The Light
The lighthouse has had four different light sources during its history.
First, it had an oil wick lamp, and then an oil vapor lamp, Three different fuels, whale oil, lard oil, and kerosene, were used while the oil lamps were in use. Later, two different kinds of electric lights were used.
The Station emitted a beam of light, which was swept across the arc to seaward of the Point. The lamp's light was concentrated into a beam with a first-order Fresnel lens. The lens was almost 9 feet (3 m) tall and weighed 4,330 pounds. The entire structure, including the pedestal and clockworks was 18 feet (5 m) tall and weighed 9,570 pounds (4,341 kg).
Read more about this topic: Point Sur Lighthouse
Famous quotes containing the word light:
“Separated lovers cheat absence by a thousand fancies which have their own reality. They are prevented from seeing one another and they cannot write; nevertheless they find countless mysterious ways of corresponding, by sending each other the song of birds, the scent of flowers, the laughter of children, the light of the sun, the sighing of the wind, and the gleam of the stars—all the beauties of creation.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)
“Science is spectral analysis. Art is light synthesis.”
—Karl Kraus (1874–1936)