Aberdeen Lighthouse, Freetown, Sierra Leone
The lighthouse building is listed as a building of Architectural/Historic interest. The ship master of Aberdeen requested that a light be established at Girdle Ness, Aberdeen following the wrecking of a whaling ship called the Oscar in 1813. There were only 2 survivors from a crew of 45.
The lighthouse was built by an Aberdeen contractor, James Gibb. The light had a new form of double light, showing 2 distinct lights from the same tower, one above the other, both fixed. The lower light consisted of 13 lamps and reflectors arranged like a garland in a glazed gallery built round the outside of the tower about one third of the way up. In 1890 the lower light was discontinued.
The main light was altered in 1847 and the old lantern which was too small, was transferred to Inchkeith. In 1860 Girdle Ness was visited by the Astronomer Royal, Professor George Airy, who described it as “the best lighthouse that I have seen”.
“fronted to seaward with weather-resisting glass a quarter of an inch thick and gun metal astragals. The dome of the lighthouse looks immense from inside where as from the ground some 136 feet below it looks minute. The lamp is framed by 2 large concave reflectors which sent its 200,000 candlepower beams 25 miles out to sea on a good night.”
Before electrification, the incandescent brightness was attained by pressure-vaporised paraffin, which burned at a rate of 9½ gills an hour. The lamp and reflectors were activated through an arc covering the entire seafront by a clockwork motor and imbedded in a mercury bath to pressure an even bearing. The fog horn was put into operation when visibility fell below 5 miles.
Epic Sierra Leon Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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