2005-10

was then that people realised that a
good living could be made from ships
wrecked because of the lack of warning
lights, and they stole all the valuable
cargo that was washed ashore. The
business of "wrecking" became so
lucrative that they began to erect false
beacons in an effort to mislead sailors
and ensure a shipwreck. At that time,
anyone could build a lighthouse and
collect fees at the nearest port, but
because of both the cost and the
difficulty involved in building such a
structure, very few were built. There
were only 34 in existence as late as
1818. The earliest lighthouses had an
open fire of wood and later, coal was
burned. Then clusters of candles were
used inside a glass lantern, but the light
wasn't strong enough to be seen at a
very great distance.
In 1782 there was a
new invention - the
first circular oil-wick
burner which was
later improved by
placing several wicks
around the other.
Next mirrors were
used to intensify the
power of the light
and in 1822 a device
was created using
prisms which made even greater use of
the available light. This idea was
improved upon using a cage of prisms
with the result that no light at all was
wasted - these glass prism cages are
called optics and are still used in most
lighthouses today.
Strangely enough, all these improvements
made for the protection of ships
at sea, actually introduced a new
danger - for as soon as it was possible
to see the beam of a lighthouse from
many miles away, the possibility of
mistaking one lighthouse for another
became very real. This problem was
solved by the invention of the group
flashing system - the optic is made to
revolve and give one, two or three
flashes per revolution, thereby enabling
each lighthouse to have its own code
and so be identified beyond all doubt.
Automation has now taken over and the
first all-electric lighthouse operated by
push-button has been built in the
Phillipines. In England in 1836, an Act
of Parliament was passed compelling
all lighthouses to be bought from
private owners by the Government, and
the task of building and looking after all
lighthouses was entrusted to Trinity
House. Trinity House has been in
existence since the Middle Ages as the
Guild of Mariners, which was formed to
help anyone connected with the sea. It
looks after aged seamen and their
widows, and issues all Thames pilot
licenses, as well as maintaining all
lightships, lightbuoys and lighthouses.
It's interesting to note that many
Christian groups include the term
"beacon" or "lighthouse" in their name.
Jesus, the Light of the World, brings
hope and light into the lives of all who
live in darkness and have literally lost
their way, and he asks his followers to
be shining examples of His Word.
Perhaps it's not surprising that groups
should choose such symbols for their
names. Beacons were often lit, not
just as signals to warn of danger but in
times of celebration, too - indeed in
recent times we have seen beacons lit
to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. So
Christians want to celebrate and share
the Good News, showing others the
way to Jesus Christ.
Chris Laude
St Chads Church, 9 Linden Avenue, Woodseats
email: office@stchads.org
Tel: (0114) 274 5086 Page 9 web site: stchads.org