Recovering from target practice: St. Augustine Lighthouse

St. Augustine, Florida

Beach erosion and storms are not the only threats to lighthouses. The St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida, which has weathered hurricanes and earthquakes since 1854, did not stand up as well to one teenager in 1986.

Using a high-power rifle, the youngster took aim at the tower's distinctive French-made flash panels that had been installed in 1854. He shattered two.

Though it would have been cheaper to install modern optics, experts chose to repair the highly-effective antique prisms, which beamed light as far as 24 miles out to sea.

The repairs began in 1992 with the nerve-wracking process of lowering the damaged 350-pound panels down the center of the tower's spiral staircase.

CNN's John Zarella was there in 1992! 1 min. 36 sec./1.5Mb QuickTime 4.4Mb larger frame version

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Experts at modern diamond cutting and old-fashioned glass polishing fashioned the new lens. The tower is fully operational again, a testament to the resilience of the lighthouse and the dedication of those who care for it.

Both the tower and the keeper's house, which is now a museum, are open to the public.

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