Page 12 - AHATA

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local Wednesday 19 June 2024
A brief history of the California Light House

(Oranjestad)—At the fur-
thest western point of the
island, there lies the tall-
est structure on the island:
The California Light House.
Standing on top of a lime-
stone cliff, this lighthouse
oversees the entire island,
offering one of few best
views of the island and the
surrounding sea. It is also
one of the few monuments
that hold a rich history.

The lighthouse was con-
structed in between 1914-
1916, and its first keeper
was a young trained light-
house keeper from Cura-
cao names Jacob Jacobs.
Mr. Frederico Fingal was
the last man to have occu-
pied this position until 1962.
Though his son, Mr. Romulo
Fingal did not continue in
his father’s footsteps, he
does have a special con-
nection to the lighthouse.
He sat down with our re-
porter and shared a bit of
its history.

As Mr. Fingal explains, "In
1915, cargo donkeys were in San Nicolas, where we a Lighthouse at Westpunt, the Lighthouse is 30 me-
hired from Figaroa di Noord found this very special lens and the governor of Cura- Mr. Fingal discovered ters high. It is designed not
to help build the Light- that, when the light shines cao responded to Aruba something very interesting to collapse," Mr. Fingal ex-
house at Westpunt. The through it, it reaches 30 ki- to come back in 1915 with about the lighthouse after plains.
donkeys had to walk along lometers out to sea." Mr. a well-detailed plan. "Dur- much research was docu-
the beach all the way to Fingal told our reporter. ing the First World War from mented in his book 'History Mr. Fingal further explains
Westpunt carrying the car- 1914 to 1918, they had to of the Lighthouse at West- that in one night, the light-
go, poles, cement, and all The lighthouse has a long wait for the light to be trans- punt.' He found many de- house rotates 4,320 times
these things. At that time, it and very interesting history. ported to Aruba because tails: "I found out that the and consumes one gallon
was a difficult task until Aru- The reason why the light- it was manufactured in height of the lighthouse of kerosene for the whole
ba got its first truck. These house was built, according France. At that time, there was due to the absence operation. "At that time,
things reflect how people to Mr. Fingal, dates back was no electricity, and the of electricity. There was the kerosene was supplied
could have accomplished to the day when the cargo light was very interesting also the presence of coral. from the Lago refinery.
this tremendous job with ship S.S. California sank be- because it rotated with a There is a long steel cable Every day it was brought
so little." Mr. Fingal said, "At cause of the lack of light. kerosene lamp that planes from where the light is, and down, and to start the
that time, it wasn't a place In 1913, Aruba made a re- used; clean kerosene," Mr. under the light, at the high- light again, they had to lift
for people to work. It was quest to Curacao to build Fingal said. est point, there is a hanging the weight up, so our job
very challenging because weight, a sort of pendulum as children was to crank it
it was full of goats and don- that swings like that, with and raise the weight back
keys, and it was very iso- a weight that measures up in the evening when the
lated. There were no hotels about 1 meter by 30 cen- light stuck, they would take
or roads to get there. There timeters wide, which is a it down again, and the light
was only a donkey trail. block of solid iron attached stayed down. That's how
Those were the only means to a cable. When you re- it worked for a very long
of transportation." lease it upwards, it comes time," Mr. Fingal explains.
down, and the weight
Mr. Fingal continues, "In that comes down pulls it Thanks to the Monument
1939, I was born in the light- up, gradually. And while Fund Aruba, which worked
house, and my father was it comes down, the same hard and is currently in
the last lighthouse keeper weight that is descending charge of the Lighthouse,
until he retired in 1962. Af- causes many small wheels Mr. Fingal is very happy
ter that, they removed the to turn in the opposite di- with its preservation, along
power cables all the way rection. The Lighthouse with all the renovations
to the top. According to rotates from 6 pm in the that have taken place.
the story, we couldn't have evening, when the sun sets, He hopes that the story
the light ourselves because until 6 am in the morning. of the lighthouse will con-
they dismantled it, and During the entire night, the tinue to live on for future
after many years, I heard light shines on the lantern, it generations.q
that it is in a train museum goes down 24 meters, and