Eddystone: creating a lighthouse

2001/07/01 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Komunikazioak
• Ozeanografia
• Historia

Henry Winstanley was a great artist. Selling the invented games and cards raised a lot. 20th century London. But it was not the man who lost the money playing and with much sense invested in the purchase of five merchants. But then sailing on the sea was very unsafe and in August 1695 a boat sank in the Eddystone rocks of the Plymouth area. It was not for him a joy, but he accepted destiny and went on. Soon after, a second boat of his suffered an accident in the same place and sank.

Winstanley did not stay home waiting for the third to sink. Instead, he left for Plymouth to investigate the remains of these serious accidents. The Eddystone rocks constituted a very abrupt coast and posed a great risk to the ships. Winstanley was a brave and quick man who saw a simple solution: he designed and would build a lighthouse.

It was one of the most curious lighthouses both in England and anywhere else. In fact, Winstanley was not an architect and the design came out like that. During the construction of the lighthouse and despite the protection of a military ship, one night the French hit Wintanley and took him prisoner. Instead, freeing prisoners of war, the British admiral managed to bring home and began to build the lighthouse.

The guiding light on the Eddystone rocks was first illuminated on 14 November 1698. It had a very peculiar structure, full of ornaments, and was a tower built not only to work as a lighthouse, but also to maintain the attack in case of siege. But when Winstanley returned to the lighthouse after the first winter, he realized that he was not strong. That same year he decided to renew it. It almost doubled the height and diameter of the base and in the coming years no ship sank in Eddyston.

Winstanley was very proud of the lighthouse, but hired guards complained very often. The owner decided to stay in the same autumn storms and, with a very optimistic attitude, settled there.

November 26, 1703 was one of the most violent storms of the time (also called) and the next day there were no remains of lighthouse. It was completely destroyed and the guards and Winstanley himself disappeared forever. The next day a ship sank into the Eddystone rocks and the inhabitants of Plymouth felt the need to build another lighthouse.