United States Merchant Marine Academy - Midships Yearbook (Kings Point, NY)

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THE PHAROS: Built during the reign of Ptolemy in 280 B.C., the Pharos is construed to be one of the world’s most magnificent structures. Declared one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pharos was completely destroyed during the fourteenth century. Ever since man first ventured upon the high seas, the need for lighted beacons to guide water craft along the coast has been apparent. Although there is no mention of light beacons in the Periplus of Scylax, the Mediterranean Sailing Directions of the fourth century B.C., it is generally believed that there existed at the time numerous fires along the shores by which seafarers would guide their vessels. It was not until 280 B.C. that the first definite historical record of a lighthouse could be found. It was by strange coincidence that this earliest lighthouse was the most imposing lighthouse structure of all times— the Pharos. Completed under Ptolemy in 280 B.C., the Pharos was constructed in Alexandria, Egypt near the mouth of the Nile River. In height and fame it has never been surpassed by any other lighthouse. The Greek geographer Strabo stated in 24 B.C.: “Pharos is a small oblong island,” and on its east- ern extremity “is a rock washed by the sea on all sides, with a tower upon it of the same name as the island, admirably constructed of white marble, with several stories. Sostratus of Cindus, a friend of the kings, erected it for the safety of mariners, as the inscription imports. For, as the coast on each side is low and without harbors, with reefs and shallows, an elevated and conspicuous mark was required to enable navigators coming in from the open sea to direct their course exactly to the entrance of the harbor.” This “tower of great height, of wonderful construc- tion,” as described by Caesar, is known to have been MITYLENE LIGHT, Greece: Typical of the early light- houses in the Mediterranean Sea, this old line engraving by Jean Dambrnm depicts the importance of these “guiding lights” to early mariners. RAMSGATE LIGHTHOUSE: With the discovery of the new world, increased ocean commerce demanded more and better lights along the rocky coasts of England. Ramsgate is among the most noted of the early nineteenth century English lighthouses to meet this need. 8

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Montauk Point Lighthouse Pharos Loquitur “Far in the bosom of the deep, O’er these wild shelves my watch I keep A ruddy gem of changeful light, Bound on the dusky brow of Night The seaman bids my luster hail, And scornes to strike his timorous sail.’’ 7 Sir Walter Scott

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in actual use for over fourteen hundred years, for in 1154, the Arabian geographer Edrisi writes: ‘'This structure is singularly remarkable, as much of its height as of its solidity . . . During the night it appears as a star, and during the day it is distinguished by the smoke.” So famous was the Pharos of Alexandria that it became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and so synonymous did the name “Pharos” become for “lighthouse,” that it was adopted by the Romance languages as the word for “lighthouse.” During the fourteenth century, the Pharos was found in ruins, its destruction a veiled, dubious mystery. For over three hundred years after the destruction of the Pharos, lighthouse construction and develop- ment remained in an obscure null. With the increase in exploration and trade, the lighthouse flourished, playing a vital role in the development of commerce and the world. Shipping spread from the Mediter- ranean Area around the Iberian Peninsula to northern Europe and England, and as it did, the lighthouse followed. The old fragile structures of Messina and Mitylene gave way to the more complex engineered towers of such lights as Ramsgate, Eddystone, Long- ships, and South Stack, each serving the sole purpose of guiding ships and saving lives. It is no small wonder that Boston Lighthouse was established in 1716, early in the history of our country—the importance and need of lighthouses being firmly established by the maritime nations of the world. “Nothing indicates the liberality, -prosperity, or in- telligence of a nation more clearly than the facilities which it affords for the safe approach of the mariner to its shores.” The most desirable and ideal realization of the above quotation (which is of unknown origin) would be a continuous line of lights along the coast, so constructed that the arcs of each light overlap. Such a realization is, however, restricted by many limita- tions, for the distribution of lighthouses along a coast depends upon three basic factors: the physical con- ditions of the coastline, the meteorological conditions in the area, and the volume of shipping requiring the aid of a light. Alaska, for example, is in many areas almost void of a large volume of water borne com- merce, leaving long stretches of rock}- coastline hidden in the veil of darkness. The northeast coast of the United States, on the other hand, is heavily traversed and well suited for lighthouse construction. Xo matter where a lighthouse is finally placed, the completed structure will be a masterpiece in engineering skill, often of dignified and simple design, and yet con- structed to withstand the most strenuous rages of the wind and sea. Each lighthouse is constructed to meet the particular conditions of the locality. Some structures are unique. One such edifice is that of Mile Rock Lighthouse. Mile Rock Lighthouse is located approximately one mile west of the Golden Gate Bridge. It serves to usher vessels away from the infamous Mile Rock, which although visible during low water, is hidden from view with each incoming tide. Cylindrical in shape, this masonry tower has been anchored with great labor and pain to the bedrock of the sea. As with the cases of Minots and Eddystone Lights, numerous bores were driven in a circular pattern about a large center perforation on the protruding rock, which was cut to fit such a base. Into these bores, iron stanchions were cemented forming the skeleton of the structure. The framework having risen to its desired height, the thick rigid masonry was added, giving the tower stability and forming a barrier to the sea. SOUTH STACK LIGHT: In use for over one hundred-fifty years, this striking beautiful light structure on Holyhead still steers mariners away from the jagged rocks along the English coast. 9