Lighthouses

[Racoon]

I figured I'd put lighthouses in engineering and applied science..

The earliest lighthouses were simply bonfires built on hillsides to guide ships. The first light served the old world city of Alexandria in 285 B.C. The first American light came to life in 1716 at Boston Harbor.

 

 

 

How great are/were Lighthouses?

I was watching a cool show that was fixing up an old lighthouse.

Amazing stuff.

 

You had to be a special breed to maintain and keep residence in a lighthouse. An important, yet physically demanding job.

 

Most lighthouses are about 100 feet of straight verticle stairs to get to the lighting mechanism.

Light houses were first candle lit, then whale oil and kerosene. So the keeper would have to carry buckets up. not an easy chore.

 

I am also intrigued by the system of reflecting glass and mirrors they used to beam out the light a good 10-20 miles out into harbor and coastline for the weary sailors who welcomed the brilliancy and guidance.

 

With modern technology all but putting lighthouses in the category of museums, how important do you think lighthouses were? and the technology they used to help direct commerce and transportation?

 

I suppose I'm a bit of an old-fashioned romantic who finds charm and science in a nice old lighthouse :D

 

 

Legendary Lighthouses

 

Lighthouse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Mercedes Benzene]

Currently, there are a couple lighthouses for sale in the Chesapeake Bay. One I was looking it was $5000. Well, it was a little on the rickety side. A fire broke out on it in the 1920s, and has been leaning at an odd angle for quite some time now. The light is still operational, but if you buy it, the seller is not responsible for any damages or hazardous materials that may be on the lighthouse. :beer: If you had enough money, you could actually fix it up quite nicely.

 

Anyway, living near the Chesapeake Bay I have had ample opportunities for visiting various lighthouses. I find them very intriguing, and as a little child dreamed of owning one. I think it would be quite nice to live in a lighthouse, and despite the somewhat deminished need for them today, having the responsibilty of maintaining one would be quite rewarding.

[DougF]

Mercedes Benzene

Currently' date=' there are a couple lighthouses for sale in the Chesapeake Bay. One I was looking it was $5000. Well, it was a little on the rickety side. A fire broke out on it in the 1920s, and has been leaning at an odd angle for quite some time now. [/Quote']

I think it would be cool to live in a lighthouse even if "somewhat diminished need for them today," I would still keep the light on OK call me a romantic.

I was watching MEGA MOVERS (I think) and they were moving the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, cool show and a relay cool looking lighthouse check out the site.

And I think lighthouses should be keep up and in good working order it's a History that should be enjoyed by all. :doh:

 

 

 

Moving the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse - Cape Hatteras National Seashore - Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Relocation Project - Moving the Lighthouse - National Park Service

By 1987' date=' the lighthouse, which had been situated 1,600 feet from the shore when it was activated in 1870, was only 120 feet from the ocean.

 

After more than 10 years of extensive evaluation and funding skirmishes, the NPS decided in 1989 that the most cost-effective and environmentally sensitive way to preserve the national treasure, including two keeper's quarters and three water cisterns, was to move it a half-mile inland, again placing it 1,600 feet from the shore.[/Quote']

 

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse' date=' the tallest brick lighthouse in the U.S., faces eventual destruction due to coastal erosion. The lighthouse was built in 1870, 1,500 feet (460 meters) from the shoreline, replacing a lighthouse built near the present site in 1803. It is 200 feet (61 meters) tall and weighs approximately 2,800 tons (2,540 metric tons). Protective measures to reduce the rate of beach erosion in front of the lighthouse have provided a temporary respite, but by late 1987, the lighthouse stood only 160 feet (49 meters) from the sea. The motivation for protecting the lighthouse and its associated structures is to preserve a famous and historic landmark; modern navigational aids have outmoded its original function of protecting shipping in the stormy waters off the Outer Banks[/Quote']