|
The Farallon Islands lie 23 miles west of the Golden Gate,
and mark the approach to the San Francisco Bay. The largest
island, the Southeast Farallon, was chosen as a site for
one of California's first lighthouses. The bark Oriole
landed at the site in 1852, but the workers were driven off the
island by egg poachers.
In the 1850's, the Gold Rush influx led to exorbitant prices on
scarce day-to-day items. For example, eggs could be sold in
San Francisco for $1 to $1.50 each. Thousands of birds nested
on the Farallons, and the island was a treasure trove for failed
prospectors who turned their attention to other means of turning
a profit. Occasionally, armed clashes arose between rival poachers.
The poachers believed the new lighthouse would scare off
the birds, and saw the Lighthouse Service as encroaching upon their
domain.
The Lighthouse Service was undeterred, however. The next ship to
arrive carried not only the construction workers, but also a
contingent of armed troops. The poachers backed down, and construction
began. In the end, the birds remained at the Farallons despite the
presence of the light, and the poachers remained for another 25 years -
until California's chickens could produce eggs more quickly and cheaply
than the poachers could gather them.
The lighthouse was built at the top of the summit of the South Farallon.
When the tower was completed, it was discovered that the lantern room
was too small to accommodate a first-order Fresnel lens. The original
tower was torn down and rebuilt to accommodate the lens. The station
was first lit in 1856. A unique fog signal was also built. It was powered
by air compressed through a natural blowhole. The fog signal had the
disadvantage of being silent in calm sea - when fog frequently appears.
The signal was replaced by a steam-powered signal in 1871.
|
