#FAMOUS LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER SKIN#

During the 19th century, the Head Keeper’s pay ranged from $250 to $600, others were paid less. By today’s standards that would be the equivalent of $16,000. George Worthylake, our first, received $250 a year.

Keepers were paid a lower middle class wage.Uniforms were not introduced into the service until 1884.One-to-five keepers manned the light stations.Some lighthouses display a green or red light and some a white light with a green or red sector created by substituting a colored ‘storm’ for a clear one. Other characteristics are osculating, group flashing, quick flashing, and equal interval. The type of signal is called the characteristic. The reflector system and the Fresnel system had fixed (steady light) and revolving (flashing) optics.They are located in the ‘lantern room’ of the tower and the glazings (windows) are called ‘storm panes’. The source of light is called the ‘lamp’ (be it electric or fueled by oil) the magnification of the light is caused by the ‘lens’ or ‘optic’.

#FAMOUS LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER SKIN#

Lighthouses are constructed of wood, granite, brick, sandstone, steel, cast iron, reinforced concrete and one has an outer skin of aluminum.

Electricity started to replace kerosene around the turn of the century. Kerosene started replacing lard oil in the 1870’s and the service was finally totally converted by the late 1880’s. Colza oil (pressed from wild cabbages) replaced whale oil in the early 1850’s, but our farmers’ lack of interest in growing this caused the service to switch to lard oil in the mid 1850’s. Although the Fresnel lens was invented in 1822, it wasn’t used in this country until the 1850’s.

Whale oil was used with solid wicks as the source of light until a parabolic reflector system was introduced around 1810.

Other fog signals have been whistles, sirens, reed trumpets, bells, diaphone (BEEEEooooh) horns and diaphragm (brrrrrrrrr) horns.

The first fog signal in this country was at the Boston Lighthouse and it was a cannon.

The last lightship was removed from the Nantucket station in 1984. In 1921, lightships began being equipped with radio beacons. Lightships displayed lights at the tops of their mast(s) and in foggy areas sounded a bell or other fog signal such as a whistle, siren or horn. The first lightships were located in the lower Chesapeake Bay (1820) and the most stations were in 1915 when there were 72 lightships manning 55 stations.

Lightships were employed where the water was too deep to construct a lighthouse or it was impracticable.

850 lighthouses in operation at once, although about 1,500 were constructed in this country over the years - the hey-day being about 1910. In 1910 civilians started replacing the military officers. He ran the district in tandem with an Army Corps of Engineer who was in charge of engineering projects. The USLHE had a District Inspector (Naval Officer) as operational control. Today the Coast Guard only has ten districts.

After 1852 the country was divided into Districts originally eight, they eventually numbered 19.

The Coast Guard took over on July 7, 1939. Lighthouse Establishment) held sway from 1852 to Jwhen Commerce created the Bureau of Lighthouses. Over the years, lighthouses were placed under the direction of Department of Revenue (this department was disbanded in 1820), Treasury (until 1903), the Commerce and Transportation.

The Lighthouse Service was created in 1789 by the 9th Act of the first Congress.

The most expensive lighthouse built in America is St.

The tallest lighthouse is Cape Hatteras, NC (196 ft.

There were 12 lighthouses when we became a nation in 1776.

The oldest existing lighthouse in America is Sandy Hook, NJ (1764), which is still in operation.

The original tower was destroyed by the British and eventually reconstructed in 1784. The first keeper was George Worthylake who was drowned, along with his wife and daughter, when returning to the island in 1718.

The first lighthouse in America was at Boston on Little Brewster Island (1716).

A Roman lighthouse is located on the Cliffs of Dover in the UK that was constructed in 40 A.D.

The oldest existing lighthouse in the world is considered to be La Coruna in Spain that dates from ca.

It was destroyed in stages by invaders and earthquakes, being destroyed in the 1300’s. This lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ptolemy I and his son Ptolemy II constructed it between 300 and 280 B.C.

The first known lighthouse was the Pharos of Alexandria, Egypt.Lighthouse Facts Courtesy of the US Lighthouse Society

Famous lighthouse keeper