3 DAY MINI BLINDS

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La Corbiere Lighthouse, 1874
49°10.8' North, 002° 14.9' West
The first lighthouse in the world to be built from moulded concrete. Designed by Sir John Coode, Consulting Engineer to The States of Jersey Piers and Harbours Committee and built by engineer Mr Imrie Bell.
The materials for the construction of the tower were carried from St Helier by barge and landed by wire jackstay onto the lower platform work area. The concrete mixed in this area was hauled up an inclined railway to the top of the rock and cast as the individual visible stones. The walls are 1.6 metres thick at the base and 0.8 metres thick at the top. Total cost including the causeway and keeper's cottages was ?8,001.
A cast bronze cage holds the lantern glass, which protected the original three-wick burner oil lamp. A catadioptric lens intensified the light to show white (W) to seaward and red (R) towards the coast, north and eastwards. In 1897, a new incandescent mantle burner, powered by pressurised kerosene was fitted. In1933 the power was again increased and the character, made by clockwork, driven rotating shades, changed to the present "Isophase WR10s" (5 seconds light / 5 seconds dark). Converted to mains electric operation in 1965, the light has an intensity of 200,000 candelas and is now visible over 18 miles in clear weather. An emergency light, of reduced power, is also fitted.
When built, the fog signal was an explosive charge fired every 30 minutes. The bell, hanging on the seawards side, was also rung when a ship's signal was heard. In 1933 the compressor house was built on the lower platform to supply the air horns house in the small building on the west side of the tower. These horns sounded two blasts every minute and could be heard from at least 5 miles distant. Today, a less powerful electric horn, switched on by radio link from the Jersey Radio Tower (? mile east) sounds the letter "O" (— - — -) in morse code.
The tower was automated in 1974. The radio beacon transmitter for ships to obtain bearings was switched off in 2000 due to greater use of satellite navigation systems.
June 2002 Maintained by Jersey Harbours.

This oil lamp and candles sit on my window ledge
guess i am ready for a power cut.