Mile Rocks Light
Encyclopedia
Mile Rocks Lighthouse is a lighthouse
on a rock about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge
, California
. It's now an automated and unnatural looking lighthouse with a flat top and red(barberpole-like) painted rings which tends to stand out very obviously between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Cliff House to the south. To one side is a smaller, though clearly visible rock.
placed a bell buoy
near the rocks. However, the strong currents in the area would pull the buoy beneath the surface of the water and set it adrift. The lighthouse was completed in 1906 after considerable difficulty caused by the heavy seas and strong currents occurring at this point. The rock upon which the lighthouse is built measured only 40 by 30 feet (9.1 m) at high water. The base of the tower is a large block of concrete protected by steel plating. Steel and concrete in the foundation alone weighed 1,500 tons. The superstructure is of steel, and houses the fog signal apparatus and the quarters for the keepers, with the lantern above.
It was on this rock that the SS City of Rio de Janeiro
was wrecked shortly before the building of the lighthouse. One hundred and twenty-eight persons, of 209 aboard, lost their lives when the City of Rio de Janeiro sank on February 2, 1901. The wreck has never been found.
The original third order Fresnel lens
was transferred to Old Point Loma Lighthouse
in San Diego. In 1966, all of the tower was removed and only the first story was left, and the light automated. The top of the first story is now a landing pad.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on a rock about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It's now an automated and unnatural looking lighthouse with a flat top and red(barberpole-like) painted rings which tends to stand out very obviously between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Cliff House to the south. To one side is a smaller, though clearly visible rock.
History
In 1889, the United States Lighthouse ServiceUnited States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
placed a bell buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
near the rocks. However, the strong currents in the area would pull the buoy beneath the surface of the water and set it adrift. The lighthouse was completed in 1906 after considerable difficulty caused by the heavy seas and strong currents occurring at this point. The rock upon which the lighthouse is built measured only 40 by 30 feet (9.1 m) at high water. The base of the tower is a large block of concrete protected by steel plating. Steel and concrete in the foundation alone weighed 1,500 tons. The superstructure is of steel, and houses the fog signal apparatus and the quarters for the keepers, with the lantern above.
It was on this rock that the SS City of Rio de Janeiro
SS City of Rio De Janeiro
The SS City of Rio de Janeiro was an iron hulled steam powered passenger ship, launched in 1878, which sailed between San Francisco and various Asian Pacific ports. On 21 February 1901, the vessel sank after striking a submerged reef at the entry to San Francisco Bay while inward bound from Hong...
was wrecked shortly before the building of the lighthouse. One hundred and twenty-eight persons, of 209 aboard, lost their lives when the City of Rio de Janeiro sank on February 2, 1901. The wreck has never been found.
The original third order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
was transferred to Old Point Loma Lighthouse
Point Loma Lighthouse (old)
The original Point Loma Lighthouse was built on top of Point Loma at the mouth of San Diego Bay in San Diego, California. It is situated in the Cabrillo National Monument.-History:...
in San Diego. In 1966, all of the tower was removed and only the first story was left, and the light automated. The top of the first story is now a landing pad.