Desdemona Sands Light was a lighthouse located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River to aid navigation of the Columbia Bar.
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| Location | Columbia Bar, Oregon, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 46°13′31″N 123°57′13″W / 46.22528°N 123.95361°W[1] |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1901  |
| Foundation | cluster of piles |
| Construction | Two-story |
| Automated | 1934 |
| Height | 48-foot (15 m)[2] |
| Shape | octagonal |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1901 or 1902 |
| Deactivated | 1965 |
| Focal height | 7 m (23 ft) |
| Lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens[2] |
| Range | 12 miles (19 km)[2] |
| Characteristic | Fixed white Daboll trumpet 2s with silence 3s and 23s[3] |
It was built in 1901[4] or 1902[2] as a replacement for Point Adams Light. The Lightship Columbia kept station about 5 miles (8.0 km) offshore.
Its design by Carl Leick is identical to that of Semiahmoo Harbor Light near Blaine, Washington, a 1+1⁄2-story dwelling built on a cluster of pilings in 12 feet (3.7 m) of water[3] with a rooftop tower housing the light and a fog signal. It was one of the last U.S. wooden pile foundation lighthouses built.[5] A cistern system collected fresh water. Only the lightkeeper was present; there was a small boat to reach the mainland, where the keeper's family lived.[4]
The light was electrified in 1934, eliminating the need for a keeper. It was removed and replaced after World War II[5] by a minor aid on top of a pyramidal structure, which was replaced again in 1955. The light was removed in 1965.[4]
Desdemona Sands is a group of shoals formerly named Chinook Sands. In 1857, the bark Desdemona ran aground here and was destroyed.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Desdemona Sands Light". Placenames.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
- ^ a b c d "Desdemona Sands Light". Lighthouse Depot. Archived from the original on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
- ^ a b Dennis Hawley. "Desdemona Sands Lighthouse—Oregon's Forgotten Sentinel". Archived from the original on 2001-05-20. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ a b c d "Desdemona Sands Light". Rudy and Alice's Lighthouse page. Archived from the original on 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
- ^ a b Christopher Havern (June 6, 2006). "United States Lighthouse Service". U.S. Coast Guard. pp. Notes for slide 25. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
External links
edit- Scanned photo of Desdemona Sands Light Archived 2017-07-13 at the Wayback Machine
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