How Do Lighthouses Work?
Lighthouses are historical markers on bodies of water, which serve as warning systems for boaters. They are also important features of coastal and marine towns. They are typically tall buildings, even towering over the water. In some cases, lighthouses were part of larger townships with a government presence. In recent years, many lighthouses have been converted into private residences or private nautical homes.
DescriptionA lighthouse is any structure, whether a building or a tower, designed to cast light in a horizontal manner from an elevated post or other form of mount and to serve as a warning system for mariners or sailors at sea. A lighthouse keeper usually keeps one or more lighthouses open at all times to keep a watchful eye on vessels approaching a coast. For this reason, lighthouses are also called water towers or watch towers. They may be tall and slender, depending on the purpose of the lighthouse and the surrounding area where it is located.
The basic design of a lighthouse consists of a large stage housing a bellows at the top, which is raised and lowered by an external pulley system. Light beams are reflected from the top of the bellow down through a series of smaller bells that each provide a different color of light. As these colors of light fall on the water, they become visible to any vessels that are sailing nearby.
How they Work Several lighthouses are constructed with a single bellows that can rotate in different directions. Others must be constructed with more than one bellows. The angle of each is also critical, as large variations in angle can cause an inaccurate reading. This is why a lighthouse need to be at the correct angle to the sea’s surface.
Navigation There are a number of other functions that lighthouses perform besides illuminating vessels. For instance, some of them were built so that they could keep accurate records of coastlines, tides and other ocean information that is important for navigation. Others still have internal compasses, navigation mechanisms and/or computers in order to determine where a ship is in relation to other vessels in the area. This helps chartered boats and cruise ships find their way around unfamiliar areas.
History Although the purpose of lighthouses has been debated over for centuries, they are now used around the world for a variety of reasons. Some of them have seen a resurgence in popularity, while others have been lost to the history books and the waves of the future. Many of the modern lighthouses are designed to improve shipping and safety, and may even have the ability to predict weather patterns in the future. As more technological advances are made, lighthouses are expected to become more efficient. How they work may very well continue on for centuries to come!
The St. Augustine Lighthouse sits on the north end of Anastasia Island in St. Augustine, Florida. The current tower, which was built in 1874, rises to 165 feet above sea level. The original lighthouse, built in 1824, was approximately 500 yards northeast of the current lighthouse. Due to the receding shoreline, it fell into the ocean back in 1880.
Throughout its early history, the lighthouse employed up to three lightkeepers at a time. There was a head keeper and two assistants. In 1955, when the lighthouse was automated, there was no longer a need for lightkeepers and the last one left at that time. The lightkeepers, who would actually live on site, were replaced by lamplighters, who would tend the light but didn’t actually live there.
According to the lighthouse’s official website, there have been seven people who have died on the lighthouse grounds: three lightkeepers, a keeper’s wife and three young girls. Several of these are said to have died of natural causes. One man fell to his death from the original lighthouse in 1859, and the three girls died in a tragic drowning accident.
The lighthouse and its surrounding buildings have a long history of paranormal activity and stories of the hautings have been passed on and have been featured in popular television shows, books, and local lore for decades. Visitors and workers say they have seen moving shadows and heard voices along with unexplained sounds. Some tour guides claim they hear someone climbing the tower steps, but the footfalls fade away, and no one is ever there at the top of the tower. There is also said to be a little girl who likes to play pranks residing in the keeper’s house, a tall man in the basement, and a spirit who likes to play with the merchandise in the gift shop. One former keeper was infamous for enjoying his cigars. Today, the scent of his cigar can still be detected several times a week.
Several employees have reportedly seen a hazy male figure walking through the lighthouse. Footsteps from an unseen presence can be heard shuffling on the gravel and the steps outside the lighthouse. Other reports are of a woman seen on the lighthouse stairway or walking in the yard outside the buildings.
Perhaps the most famous tragic story is that of three young girls who died during the construction of the second lighthouse. The story says that there was a rail car or some type of vehicle that went from the light station to the ocean. The children liked to play on it and ride on it for fun. On July 10, 1873, the cart somehow ended up in the water. Five children fell into the water and some of the Workers managed to save a boy and a girl. Two of the construction superintendent’s daughters, Mary and Eliza, and a young black girl, either a servant or the daughter of a worker, drowned.
It’s said that today, the girls can be heard laughing in the tower late at night. The eldest of the construction superintendent’s daughters, Mary, has also been spotted wearing the same blue velvet dress and blue hair bow she was wearing when she died. Reports also say that the the figures of two little girls can sometimes be seen standing on the lighthouse catwalk.
For years there have been reports of a large dark, male spirit that hangs around the water collecting cisterns in the basement. Supposedly he was a sailor or a former lightkeeper who hung himself in the lighthouse in the 1930’s. According to the lighthouse’s website, there isn’t any proof or evidence that anyone ever hung him/herself there.
History says that the original owner of the lighthouse was forced to sell it to the government in 1865 because it was believed that the land under the lighthouse was receding and the ocean would eventually swallow it. The state offered to buy the lighthouse for alot less than it was worth and he refused to sell. The government then threatened to take the lighthouse via eminent domain and give him nothing. At this point, the former owner was outraged and vowed never to leave the lighthouse. Lighthouse staff say he seems to have kept his vow as his spirit is sometimes seen late at night walking in and around the property.
One of my favorite episodes of Ghost Hunters was filmed at the St. Augustine Lighthouse. The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) stopped by to see if they could prove or disprove any of the hauntings. During the episode, they caught a few interesting things on both video and audio. There was a female voice that seemed to say “help me” a few times on the audio recording. The video camera captured a dark figure moving really quickly up the circular staircase and then stopping to look over the railing down at the camera crew from the top floor. The figure then disappeared. When Jason and Grant went to investigate, they realized the door at the top which would be the only exit was padlocked from the inside. There was also a motion detection light that never came on until the TAPS guys got up there. Overall, with the evidence they captured, the guys determined that they really couldn’t prove the place wasn’t haunted.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse is currently owned and maintained by the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Inc. The lighthouse is operational and is is an official, privately-owned, active aid to navigation. The museum is open to the public and the admission price funds preservation of the lighthouse and programs in maritime archeology and education. The lighthouse offers night tours of the site, though they don’t promise any ghosts.
Find more articles and information on haunted lighthouses by visiting HauntedLighthouses.info.