Although Fred Leyrer was not a lighthouse keeper in the traditional sense that we know it, he certainly deserves a worthy mention here in Lighthouse Digest.
As an employee of the Federal Sign Company, Fred Leyrer is shown waving at a passing aircraft in August of 1963, while he stands high atop the spire that stood on the Republic National Bank Building in Dallas, Texas, where it was his job to change the bulb in the giant beacon.
Reports at the time indicated that the light put out 500,000 candlepower as it rotated around the surrounding area 598 feet above the street. The light had to be changed every 200-300 hours. Mr. Leyrer, who had been on the job for many years, said the job was not dangerous.
It might be worthy to note that there were no drones in those days to take dramatic photos like these from the archives of Lighthouse Digest.
This story appeared in the
Jan/Feb 2020 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.
All contents copyright © 1995-2024 by Lighthouse Digest®, Inc. No story, photograph, or any other item on this website may be reprinted or reproduced without the express permission of Lighthouse Digest. For contact information, click here.
|