24 min listen
Light Hearted ep 76 – Peter Kaufman discusses the Scotch Cap, Alaska, disaster
FromLight Hearted
ratings:
Length:
37 minutes
Released:
Aug 17, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
The Aleutian Islands are a chain of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller islands that form a dividing line between the Bering Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Scotch Cap Lighthouse was established at the southwest corner of Unimak Island, the largest of the Aleutians, in 1903. It was the first station established on Alaska’s outside coast.
Scotch Cap in the 1940s (courtesy of Peter Kaufman)
In 1940, a new concrete-reinforced lighthouse and combined fog signal building replaced the original structure. On April 1, 1946, a massive earthquake struck the North Pacific, spawning a tsunami that traveled north to the Aleutian Islands. The lighthouse was destroyed, and five Coast Guard keepers were killed.
Painting of the Scotch Cap disaster by Darrell Millsap
Peter Kaufman
For the past two and a half years, author Peter Kaufman has been researching and writing about the 1946 Scotch Cap disaster. His work will be published as a book. He talks about the disaster and his research in this interview.
Scotch Cap in the 1940s (courtesy of Peter Kaufman)
In 1940, a new concrete-reinforced lighthouse and combined fog signal building replaced the original structure. On April 1, 1946, a massive earthquake struck the North Pacific, spawning a tsunami that traveled north to the Aleutian Islands. The lighthouse was destroyed, and five Coast Guard keepers were killed.
Painting of the Scotch Cap disaster by Darrell Millsap
Peter Kaufman
For the past two and a half years, author Peter Kaufman has been researching and writing about the 1946 Scotch Cap disaster. His work will be published as a book. He talks about the disaster and his research in this interview.
Released:
Aug 17, 2020
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Light Hearted Ep 6 – Anne E. Witsenburg, California Lighthouse in Aruba: Join host jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Cindy Johnson at New Hampshire's Exeter Inn as they discuss the Kõpu Lighthouse on the Estonian Island of Hiiumaa, originally built in 1531. It’s the third oldest operating lighthouse in the world. by Light Hearted