Historically Famous Lighthouses: CG-232United States. Coast Guard
History
Historically Famous Lighthouses: CG-232
United States. Coast Guard
Lighthouses -- United States
Cape Spencer Lighthouse, Alaska, is a primary light, fog signal, and
radiobeacon station, marking the northerly entrance from the Pacific
Ocean into the inside passages of southeastern Alaska. It is on a route
much frequented by vessels seeking to avoid the often stormy outside
passage. Cape Spencer is one of the most isolated of Alaskan
lighthouses, where the keepers must go 20 miles for their mail, and
where the nearest town of any size is 150 miles away. The station was
commissioned in 1925, and is fitted with the most modern types of
signalling equipment. From the top of the tower is shown a light of
500,000 candlepower, and in time of fog a diaphone fog signal is sounded
at regular intervals. The radiobeacon, established in 1926, and the
first radiobeacon in Alaska, is of high power, with a range of 200 miles
and more at sea. The station buildings are of reinforced concrete
construction. (1) (2)
_ALASKA_
SCOTCH CAP LIGHTHOUSE, UNIMAK ISLAND
Scotch Cap Light was built in 1903. It consisted of a wood tower on an
octagonal wood building 45 feet high and was 90 feet above the sea. It
was located on the southwest end of Unimak Island and on the east side
of the Unimak Pass into the Bering Sea. It was the first station
established on the outside coast of Alaska. Prior to the introduction of
the helicopter, access to the stations was so difficult that it was
impractical to arrange for leave of absence in the ordinary way. Instead
each keeper got one full year off in each 4 years of service. Coast
Guard enlisted personnel now man this isolated unit on a rotating one
year tour of duty.
During an earthquake and tidal wave of April 1, 1946, Scotch Cap
Lighthouse slid into the sea and all five persons on the station were
lost.
[Illustration]
A temporary unwatched light was established in 1946, consisting of a
small white house exhibiting a light of 300 candlepower maintaining the
former station characteristic of flashing white every 15 seconds, flash
3 seconds, eclipse 12 seconds. A radiobeacon was temporarily
reestablished at the radio direction finder station.
The new permanent structure was completed in the early part of 1950 and
the temporary light and radiobeacon discontinued. The new station
consists of a 800,000 candlepower light exhibited from a white
rectangular building with flat roof, a diaphone fog signal, and a
radiobeacon. (1) (2)
_CALIFORNIA_
FARALLON LIGHTHOUSE
Offshore, 25 miles off the Golden Gate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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