Raffles Lighthouse
| Raffles Lighthouse | ||
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| Place: |
 Singapore , Pulau Satumu
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| Location: | Southwest , Singapore | |
| Geographical location: | 1 ° 9 '36.2 " N , 103 ° 44' 26.8" E | |
| Fire carrier height : | 95 ft (29 m ) | |
| Fire height : | 105 ft (32 m ) | |
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| Identifier : | Fl (3) W.20s | |
| Operating mode: | Solar energy | |
| Construction time: | 1854-1855 | |
| Operating time: | since November 1, 1855 | |
| International ordinal number: | F 1693 | |
Raffles Lighthouse is a lighthouse ( English Lighthouse ) on Pulau Satumu, an island in the Strait of Singapore . It has been in operation since November 1, 1855 and is the second oldest lighthouse in Singapore after Horsburgh Lighthouse .
Pulau Satumu
Pulau Satumu is the southernmost of over 70 islands in Singapore. During the British colonial times it was called Coney Island. The 1.3 hectare rock island is located 23 kilometers southwest of the main island and can be reached by boat in 45–60 minutes. It belongs to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and may only be entered by their personnel or with prior written permission. The intact reefs around the island are a popular destination for scientists, anglers and scuba divers .
history
The first plans for a lighthouse in this area of the sea go back to July 1838. At that time, Barn Island (now Pulau Senang), Alligator Island (Pulau Pawai) and Coney Island (Pulau Satumu) were considered. The decision was made on Coney Island because the small island offered the southernmost location for a lighthouse.
The British engineer John Bennett was commissioned to design the lighthouse. The foundation stone was laid on May 24, 1854, Queen Victoria's birthday . At this ceremony, the structure was named by the Governor of the Straits Settlements , William John Butterworth, after Thomas Stamford Raffles , the founder of Singapore.
The 29 meter high tower and the two-story house for the beacon keepers were built from granite . Indian prisoners, among others as stonecutters , were also used for the work. After the construction work was completed, the beacon went into operation on November 1, 1855.
function
The beacon was initially created with an argand burner and then with a kerosene lamp. In the 1960s it was electrified with its own diesel generator . Seven beacon keepers were constantly on duty on the island for the operation. In 1988 the beacon was automated and converted to solar energy . The number of beacon keepers could be reduced to two men. You spend ten days on the island and then have ten days off.
Raffles Lighthouse stands on the border of a traffic separation area and it marks the change from a south-westerly to a north-westerly course for ships traveling in the direction of the Strait of Malacca . The identifier of the beacon consists of a group of three white flashes with a return of twenty seconds (Fl (3) W.20s). Due to its importance, the station is also equipped with a radar beacon , an automatic identification system and a differential global positioning system . Next to the lighthouse is a radar tower to monitor ship traffic.
See also
Web links
- Russ Rowlett: Lighthouses of Singapore ( English ) In: The Lighthouse Directory . University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Retrieved November 22, 2016.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cheow Sue Ann and Fabian Koh: Singapore islands you may not have heard of. The Straits Times , June 11, 2014, accessed November 22, 2016 .
- ^ Vernon Cornelius-Takahama: Raffles Lighthouse. National Library Board Singapore, 2014, accessed November 22, 2016 .
- ↑ Audrey Tan: Open house at Raffles Lighthouse. The Straits Times , July 4, 2014, accessed November 22, 2016 .
- ^ List of Lights, Pub. 112, Western Pacific and Indian Oceans Including the Persian Gulf and Red Sea (PDF) (= List of Lights ), United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency , 2016, p. 387.