Hace un par de meses, se celebró el aniversario 176 de la primera luz de un faro en Chile. En la última edición de la World Lighthouse Society Newsletter fue publicado este artículo en donde compartí brevemente, parte de los hitos que han aportado a lograr una de las redes de señalización marítima más destacadas a nivel mundial.
176 Years of Lighthouses in Chile
A few weeks ago, the Maritime Signaling Service of the Chilean Navy commemorated the 176th anniversary of the first lighthouse on Valparaiso bay. This important event was celebrated at Punta Angeles Lighthouse, our head lighthouse.
Our first step toward lighting the coast started in the 19th century, securing our long coast across the country, especially the commercial route of the Strait of Magellan. This strait connects the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean. At that time, the Panama Canal did not exist and maritime transport was mostly by this route.
The first effort to establish a lighthouse network was started by Heinrich Siemsen. After that, the Scottish engineer George Slight designed and built a set of lighthouses among which featured the Islote Evangelistas Lighthouse. This lighthouse had a great history, perhaps compared only with the Bell Rock, and is one of the most exposed, isolated and least accessible in the world.
From that beginning, we now have more than one thousand maritime signals including manned lighthouses, automatic lighthouses, buoys, beacons, and others. This complete signal network aids navigation and development of our country.
Interesting links
The anniversary celebration
Short video about the anniversary
(277)
