Cape Disappointment Light is a painting by James Williamson which was uploaded on April 28th, 2020.
Cape Disappointment Light
Fine Art America artist James Williamson's portrait of Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. The original full-size painting has been cropped to offer an... more
Title
Cape Disappointment Light
Artist
James Williamson
Medium
Painting - Watercolor And Gouache
Description
Fine Art America artist James Williamson's portrait of Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. The original full-size painting has been cropped to offer an enhanced version of the lighthouse edifice.
Artist James Williamson ASMA,
Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists
Cape Disappointment is a headland of the Pacific Northwest, located at the extreme southwestern corner of Washington, United States on the north side of the Columbia River bar. The point of the cape is located on the Pacific Ocean in Washington's Pacific County, approximately two miles (3.2 km) southwest of the town of Ilwaco. Cape Disappointment receives about 2,552 hours of fog a year—the equivalent of 106 days—making it one of the foggiest places in the US.
The cape was named on July 6, 1788, by British fur trader John Meares who was sailing south from Nootka Island, Canada in search of trade. He mistook the mouth of the Columbia River to be a bay, which the ship could not enter due to a shallow shoal. Just missing the discovery of the river mentioned by Francisco Antonio Mourelle, he named them Cape Disappointment and Deception Bay. George Vancouver credits John Meares in his account when he saw Cape Disappointment on April 27, 1792.
Cape Disappointment State Park is located on the cape, as is the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. United States Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment is situated on the river near the state park. The station's crewmembers respond to 300–400 calls for assistance every year.
Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
In 1848, a lighthouse was recommended to be located at Cape Disappointment in what was then the Oregon Territory. An appropriation of $53,000.00 was made in 1852. After the lighthouse was designed, a first-order Fresnel lens was ordered. When the lens arrived, it was found to be too large for the tower. Rebuilding the tower took an additional two years. The first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest was finally lit on October 15, 1856. In addition to the light, the station was equipped with a 1,600-pound (730 kg) bell powered by a striking mechanism. The keeper's residence was about a quarter mile away.
The lighthouse had several shortcomings. The fog bell was sometimes inaudible due to the roar of ocean waves. It was discontinued in 1881 and moved to West Point Light in Seattle, and eventually to Warrior Rock Light near Portland. Also, the light was not visible to ships approaching from the north. This problem was corrected by building a lighthouse at North Head, two miles from Cape Disappointment. The first-order lens was moved to North Head and a fourth-order lens installed at Cape Disappointment.
The lighthouse was electrified in 1937. In 1956, the Coast Guard intended to close the station, but retained the light when the Columbia River bar pilots protested. The light was automated in 1973. An observation deck has been built for the Coast Guard to monitor traffic and bar conditions. The grounds are open to the public through Cape Disappointment State Park.
Uploaded
April 28th, 2020
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