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St Michaels Maritime Museum MD #3: The lighthouse

Blog entry by Karson posted 229 days ago 333 reads 0 times favorited 12 comments Add to Favorites Watch
« Part 2: The Boat Yard Part 3 of St Michaels Maritime Museum MD series no next part

On April 10, 2009 my son David and i went to the St Michaels Maritime Museum in St Michaels, MD. It is on the Chesapeake Bay.

They have a lighthouse that originally was in the bay but it has been removed. Because of the advances in boat electronics and GPS positioning, lighthouses are becoming obsolete.

This is the Hooper Straight Lighthouse that was in the Bay.

The only two pictures that I took in the lighthouse were the workbench and a table.

This is the lens that is in the top of the lighthouse.

It was lit by a flame from some mineral oil. It originally used fuel oil but in some testing it was determined that the mineral oil gave a brighter light.

Sorry I failed to take a picture of the lighthouse itself.

it had three water storage tanks that were made with wooden slats. The water to fill them came from rain water that ran off the roof. The spigot at the bottom dropped it’s dripping water into a funnel in the floor that dropped the water into the bay.

Boats borough supplies once a month. Everything but food. The food was bought by the lighthouse keeper from a food allowance that was given to him and he had to bring it himself.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †


12 comments so far

View DaveR's profile

DaveR

1527 posts in 616 days


posted 229 days ago

Neat stuff Karson. Was the light assembly floating on a pool of mercury?

-- Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can walk.

View Karson's profile

Karson

25802 posts in 1296 days


posted 229 days ago

Nothing was said about that. I’m not really sure how the lighthouse was placed in the bay. Wheather it was on the bay bottom with screws or whether it was on a little island that was build around the base.

The write up states that was out in the water as remote as a desert island. But, it was placed where a known sandbar caused navigation problems.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View DaveR's profile

DaveR

1527 posts in 616 days


posted 229 days ago

Sorry about that Karson. I meant the actual turning part of the light. One way they set up the mechanisms for lighthouses was to float the thing in a pool of mercury at the bottom of the shaft. They wound a clockwork mechanism raising a weight a bit like you would for a cuckoo clock. The weight would go down and the light would turn. The speed of rotation was controlled by James Watt’s balls. This was critical because the frequency of the flashes was used to identify which light you were seeing.

I don’t know how they ran the light in those short, coastal light houses though. That’s why I was asking.

-- Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can walk.

View lew's profile

lew

4490 posts in 651 days


posted 229 days ago

Karson,

Very interesting trip! The Bay is filled with historical sites and stuff to see. Hope you ate some oysters while you were there!!!!!

Lew

View cabinetmaster's profile

cabinetmaster

8590 posts in 454 days


posted 228 days ago

Great story Karson. I love to see those old lighthouses myself. Always try to visit some when we get to the Carolina coast.

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

View jeffthewoodwacker's profile

jeffthewoodwacker

487 posts in 700 days


posted 228 days ago

Karson – great blog!! Those boats look like they are built and restored with tender loving care. Not sure if my workshop could handle that project.

-- Those that say it can't be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

View Karson's profile

Karson

25802 posts in 1296 days


posted 228 days ago

Most of these babies are done outside. The Boat shop is where they are making the small rowboats.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View dustyal's profile

dustyal

447 posts in 371 days


posted 228 days ago

One of our favorite spots to visit. I’ve got pictures of the classic wood boats… but none of the workbench in the lighthouse.

-- Al H. - small shop, small projects...

View Karson's profile

Karson

25802 posts in 1296 days


posted 228 days ago

Al I don’t remember the workbench in previous visits. I’m wondering if it’s new this year.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View Lee A. Jesberger's profile

Lee A. Jesberger

3710 posts in 875 days


posted 227 days ago

Nice post Karson.

I bet David had a great time.

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

View lance's profile

lance

168 posts in 884 days


posted 226 days ago

Thanks Karson and David R for the history lesson. Floss and I spend a weekend in quaint old St Michael’s about 30 years ago. Oh! where have the years gone???

Happy Easter Monday you’ll,

-- Bob Lance, DE

View Napaman's profile

Napaman

3488 posts in 973 days


posted 224 days ago

we stayed at Pigeon Pt. lighthouse near Santa Cruz CA a couple years ago—-they turned the grounds in to a youth hostel…and it was great…

Good stuff karson!!!

-- Matt, Napa, CA...fun is beautiful...just trying to have some fun...

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