The Coast Guard

Hi Puzzlers,

Since last week’s post on lighthouses I have been quizzing everyone to see if they know what ancient lighthouses were called, and no one knows. Look out Who Wants To Be A Millionaire; here we come with the answer to the million dollar question. “What were ancient lighthouses called? Pause, breath deep and answer slowly. “Ancient lighthouses were called Pharos.” Yahoo, we win! This post also brought to my attention another interesting fact, (which was discovered while researching lighthouses), the Lighthouse Act of 1789. This act would serve as a catalyst for the formation of our National Guard.

The Lighthouse Act of 1789 was passed to extend Federal control of lighthouses. Prior to this act, lighthouses were governed by the state. Under Federal guide a six-cent-per-ton duty was charged to all commerce vessels. This revenue would be used to maintain lighthouses, beacons and navigational equipment. It would also serve to support hospitals for disabled sailors and corresponding institutions.

A “Grand Committee” was formed to handle lighthouse maintenance, ship registration and duty collection. To dissuade smugglers looking for ways to avoid paying import tariffs, Alexander Hamilton devised a plan. He recommended to Congress that 10 Cutters (armed vessels) could be used to guide ships to ports of entry. In 1790 the office of the Revenue Marine was formed.

One of the primary components of the Cutters duties was to support and assist as necessary, “for the protection of lives and property at sea.” This life saving aspect continues to personify and define the present day Coast Guard. Hamilton advised all Revenue Marine Captains to “always keep in mind that [their] countrymen are freemen.” These words and their underlying message of honor, respect and devotion to duty, would serve to form the basis of the Coast Guard’s set of core values.

Through its history the Revenue Marine would be known by several different names including the Revenue Cutter Service, the Lighthouse Service, the Lifesaving Service and the Steamship Inspection Bureau before being incorporated into the U.S. Coast Guard on July 1, 1939. Because of the Coast Guard’s lineage with the Revenue Marine, it is consider the oldest continuously serving armed service force in the United States.

Amazing! Don't you just love topics with rich and intriguing histories?

Happy Puzzling!

Lighthouses

Hi Puzzlers,

Recently while channel surfing I caught the tail end of a television program on lighthouses. Just a quick glimpse of one of these majestic beauties got me to stop clicking and lay down the remote, something that rarely happens! Usually I can’t find anything to watch and I have 799 channels to choose from. This leaves me endlessly roaming, channel to channel, in a zombie like state before frustration sets in and I turn off the television. But not this time, I was completely mesmerized! Childlike curiosity took over my brain and I began diligently researching the history of lighthouses on my computer. Here is a quick review of what I found.

A lighthouse has two primary functions. First they give sailors a fixed point of reference to help them navigate day and night when offshore hazards cannot be seen. Secondly, they guide ships into harbors or anchorages. Today lighthouses also serve as symbolic monuments of civilizations efforts to reduce the hazards of seafaring. Just one look at these magnificent structures makes me stop and admire them with all their grandeur. How about you?

The first recorded lighthouse was built in 290 B.C. on the island of Pharos, by the Roman Empire. Records indicate the lighthouse used fire at night and a sun-reflecting mirror during the day to protect and guide ships around the Mediterranean. The Pharos lighthouse measured approximately 384 feet tall and stood for about 1,500 years, before succumbing to a series of earthquakes in 1326 A.D. Prior to the 1600’s lighthouses were referred to as Pharos.

America’s first official lighthouse is the Boston Light. It was built on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor in 1715. Prior to its construction colonist used small fires on hilltops or placed lanterns in the windows of houses overlooking harbors. The Boston Light was the first site to use a foghorn. The foghorn was a great-gun cannon, which was installed in 1719. It would be fired to warn sailors of pending dangers when visibility was low. In 1776 the original lighthouse was destroyed by the British, however, it was rebuilt in 1783 and is still operational today. “Although the Boston Light is considered the nation’s oldest lighthouse, the tower itself is only the second oldest. The oldest tower in the United States is the Sandy Hook Light at the entrance to New York Harbor, built in 1764.”

In the early years most lighthouses were lit by wood fires which required enormous amounts of wood. Coal became popular for burning during the early 1500s; it burned brighter and slower than wood, but required more attention to keep it burning bright. Candles and reflectors were also popular during this time as they produced a steadier flame and less soot and ash.
The next step in improving the visibility of lights was the oil burning lamps. These lamps used several flat, solid and round wicks. Also available was the Spider Lamp. It had a single oil reserve and used multiple wicks. A Frenchman named Ami Argand invented a lamp that used a hollow, circular wick in 1781. It allowed air to flow in on both sides of the wick, which enhanced the brightness of the flame. A large (18- to 20-inch) parabolic reflector was commonly attached to the center of this lamp to increase the lamps visibility.

In 1822, the Fresnel lens was created by Augustin Fresnel. This much thinner lens captured and focused larger fractions of light then did the reflectors, resulting in a brighter light that could be seen for longer distances. One Frensel lens could do the work of thirty Argand lamps.
The electrification of lighthouses began in the 1920s and 1930s. Once a lighthouse was electrified it could be equipped with a timer switch. Because electricity burns cleaner than oil it also eliminated the need for daily lens cleaning and maintenance. This made the need for light-keepers obsolete.

The lighthouse story does not end here. On our next post we will learn how lighthouses gave the National Guard its start.

Happy Puzzling!

Loose Change

Hi Puzzlers,

Have you seen our new puzzle, Loose Change? It makes me smile and reminds me of all the things we do with coins. My cousin Leo loves collecting coins and is always asking us to keep an eye out for his search of the moment. Remember as a kid saving all the loose change you could get your hands on to buy those must-have designer jeans or that awesome new Schwin five-speed bike complete with matching fenders? The funny thing is, most of us still save our loose change for that something special.

American coinage began in 1792 when our founding fathers realized our young country needed a respected monetary system and, with the help of Congress, passed the very first Coinage Act. Shortly after passing this act, the nations first mint was constructed in Philadelphia in 1792. Its first circulation comprised of 11,178 copper cents followed by gold, silver and nickel coins. It is believed that President Washington donated some of his own silver to be minted.

Some of the coin denominations were quite different then those of today. Between 1793-1857 there were copper half-cents; 1864-1873 copper two-cent coins; 1851-1873 silver three-cent coins; 1865-1889 nickel three-cent coins; 1794-1873 you could find half dimes made of silver, and between 1875-1878 silver twenty-cent coins were available. The penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar and dollar are still in circulation and they are no longer made of silver and gold.

So where did “In God We Trust” come from, you may wonder. In 1861 the treasury department received a letter from a minister requesting that God be recognized on our coinage. Finally, three years later on April 11,1864, through an Act of Congress, the motto “In God We Trust” was first printed on all two-cent coins. Other coins would soon follow suit. “The motto was omitted from all new gold coins issued in 1907, causing a storm of public criticism. As a result, legislation passed in May 1908, made "In God We Trust" mandatory on all coins on which it had previously appeared. On July 11, 1955, Legislation, made the appearance of "In God We Trust" mandatory on all coins and paper currency of the United States. On July 30, 1956, "In God We Trust" became the national motto of the United States.”

Only a few women have been portrayed on our coinage. The first was Susan B. Anthony, a school teacher, women's rights activist, social reformer, editor, and writer. She appeared on a dollar coin which was produced from 1979-1981. Next to appear on the dollar coin was Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their western exploration of the United States. Circulation of this coin began in 1999 and is still in circulation today. Also, Helen Keller appeared on the back of the 2003 Alabama quarter.

WOW! Coins are not only fun to collect and save but rich in history too!

Happy Puzzling!