Chatham Light
| Chatham Light | ||
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| Place: | Chatham , Massachusetts , United States | |
| Location: | Massachusetts , United States | |
| Geographical location: | 41 ° 40 '17.1 " N , 69 ° 56' 59.6" W | |
| Fire carrier height : | 48 ft (14.6 m ) | |
| Fire height : | 80 ft (24.4 m ) | |
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| Identifier : | Fl (2) W.10s | |
| Scope knows: | 24 nm (44.4 km ) | |
| Optics: | DCB-224 | |
| Construction time: | 1808/1841/1877 | |
| Operating time: | til today | |
| International ordinal number: | J0394 | |
The Chatham Light is an historic lighthouse in Chatham in the state of Massachusetts of the United States . The structure was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 as part of the Multiple Property Submission Lighthouses of Massachusetts MPS and is a Contributing Property of the Old Village Historic District .
history
Already in the 19th century there was intensive shipping traffic on Cape Cod . The waters at Chatham were particularly dangerous due to the shallows and strong currents. In April 1806, the United States Congress approved $ 5,000 (approximately $ 108,000 today) and an additional $ 2,000 in 1808 (approximately $ 42,000 today) to build a second lighthouse in Chatham in addition to the existing Monomoy Point Light . To distinguish itself from the Highland Light , it was decided to erect two octagonal, 40 ft (12.2 m ) high wooden towers around 70 ft (21.3 m) apart with continuous white light. US President Thomas Jefferson named Samuel Nye the first lighthouse keeper of Chatham Light.
After clear signs of wear and tear could already be seen in 1838, the towers were rebuilt in 1841 for 6750 dollars (today approx. 204,000 dollars) from bricks with a height of 30 ft (9.1 m). In 1875, the lighthouse keeper counted a total of 16,000 ships passing the towers. 1877 were the two towers due to advanced soil erosion only 48 ft (14.6 m) from the cliffs away, so the old buildings demolished and continue ft inland by two new, high 48 lighthouses (14.6 m) cast iron were replaced .
Coastal erosion continued so that on September 30, 1879, the southern tower was only 27 in (685.8 mm ) from the cliffs. On December 15, 1879, at 1 p.m., he fell on the beach below. In 1939 the remaining tower was electrified and its output increased from 30,000 to 800,000 candle strengths. In 1969, the previous Fresnel lens was replaced by a modern optic with a luminosity of 2.8 million candle strengths. At the same time, a new fire house was installed. After the automation in 1982, the optics were renewed again in August 1993 with so-called aerobeacons of the type DCB-224 .
The lighthouse was entered on June 15, 1987 under the number 87001501 in the National Register of Historic Places and classified there on December 17, 2001 as a Contributing Property of the Old Village Historic District .
Architecture and technology
The 48 ft (14.6 m) high Chatham Light is made of cast iron and stands on a concrete foundation . The lighthouse emits a flash of light lasting 0.1 seconds, followed by a 2 second dark phase, followed by a light flash lasting 0.1 seconds, followed by a 7.8 second dark phase. The white flashes of light have a range of 24 nm (44.4 km ).
See also
- List of entries on the National Register of Historic Places in Barnstable County
- List of lighthouses in the United States
literature
- Salzman, NL; Clarke, J .: Lighthouse Information Form. ( PDF ) Massachusetts Historical Commission, July 22, 1981, accessed on February 11, 2016 (English, accessible via the "NR" button).
Web links
- Chatham Lighthouse in the United States Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System
- Video on YouTube - playing time 1:23 minutes
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d D'Entremont, Jeremy: Chatham Light history - New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide. Retrieved February 11, 2016 .
- ^ National Register Information System . In: National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service . Retrieved March 13, 2009.
- ↑ Light List Volume I. ( PDF ) Department of Homeland Security , United States Coast Guard , 2016, p. 39 , accessed on February 11, 2016 (English).
