George Henry Slight (30 September 1859 – 26 June 1934) was a Scottish engineer who established the Chilean lighthouse service.

Early years

Slight, the son of George Slight and Elizabeth Marshall, grew up in Edinburgh in an engineering family. After an apprenticeship as a mechanical engineer, he worked on the

steamers Steamer may refer to: Transportation * Steamboat, smaller, insular boat on lakes and rivers * Steamship, ocean-faring ship * Screw steamer, steamboat or ship that uses "screws" (propellers) * Steam yacht, luxury or commercial yacht * Paddle st ...

plying the route between Britain and India. He subsequently worked for several years with

Trinity House The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond, also known as Trinity House (and formally as The Master, Wardens and Assistants of the Guild Fraternity or Brotherhood of the most glorious and undivided Trinity and of St Clement in the ...

, which was responsible for the lighthouse service in England and Wales.

Chile

In 1893 Slight was recruited by the Chilean ambassador in London, Agustin Ross, who had been ordered by the

President of Chile The president of Chile (), officially the president of the Republic of Chile (), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile. The president is responsible for both Government of Chile, government administration and s ...

Jorge Montt Jorge Montt Álvarez (; April 26, 1845 – October 8, 1922) was a vice admiral in the Chilean Navy and president of Chile from 1891 to 1896.L.S. Rowe, "Passing of a Great Figure in Chilean History." ''Bulletin Pan American Union'' 55 (1922): 4 ...

, to find someone suitable to establish a system of

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

s in the country. Slight's first task on arrival in Chile was to build a lighthouse on the Evangelistas Islets at the western entrance to the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...

in the southern part of the country, which he accomplished when the Evangelistas Lighthouse was completed in 1896. Slight subsequently settled in

Valparaíso Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...

. He was put in charge of the new Lighthouse Authority of Chile and went on to build some 72 lighthouses along the Chilean coast. He eventually became the head of the Chilean Maritime Signalling Service. In 1916 he retired from the maritime service, but continued in an advisory role. He married Charlotte Leigh in Valparaiso, by whom he had two sons. His gravestone in the Valparaiso General Cemetery bears the English

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

"His lights still shine over the waters of the Pacific Ocean". He is commemorated in the names of the George Slight Lighthouse Museum at Punta Angeles, Valparaiso, and the

Chilean Navy The Chilean Navy () is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense (Chile), Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso. History Ori ...

's rescue and salvage ship ''George Slight''.

References

1859 births 1934 deaths 19th-century Scottish engineers 19th-century Scottish people Engineers from Edinburgh Lighthouse builders Scottish mechanical engineers Scottish emigrants to Chile {{Scotland-engineer-stub

Early years

Chile

See also

References