Digest>Archives> September 1999

Bermuda Light: A Monument to Ingenuity and Tradition

By Alan Holubesko

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Sitting in front of the weathervane once perched ...

It has been written, that in Bermuda it is difficult to be unaware of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, whether at night or by day. Built as an aid to navigation to project light at night or to serve as a marker by day, this second to be constructed cast iron structure began its service on May 1, 1846, on Britain's oldest colony.

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From left to right is Mary Davis, W.A. Toppy ...
Photo by: Linda Holubesko


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Its enduring history was celebrated for its centennial of valuable service noted in the July, 1946 issue of The Bermudian, reporting that this important beacon was directly responsible for saving an innumerable amount of ships from going on the reefs. To commemorate its 150th anniversary, it was reported in the Mid-Ocean News, August 9, 1996, that a special issue of stamps on "Aids to Navigation" would be designated in its honor.

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Mickey and Sandy Cox in the lighthouse gift shop.

Standing watch atop the wind-swept balcony, leaning elbows on the rail, the 360 degree view reveals a breathtaking glimpse of this beautiful island creation. The legacy of Gibbs Hill is an ongoing portrait accentuated by the historical flashing out of its beam to seafaring men, and its influence on the lives of the lighthouse keepers and their families.

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THE LIGHTHOUSE

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Michael Dolding, Assistant Director/Harbormaster ...


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Prompted by a need to serve as an aid to navigation, the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse was built next to the signal station, once operated by the British Army, to warn mariners of approaching storms. In 1987 a radar detector was installed at the top of the tower for additional protection, in order to keep an electronic eye on ships that may encroach too close to the reefs which surround this oceanic archipelago.

The hill itself is 245 feet high. The structure being 117 feet in height, projects a beam of light running 362 feet above sea level. It can be seen by ships up to 40 miles away, and planes flying at 10,000 feet 120 miles away. On a good day, a 26 mile view is possible from the balcony in all directions, whereby the entire 21 mile end to end stretch of Bermuda may be seen. The original light was produced by a concentrated burner of four circular wicks. A kerosene burner was installed in 1923. This vapor burning system was replaced in 1952, and is presently operated by electricity with its source being a 1,000 watt mercury vapor, Sylvania light bulb in the center of the lens. The current lens is a hand ground, of the first order Fresnel installed in 1904, which magnifies the light bulb to 500,000 candle power. Automated in 1964, it continues its complete rotation in 50 seconds flashing every 10 seconds. Due to its strategic location, this Bermuda Light remains the most important beacon in the North Atlantic.

THE COX FAMILY

Immersed in an era of high technology, the human element continues to remain as a key component in the equation of value for this living monument. Since its inception, the Keepers at Gibbs Hill have maintained a level of dedication worthy of admiration, beginning with J.F. Darrell in 1846. Today, the tradition continues with Mickey Cox and his wife Sandra. They began their service in 1996 under contract with the Department of Marine and Ports Services, acquiring the gift concession at the lighthouse, formerly the signal station.

Presently, the keeping of the light is a family affair. Mickey's role involves managing the gift shop along with his daughter, Tori Cox-Lindo, and the never ending task of the daily maintenance of the lighthouse. Sandra, on the other hand, is the designated tour guide. She greets the bravehearts who have scaled the 185 step spiral staircase, ready to divulge the particulars.

A former boat mariner, Mickey revealed that it was "a shock to his system at first," to be the latest in a long distinguished line of keepers. Part of the shock included the daily chore of negotiating the staircase twice, cleaning and sweeping. In addition, the lens, requiring over two hours of cleaning several times per week, in order to maintain optimum efficiency, was and continues to be a daunting task, especially during the summer months.

In spite of the rigors of being a modern-day keeper of the light at Gibbs Hill, life is interesting, according to Mickey. They receive 365 visits from cruise ships annually. During the "busy season," which runs from May through November, this translates into receiving between 500 to 600 tourists daily. "You get to meet a lot of people," Mickey said. "You never know who will walk through the door... Get to exchange stories." One such story, Mickey astonishingly relates, involved an elderly lady from Scotland. She visited the lighthouse on her 103rd birthday. She managed to negotiate the 185 steps all the way up and all the way down on her own power. Ironically, Mickey says that most of the visitors are elderly. "Most enjoy the climb," he mused. He stressed, however, "Many younger visitors decline to walk the flight of 185 steps when they realize there is no elevator." Oh well, there remains, in this era of "high tech," something to be said about good old-fashioned horsepower. Another anomaly, according to Mickey, is that most people are surprised at the width of the lighthouse.

Sandra Cox is Mickey's wife and trusted associate. She works the balcony, normally Monday through Friday. On weekends the lofty duties are enthusiastically performed by student volunteers.

As Sandra greets a steady stream of tourists with a smile, she is eager to relay specifics concerning the lighthouse, and is ready to answer questions. She explains that because of the 250 mile reef line that surrounds the island, there is really only one way in and out for shipping, through a narrow channel east at Saint George's. Referring to the lighthouse, Sandra says: "This here is just a little comfort to let you know we're here. Regardless of the onboard sophistication of modern technology, every sailor one speaks to, this is what they are looking for." Referring to a sign of life, Sandra states the lighthouse is it. She says that shipwrecking remains a harsh reality here. In June 1999, a French yacht ran aground off one of the reefs.

Major storms do pass by the island, where the stately monolith will tend to sway, several inches, according to locals. "She loves a gale, the windier the better," Sandra said. "We get lots of wind here." She added that this structure was designed for a gale. Frequently, Nor'easters producing 50-80 knot gales, batter the tower. A worthy challenge occurred when Hurricane Emily pummeled the island over a decade ago, but to no avail.

Approximately 80,000 people visit Gibbs Hill annually. As with her husband Mickey, Sandra meets and chats with many visitors. Lately, she says many people have begun producing and collecting 40 inch "doll house" replicas of lighthouses decorated with miniaturized furnishings.

To round out the family affair at Gibbs Hill, is daughter Tori. Dawning a bit of "tongue 'n cheek" she says: "My father dragged me off one of my other jobs and said 'I need you!' He says I'm his most reliable staff. That's what he always tells me," Tori quipped. "When he tries to fire me I say bye. Then he says don't go anywhere." Tori manages the gift shop and has designed her own line of T shirts. They kid each other a lot, but through Tori's own revelation and this writer's witness of their interaction with each other, the family bond is well intact.

W.A. "TOPPY" COWEN

Toppy Cowen is the son of lighthouse keeper, Rudolph H. Cowen(1946-1968),repudiated to be the last of the old generation of lighthouse keepers. Toppy descends from a long line of lighthouse keepers. His grandfather J. St.John Cowen served as keeper of the light from 1909-1939, and is related to J.J. Cowen who served between 1858-1861. Born at the main house (now the Tea Room), Toppy fondly remembers 20 years of experiences. He was nicknamed "Toppy" because his mother referred to him as "her little toppins." "I guess she thought I was worth more than a penny," he pondered. Toppins eventually wore off to Toppy.

Mr. Cowen remembers vividly the day to day living at the lighthouse. During the mid 1940's, he remembers a ship coming too close to the reefs. His father hoisted up the flags from the signal station to warn the ship. They did not understand the international code, so they anchored and came ashore. Many children ran to the beach where the Sonesta Beach Resort is now located. Properly warned, the sailors returned to the ship and avoided potential disaster.

Toppy tells of the time a hurricane came by and the ferocity of the wind caused the lighthouse to sway 7 inches. As a result, the lens which revolves around the light in a trough containing 1,200 pounds mercury, lost a portion of this toxic substance. "We kids would sweep the mercury up in our hands. We had great fun," he said. "We used to take it to school and play with it."

His father was a dedicated, hard working keeper. According to Toppy, he insisted on excellence. The lighthouse was kept spotless. In that day, keepers were responsible to cut the grass, and be sure the grounds were well maintained. The restrooms were also to be cleaned. His father made the signs. His mother custom-made curtains to protect the prisms from the harmful effects of sunlight. "In those days, to be a lighthouse keeper was prestigious. My father was very proud," he stated. Toppy's father kept a few prized possessions including Winston Churchill and Harry Truman signatures hung on the wall along with his smoking pipes and letter from the Speaker of Bermuda's House of Assembly, that commended him for his long and faithful service at Gibbs Hill. In the days before conversion to electricity, as a daily chore, Toppy remembers his dad lugging up two five gallon cans of kerosene, in order to fuel the burner. Imagine the task it must have been to clean kerosene vapors from the prisms!

"My father was quite a character, but well respected," Toppy said. "He was a very determined man. Us kids thought a lot of him." Toppy recollects on how his father enjoyed pointing out the various places of interest around the island from the outside balcony, to wearisome tourists who had just completed an exhaustive climb to the top. The more he talked, the better his chances for an additional tip or two. He also fondly remembers how some tourists would lean their elbows on the rail like his father did, and a few preferred the security of the wall to their backs. Many would exit to the inner sanctum of the lighthouse when his father would say: "Can you imagine what it would be like out here without this railing in front of you?" To the reader: if you have ever been on this balcony, you know why so many excited so quickly. To this day, Toppy gets an eerie feeling when he thinks about it.

Memories of a bygone era abound fondly for Toppy. As a young lad he recollects hearing the train tooting, and his mother subsequently hurrying down the hill to catch it. He ponders his brothers and sister leaving the island, but their eventual return prompts him to reflect, "I guess there is no place like home."

Bermudians love their island. When this writer first arrived on the way to the resort from the airport, our cab driver remarked: "We are very much blessed here." With this sense of appreciation, Bermuda is known for its cleanliness and the friendliness of its people. Toppy Cowen's sentiments echo the same feeling. "Tourism is part of me...I like to be a part of it." A former manager/director of tourism, Toppy's hope is to one day see something take place as a result of his efforts to have a lasting and positive effect on his homeland.

MARY DAVIS

The daughter of lighthouse keeper, A. Greenslade(1939), Mary was born at the house on Gibbs Hill. One of her earliest memories was at the age of five when she experienced a relatively rare hailstorm. She, along with her father and grandfather, "Papa Joe," went out with buckets and filled the bathtub with hail. "It was great fun," Mary remembers. "That was the nearest thing to snow I had ever seen."

"Papa Joe was full of tricks," Mary remembers fondly. "He used to sit at the bottom of the lighthouse and tell tourists if they took their shoes off when they got to the top and threw them off the balcony they would be sitting at the base of the lighthouse when they returned." Mary recalls, they never were. "He was full of tricks like that. When the tourist would come down, there would be no shoes. Who knew where they went? And, of course, Papa Joe was nowhere to be seen either." The lovable grandfather also owned a mischievous goat who took pleasure in eating drying sheets on the clothes line.

Mary remembers what life was like being a lighthouse keeper. Her father usually stood a twelve hour watch and worked a rotating schedule with four other keepers. He operated the light by manually winding the 1,200 pound weight acting as a grandfather clock, enabling the ten ton apparatus, floating on a bath of mercury, to revolve the five panel optical lens. In spite of the rigors of lighthouse life, her father was a sociable sort, he loved storytellers and would invite them to the main house for tea.

The lighthouse was a second home to Mary. She would think nothing of running up and down the stairs to deliver lunch to her Daddy. When her father had night duty she would occasionally sleep on blankets in the lighthouse, at or near the top level. As Mary spoke fondly of her childhood experience, the vivid memory of that ever fascinating pool of mercury surfaced. When it occasionally escaped from its containment, she and her friends would immerse pennies and watch them turn silver. "We had great fun with it, but I don't think my parents were too pleased," Mary recollected afterward.

Mary's Uncle J.W. White(1937-1950) was also a keeper and caretaker of maintaining the farm consisting primarily of vegetables. Mary's sister, Harriet (Greenslade) Kenien, fondly remembers loving to ride "Uncle Will's" horse. Sadly, they departed Gibbs Hill when Mary's father was forced to retire due to physical ailments. "I was actually really sorry when we moved from there," Mary said.

Today, Mary along with her sister Harriet and daughters, Carol Bromby and Jackie Rodill, own and operate a toy store in Hamilton.

MICHAEL DOLDING

Mike Dolding is a Bermudian who is the Assistant Director and Harbour Master employed by the Government of Bermuda's Department of Marine & Ports Services. This governmental agency is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the lighthouses. Being employed by the Department for 20 years, he is also the author of BERMUDA LIGHT: The Story of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse. A qualified master mariner, Mike served in the British Merchant Navy and has been a Bermuda resident for most of his life.

In 1979, the British Lighthouse Service's, Trinity House, deployed representatives to Bermuda for the purpose of conducting an assessment concerning aids to navigation. They discovered that the lighthouses and channels needed some improvement. Subsequently, it became Mike's job to implement Trinity House's report. "I knew nothing about lighthouses except as a mariner. So I learned pretty quick."

Looking for a larger accommodation, after coming ashore from his service in the Merchant Navy, Mike discovered that the person living at the cottage on Gibbs Hill had vacated the premises. "I was in charge of lighthouses, so I made a case to live there." He lived there for five years, and began a family almost immediately. Mike believes his daughter is the youngest person to have climbed the lighthouse having been gently encouraged up the 185 steps at the tender age of ten months.

Mike began research on his book as a result of a descendant of the Gibbs family writing to him for information. After completing three years of research on the family, he acquired a great deal of information on the lighthouse. "I became fused to lighthouses to a degree," he said. "I recognized a need to document factual information, as opposed to hearsay." As the result of the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse's unique construction, Mike's interest of similar towers has spread worldwide. He cites that this has now been a labor of love for about ten years. Gibbs Hill is significant, Mike believes, because it is the second cast iron structure. The first was erected in Jamaica. Why a cast iron structure? Mike's research revealed that mode to be economically and structurally practical, as opposed to the soft Bermuda stone which would cave under its own weight. Prefabricated in England, Mike cited that the 136 pieces of cast iron bolted together was a cheap solution for the day. "It served the purpose then and now," he emphasized.

The 153 year distinguished history of Gibbs Hill lighthouse is not without mystery. One night, while living at the main house, Mike receive a call from Bermuda Harbour Radio, alerting him to the fact that the light was not working properly. As was his custom, Mike, with lighted torch in hand, entered the lighthouse ahead of the contracted electrician to check things out. He locked the door behind him to ensure no tourists would wander-in after hours. Accompanying Mike as always, was his fox terrier, "Beans."

They got to the top in short order. The problem is what Mike had expected. Occurring primarily during weather changes, the clutch in the electric motor responsible for revolving the light had slipped. It was quickly remedied and he called Harbour Radio to advise.

Mike decided to wait a few minutes to make sure everything remained OK. Suddenly, Beans bolted over to the top of the steps and began barking, to the point where his hackles stood up on end. Mike attempted to calm the dog. They had been in a dark lighthouse many times, there was no reason to be skittish. "It sounded like someone was coming up the stairs," Mike recalls. "I tried to calm the dog. 'It's all right Beans.'"

The dog continued to bark and, by now, Mike was sure he was hearing footsteps, almost like someone was running up. He was not concerned, because the electrician was expected and had access to the locked lighthouse. "I kept trying to get the dog to stop barking...I kept hearing the footsteps start and stop. I shouted to the dog, 'It's only Bill.'" The dog's hackles still standing on end, Mike shouted down: "Is anybody there?" No answer.

By this time, the light was working properly, and he and Beans headed downstairs. With torch in hand, Mike checked each level carefully. The wide and spacious landings made it impossible for anyone to hide. They got down to the bottom, encountering not a single soul. Unlocking the door, Mike exited the lighthouse and walked around to the front, as the electrician was arriving in his truck. "It was the strangest little event. I can't explain it." Mike pondered.

Later, Mike contacted a former keeper and asked him if he had experienced the same thing. The response was yes. The former keeper figured it was probably Rudolph Cowen (Toppy's father), checking to make sure nobody was sleeping on the job. Mike thought and added: "Maybe it's an old lighthouse keeper checking on his light, who knows?"

It is indeed difficult to be unaware of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, whether at night or by day. By night, this Bermuda Light majestically stands watch, serving as a beacon of comfort and sign of life to travel weary mariners. By day, it serves as a monument to the testament of human ingenuity and tradition. Its enduring history continues to be preserved as a lasting legacy of dedicated professionalism, pride, and a way of life resulting in the labor of love of its Keepers and their families.

This story appeared in the September 1999 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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