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A petition
Shipping interests asked for a light in 1888, and it waited until 1906
Makapuʻu Point is the southeasternmost point of Oahu and the landfall for all traffic from the American west coast to Honolulu. Shipping interests petitioned for a lighthouse in 1888, but plans stalled until 1906, when the House of Representatives passed a bill with an appropriation.
The lens
A hyperradiant lens shown at the Chicago fair of 1893 was used here
A hyperradiant Fresnel lens, the largest size ever made, was displayed at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It was twelve feet tall with over a thousand prisms, and it went to Makapuʻu. The light has been active since 1909.
twelve feetthe height of the lens, with over a thousand prisms
Still lit
It was the second highest light in the nation when built and is still active
In addition to being the largest lens in the United States when built, it had the second highest focal plane, after Cape Mendocino Light in California. It is now the third highest light and is still an active aid to navigation. The light was automated in 1974.
1925
An explosion at the lamp in 1925 ended the life of an assistant keeper
The lamp needed a supplementary alcohol burner. In the early hours of April 25, 1925, alcohol spilled as the reservoir was filled, and a lit match triggered an explosion. The first assistant, Alexander Toomey, was badly burned and died the next day.
Day 3, afternoon
It comes after Halona Blowhole Lookout. Then Waimanalo Beach Park.
More stories from this trip idea
The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Makapuʻu Point Light, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.