A 1927 Story from My Collection

I bought this old issue of The Mentor some years ago. It gives a nice glimpse at lighthouse in the 1920s.

Memories of Maine's Wood Island Lighthouse

Maine's Wood Island Lighthouse, though built offshore on a small island, was a popular one years ago due to its accessibility for recreational boaters and fishermen. The families who tended it were much-loved and remembered on holidays with gifts. Visitors frequented the lighthouse too. The old postcard above shows what the station looked like about 1900. The pointed, pyramidal structure was the bellhouse that housed the 1,315-pound fogbell. It was added to the light station in 1873 and had its own striking mechanism. The bell became famous after Keeper Thomas Orcutt taught his dog Sailor how to tug on the bell clapper and ring the bell. Sailor is pictured below. Later, in the late 1960s after electricity came to the island, the bell was replaced by a foghorn.Today, the bell is on display at Vines Landing on the mainland.

Photo courtesy of Judy Orcutt

There are many poignant, humorous, and tragic stories about life on Wood Island Light Station. Kraig Anderson of Lighthouse Friends, relates this one in his profile of the lighthouse--


Not all was idyllic on Wood Island during Keeper Orcutt’s tenure. Late in the afternoon of June 1, 1896, Howard Hobbs, a fisherman living in a shack on the opposite end of the island, arrived at the lighthouse and told Keeper Orcutt that he has just shot his landlord and neighbor, Frederick Milliken. Hobbs was delinquent in his rent, and when Milliken requested to speak with him, he showed up at Milliken’s place with a gun. Milliken attempted to ascertain whether the weapon was loaded, but Hobbs, who had been on the mainland drinking earlier that day, promptly fired a round into Milliken’s abdomen. Hobbs was immediately remorseful and tried to help Mrs. Milliken attend to her husband, but shortly after returning to the scene of the shooting with Keeper Orcutt, Mr. Milliken passed away. Hobbs retired to his shack, where he quickly penned a letter and then took his own life with a shot to his head. Due primarily to this event, Wood Island is considered by some to be haunted, and in 2005 the New England Ghost Project investigated the island for paranormal activity.    

Below are several stories and recollections of Wood Island lightkeeping featured in The Boston Globe in the 1920s. (Clipping below courtesy of Lighthouse Digest, February 1993)

Wood Island Light Station in recent years, courtesy of Bob Trapani, American Lighthouse Foundation. The Foundation has done a great deal of good work to restore the light station and provide public access to it.

For more information on the light station visit Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse.

Another great source of information is Jeremy D'Entremont's profile of Wood Island Lighthouse.

The Twelve Days of Lighthouse Christmas

©Elinor DeWire

SING IT!!!!!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

                A Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

           Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

               Three French lenses

                Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

                  Four groaning foghorns

    Three French lenses

              Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

                    Five golden vent-balls!

             Four groaning foghorns

      Three French lenses

                Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

                   Six geese on the railing

           Five golden vent-balls!

            Four groaning foghorns

      Three French lenses

                Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

                 Seven boats a-rowing

                    Six geese on the railing

            Five golden vent-balls!

             Four groaning foghorns

      Three French lenses

                Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

                         Eight bulls-eyes a-flashing

                 Seven boats a-rowing

                    Six geese on the railing

           Five golden vent-balls!

            Four groaning foghorns

      Three French lenses

                Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

                         Nine lady-keepers dancing

                 Eight bulls-eyes a-flashing

                 Seven boats a-rowing

                    Six geese on the railing

            Five golden vent-balls!

             Four groaning foghorns

      Three French lenses

                Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave me to me

                 Ten refracting prisms

                          Nine lady-keepers dancing

                  Eight bulls-eyes a-flashing

                  Seven boats a-rowing

                     Six geese on the railing

             Five golden vent-balls!

              Four groaning foghorns

       Three French lenses

                 Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

                  Eleven nice inspectors

                Ten refracting prisms

                         Nine lady-keepers dancing

                 Eight bulls-eyes a-flashing

                 Seven boats a-rowing

                    Six geese on the railing

           Five golden vent-balls!

            Four groaning foghorns

      Three French lenses

                Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

                       Twelve life-saving medals

                  Eleven nice inspectors

                Ten refracting prisms

                         Nine lady-keepers dancing

                 Eight bulls-eyes a-flashing

                 Seven boats a-rowing

                    Six geese on the railing

            Five golden vent-balls!

             Four groaning foghorns

      Three French lenses

                Two oil cans of brass

                And a Partridge Island Lighthouse figurine.

Image Credits

Pinterest

Kenosha News

1stDibs.com

Lighthouse Preservation Society

Old World Distributors, Inc.

Stanford.edu

Bruce Robie

De-Zuid-Afrikaan

U.S. Lighthouse Society

Geni.com

The Astronomer Lightkeeper

My close friends, and followers of my blog know that I love amateur astronomy. I worked in a planetarium for a number of years and have written several books of amateur astronomy and skywatching. My collection of astronomy books is nearly as larger as my collection of lighthouses books. Thus, when astronomy and pharology intersect, I am thrilled!

Check out this page below from my out-of-print Lighthouse Almanac. It talks about Tycho Brahe (1546-1601), one of history's renowned astronomers. He was in charge of two Dutch/Swedish lighthouses for twenty years. Tomorrow, December 14, 2016 would be his 470th birthday!

Click on the image to make it larger.

Some additional thoughts on Tycho:

• His name, Tycho, was a nickname of sorts, derived from the Greek goddess of fortune, Tyche. A Dutch king gave him the name because he cast excellent, seemingly accurate horoscopes. In Tycho's day, astronomy was not separate from astrology, so astronomers did horological forecasts. These provided some income and also kept astronomers in good graces with kings and other royalty. I don't think Tycho actually believed in his horoscopes. He used them to fund his observatory work and to keep his constituents happy. He was a pretty smart guy, so I doubt he bought into the ideas of astrology.

• The lighthouses in Tycho's care were called fyrs, or basket fires. Kullen Light was set up in 1560, an iron basket with a wood fire. Falserbo Light originally was established in the 1200s by monks who burned a wood brazier on the shore to guide mariners. In 1635 it was changed to coal, a fuel recently discovered in Sweden. It's likely Kullen Light was coal-fired at this time too.

• Tycho's death in 1601 in Prague is the subject of much debate. He was only 54 years old and reportedly healthy. Some believe Johannes Kepler poisoned Tycho in order to get hold of the great man's research. I doubt this. The men were friends. Tycho's observations were shared with Kepler before Tycho died. Kepler was a math whiz, able to convert Tycho's observations into planetary laws that still hold true today. Both men had talents and combined them to make awesome discoveries.

• For a time, historians thought Tycho was poisoned with mercury, and indeed it was found in some of his exhumed remains in the 1990s. (We lighthouse aficionados know all about mercury positioning, since the dense liquid was used to support lenses and allow them to revolve effortlessly.) Further work on Tycho's remains showed a scant amount of mercury--not enough to kill Tycho. Instead, CT and MRI examination of his body showed his bladder had burst and killed him. He had been at a banquet a few days prior to his death and had declined to get up from the banquet table and use the bathroom thinking it would offend his host. He was in great pain that evening and thereafter until his death a few days later. My take-away from this story? Excuse yourself, and use the loo!

• Both Kullen and Falsterbo now boast modern lighthouses with modern optics. Tycho would be amazed to see how modern-day lighthouses work!

A map Tycho drew of Hven, his Dutch/Swedish island and home to his observatory, Uraniborg. Both images above from Wikimedia Commons.

A statue of Tycho stands in the modern garden now planted where his observatory once stood on the island of Hven. He was shown looking up, of course. Hven once belonged to Denmark, then was given to Sweden. Today, it's a lovely, rural island with farms and fields. A museum on the island is dedicated to Tycho. Image above found on YOONIQ Images website.

A Cape Cod Christmas Story

I wrote this short story many years ago, after visiting Highland Lighthouse on Cape Cod on a snowy day. It has a couple of typos, but I know you'll forgive that. Click on each page to make it larger. I hope you enjoy it--a heartwarming tale rife with symbolism---perfect for this season of the year.

Stars are Lighthouses in the Sky

Photo by Alex Pitt

Years ago, I worked in a planetarium. I've mentioned that in previous posts, but it deserves repeating. The experience definitely colored my life and inspired me in myriad ways. Planetarium work--mostly talks and classes in the dome and off-site, including sidewalk astronomy--proved to be one of the most gratifying jobs of my career. People love to sit back in the cool darkness of a planetarium and voyage through the night sky. When they see a telescope set up a sidewalk or in a field, they always stop and take a look. 

In my planetarium talks, I identified the major stars, which also happen to be the navigating stars. We found the north pole of the sky using the Big Dipper and the Pointer Stars (I called them the Pointer Sisters--I'm dating myself now!) that point to Polaris, the North Star, which lies very close to the celestial north pole. I always gave a simplified explanation of how navigators of yesterday used the stars and a few rudimentary instruments, plus some math, to find their way at sea. What seemed complicated suddenly made a little sense. And it gave my audiences a bit more appreciation for those twinkling lights in the heavens.

Jim Reitz's photo of stars slowly circling over Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Near the top, in the dark little circle, is Polaris.

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One of the loveliest natural motions for the camera is evidence of the Earth turning on its axis. As our planet rotates from west to east, the stars seem to move above us from east to west. Set up a camera on a tripod, open the shutter for awhile (ten minutes or more), and you'll capture proof of Earth spinning on its axis. Such celestial motion is awesome, not to mention that it gives us day and night. Check out these images of star trails.

Mark Wallheiser cleverly caught the sky swirling around the North Star, which he carefully placed behind the lantern of the St. Marks Lighthouse. This type of image is a long exposure, with the camera on a tripod and the shutter open for 30 minutes or more.

Here's another star trail image from Shutterstock. Note the star trails are shorter than in the photo above, because the shutter exposure was shorter. That big streak through the background is a meteor., a.k.a. a Falling Star. Of course, stars don't fall from the sky. That's the romantic explanation. A meteor is just a piece of debris swept up by Earth's gravity field and pulled down to toward the ground. The debris catches fire from friction as it speeds through our atmosphere. John Donne said "Go and catch a falling star..." You can, if you're patient. About two or three meteors streak through the night sky every hour. During meteor showers, there are more.

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Other delights await the night sky observer, including the Milky Way, a view into the star rich center of our galaxy where some 100,1000 stars reside. Some are so distant, they appear as luminous dust. It's pretty wild at the galactic center, with lots of stars growing and dying, and maybe even a Black Hole.

Photo by Mike Selway. This Cape Leveque Lighthouse in Western Australia. Mike left the shutter open on his camera and caught a rivulet of the Milky Way! The Milky Way arcs over the heavens, looking like a large river of Milk. Find a book of sky lore and read about some of the ancient myths concerning the Milky Way.

Not surprisingly, in my planetarium talks, I dubbed those bright navigating stars "lighthouses in the heavens," because they showed the way at sea and were considerably brighter than the other stars visible to the naked eye. We humans can see about 3,000 stars overhead on a dark, moonless night away from cities and other sources of artificial light. As mentioned earlier, the milky appearance of the Milky Way contains MANY MORE stars. The night sky is an amazing canopy of tiny lights--far away natural lighthouses.

Adam Seward made the stars stand still in this excellent quick image! Can anyone identify this lighthouse?

Chris Cook waited for the perfect night to capture the crescent moon, Venus, and Mars. When planets align in the sky, it's called a conjunction. People in antiquity believed anyone born on the evening of a close conjunction of planets and the moon would grow up to be special. (I have to confess Jupiter and Mars were in conjunction the night I was born, but no moon joined them. So I am only a wee bit special! 😉 ) Chris Cook didn't say which lighthouse he photographed, but it appears to be Chatham. Anyone else want to weigh in on that?

Don't forget the big full moon is the perfect palette for a night-time photo. Rafael Ramos took this amazing shot. I think it's a Mediterranean lighthouse, but I don't know which one. Notice how detailed the moon appears in the photo. This is because a camera can gather much more faint light and many more details than our eyes can.

Greg Lovett caught the moon behind what I think is Jupiter Lighthouse on one of its Full Moon Tours. Check out that gorgeous Fresnel lens, a moon in itself! 

Cape Espichel lighthouse near Cabo Espichel, Sesimbra, Portugal was captured on March 16, 2014 by Miguel Claro. He took successive exposures to track the moon-rise behind the lighthouse.

Sunrise is a good time for a photo too. Bundle up, take a thermos of coffee with you. and set up your camera to grab some colorful shots, like this one by Alex Sam. It's the Walton Lighthouse in the Santa Cruz area of California.

Here's another sunrise behind Ram Island Lighthouse, captured by the well-known Capt. Kimo. He's a lighthouse fan with a talent for photography!

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I wasn't kidding when I said that stars are lighthouses in the heavens. If you aren't about this claim, read on.

I'll end this voyage through the night sky with a poem I wrote many years ago when I worked at the planetarium. This poem appeared in my out-of-print book, Lighthouse Victuals & Verse. I drew the lighthouse too! (I dearly wish my arthritic hands could still render images like this--I fear I've lost some of art skill.)

Enjoy, and do go out and look at the night sky--preferably near your favorite lighthouse!

Sunrise at Abaco's Elbow Key Lighthouse in the Bahamas, by Patrick Bennett.