This is from the Austin Community College student newspaper. It was printed on May 1997.
It stands on the southeast corner of Rio Grande campus, reaching a height of 165 feet, with the capability of illuminating four square blocks. Hundreds of ACC students have walked by it thousands of times and never even noticed the Austin landmark towering above.
More than 100 years ago, In 1895,,
Austin erected 31 artificial moonlight structures, which have become more commonly known as moon towers. Today, only 17 remain. In 1997, the word Moontower conjures up nothing more than images from the movie Dazed and Confused, too many ACC students. But to some Austinites, the moon towers are more than just a place to meet for a beer bash.
80-year-old Austinite. Hervey Lazenby has fond memories of the Towers, remembering a time when, excused the pun, they lit up his life. ”I courted that woman for three years under that tower, Lazenby recalls, and finally in 1942,, I proposed to her under that very tower.”
The tower became a symbol of their love for 39 years, a place where they knew they could go for a wonderful, and well lit time. Lazenby’s wife died 16 years ago, but he still returns for memories. The moon tower is such a wonderful way to remember his wife. In the days of their marriage, the tower cast down a glowing light that, according to Lazenby, ”looked exactly like moonlight. You couldn’t tell the difference between the two,” he said.
” I used to watch men climb the middle to change the lights,” Lazenby remembers he said, ”I wouldn’t have the guts to do that job.” The original towers used two pieces of carbon to produce 1200 candle power, or 12,000 lumens of light. The lights have since been replaced by mercury vapor lamps, similar to the incandescent lamps used today in homes. The change created 400 more candle power, or 4000 more lumens per light. With all six lights working together, they provide 96,000. Lumens, enough to light four square blocks, according to the Austin Chamber of Commerce.
In 1930,, on a dare from his girlfriend, 11 year old James Fowler, tried to prove his courage. His confidence wasn’t enough, however, and he fell 150 feet through the center shaft only to have his fall broken by the wrought iron braces. The young Fowler ended up with no broken bones or serious injuries, but he did land the spot on Ripley’s Believe it or Not.” Fowler later became a policeman in Arizona. Many people wanted the removal of the towers, saying they were a hazard, but it was too late, the city had already fallen in love with its artificial moonlight. At least five other cities in America have since lost their tower lighting. Austin is the only city in the world illuminated by moon towers. For many years now, Austin has celebrated Christmas by creating a brilliant tree around the original tower in Zilker Park, the Zilker Park Christmas tree.
