ^ Jones & Robert (1998)
- ^ Lighthouses: An Administrative History
- ^ Lighthouses: An Administrative History
- ^ History - The Sun Valve
- ^ Gustaf Dalén - Biography
- ^ Lighthouse Keepers in the Nineteenth Century
- ^ Crompton & Rhein (2002)
- ^ Architects, Engineers and Contractors
- ^ Range Lights
- ^ Lighthouses: An Administrative History
- ^ AEI: September 1996, RTG Materials
- ^ Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators - Bellona
- ^ National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000
- ^ 'Lighthouse Bill Protecting Our Lighthouses - The Icons of Canada's Maritime Heritage' Canadian Heritage Foundation Featured Heritage Buildings by Douglas Franklin http://www.heritagecanada.org/eng/featured/current.html
- ^ Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society
- ^ http://www.sunherald.com/306/story/114405.html
- ^ Saybrook Breakwater Light
- ^ USCG: About Us - Aircraft & Cutters
- ^ Lighthouse International - Home - Hope When Vision Fails
- ^ Shurgard Europe
[International Lighthouse/ Lightship Weekend][1]
Sources
Bibliography and further reading
- Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses.
- Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse is a Lighthouse in Connecticut, United States, at Fenwick Point on the Connecticut River near Old Saybrook Minicoy Island or Maliku is the only inhabited island of the Maliku Atoll and is located at. Lakshadweep ( (ലക്ഷദ്വീപ്,) the smallest Union territory of India, is a group of islands 200 to 300 km off of the coast of India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Rhein, The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses (2002) ISBN 1592231020; ISBN 978-1592231027.
- Hyde, Charles K. , and Ann and John Mahan. The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0814325548 ISBN 9780814325544.
- Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, American Lighthouses (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed. ) ISBN 0762703245; ISBN 978-0762703241.
- Jones, Ray,The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference(Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed. ) ISBN 0762727357; ISBN 978-0762727353.
- Noble, Dennis, Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997. ISBN 1557506388; ISBN 9781557506382.
- Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc. , 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
- Penrod, John, Lighthouses of Michigan, (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 9780942618785 ISBN 9781893624238.
- Penrose, Laurie and Bill, A Traveler’s Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses (Petoskey, Michigan: Friede Publications, 1999). ISBN 0923756035 ISBN 9780923756031
- Pepper, Terry. Seeing the Light: Lighthouses on the western Great Lakes.
- Putnam, George R. , Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. , 1933).
- Roach, Jerry, Ultimate Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (2003).
- Thurston, Harry,Against Darkness and Storm: Lighthouses of the Northeast (Halifax: Nimbus, 1993).
- United States Coast Guard, Aids to Navigation, (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945).
- United States Coast Guard, Aids to Navigation Historical Bibliography.
- Wagner, John L. . Beacons Shining in the Night: The Lighthouses of Michigan. Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
- Wagner, John L. , Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective, (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1880311011 ISBN 9781880311011.
- Weiss, George, The Lighthouse Service, Its History, Activities and Organization(Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1926)
- Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993.
External links
- The Lighthouse Directory Research tool with details of over 9000 lighthouses and navigation lights around the world with photos and links.
- Lighthouse Explorer Website The Lighthouse Explorer Database, with over 7500 lighthouses listed in searchable format, with information, photos, maps and other information
- The WWW Virtual Library: The World's Lighthouses, Lightships & Lifesaving Stations Links to a variety of lighthouse related resources on the web
- Guide to Lighthouses A growing gallery of Lighthouses images and history
- Lighthouses and beacons on Planete-TP
- Volume 7, US Coast Guard Lightlist in PDF Format.
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