The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-18 00:00:00

NEW NIGHT-SIGNALS.

RETTIE'S AND NOT THOMPSON'S.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—You give the above as Thompson's. He may
just as well claim Mr. Rowland Hill's penny postage
system as the " Telegraphing by Coloured Lights."
That they are mine solely, and will be brought out at
the next meeting of Parliament, you will see by
the printed document now sent you. And Mr.
M'Gregor, M.P. for Glasgow—who is determined that
the party, under the " Russell Admiralty," who have
allowed certain underlings to take and use up, and
abuse a system, to the great loss of life, and de-
prive the real inventor of the credit, which even your
own paper, years ago, allowed him—can bear testi-
mony that I am the " Original Inventor of all
Coloured Light Telegraphing Signals." I trusts in
justice to me you will give this a corner.—l am, Sir
yours, &c., R. RETTIE, C.E.

TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
The Petition of Robert Rettie, Inventor and Con-
sulting Engineer, from Glasgow (Crystal Palace,
Class 7, No. 159, Engineering Department),
Humbly sheweth that he is the original Inventor of
all the Red, White, and Green Signals, now in use upon
the ruilways and the ocean, by day and night, for the
safety of life in the preventing of " Collision on Rail-
ways and at Sea," " Shipwrecks," showing "Signals of
Distress" at all hours of the " night," also the depth of
water at all the ports and harbours throughout the
world, with a universal code of Signals for all Nations.
That your petitioner was written to, when in Scot-
land, by the late Sir R. Peel's Government as far back
as the year 1842.3, when engaged in business, and re-
siding in Glasgow, tiff the proprietor of the " Glasgow
Brass Foundry"—and assured, that should his system of
using Colours and Signal Lights succeed, after trials to
be made at Woolwich and Portsmouth—which trials
were successfully accomplished—l should be provided
with an appointment to carry out the same under Go-
vernment.

That this was accomplished successfully, I need only
refer your attention to the Government Report, No. 568,
August 3, 1846—laid before your Honourable House in
1846, clearly showing that these trials were not only
highly successful, and also approved of by the Govern-
ment authorities appointed by Sir Charles Ogle, Bart.,
Port Admiral at Portsmouth; but also the various har-
bour and port commissioners throughout England and
Scotland, whom the petitioner visited personally 1845-6,
and explained them; all presented memorials and peti-
tions, and documents to the inventor and the Board of
Admiralty:—
And the Peninsular, Dublin, and Scottish navigation
steam companies, with Lloyd's and the General Ship-
owners' Association of London, cordially joined in ex-
pressing with others, their general utility for the safety
and protection of life and property (see printed work
" Rettie on Marine Night Signals," 1847). Your me-
morialist therefore humbly lays before your Honourable
House the plain facts of his case;—Atter having thus
served faithfully my Lords of the Admiralty—daring
Sir
R. Peel's Administration—at the dockyards of Woolwich
and Portsmouth, and then returnedf toScotlandu,nae by
when
your memorialist was again sent ore
third
enAddmir now Admiralty,
Captain
heln-la I Hamilton,
,RiNol.d, amecer,etlarwy toasere
thet
board the Rattler steam frigate—(entered on board 15th
November, 1845)—and that I must again proceed to
Portsmouth, and that I was to be paid for my services
as an officer, and having gone to Portsmouth and re-
newed a series of new trials and remained upwards of
eight weeks on board and twelve months on shore—and
leave of absence granted by Sir Charles Ogle, Bart.,
Port Admiral—at an enormous expense and neglect of
my business, and after all have never received one far-
thing of pay while there 1 And these trials were then
so successful that all parties admit, and to prove they
were so, they have actually carried out and used my Plan
by alterations so evasive, that much loss of life and pro-
perty has been the result by using three different laisPe
at a great expense—from 1001. to 1504 each sterol
when one lamp at 10/. to 30/. would have been ffi rent
as to expense and sure in safety for life.
waTshounsligweads
tom yeintkimmeyengaged away
the Government
wbay..tinhge'party
service, and for six years have I beponekrnet, IL
from home, anddayl
little eapitalrfo_rep
after day, expecting justice being
at Woolwich dock-
Lord John Rua-
sell," Commodore Houston Stewart,
NM sent
°f Trade,"
lciPhavc had nothing but evasion,
yard. When my tyrieaslrisewitrtehceo,n,cAluddmedtraanitdylftler attend-
ing daily for three
and by them to Lord John
denceexptoendpeodverutpy:
to the "Board
from
rights (which they
oanneiddansfrdoo:a.ll of them know that I have been by
ginfringoemd I)tifnanu
ail
hmty
though env
Loving eels
the la
their treatment
wards of fifteen hundred pounds sterling, besides years
hbavroeu
of labour and fatigue, and have had no redress nor
re
wuneration, but injustice
name
omof th,,ecapAtdaimnirDaletny.,
who have placed one of the
bam" to fill the place appointed by Sir R. Peel,
Bart., for me, to carry out these inventions; and they
have also encouraged a Mr. Miller, in Piccadilly, a
y
candle maker, to surreptitiously make for them, and
manufacture, sell, and infringe on
my c
for the navy and commercial marine, under
rtrheedir lights,
coun-
tenance and support! Your memorialist humbly urges
his claim, from the poverty which these proceedings
and injustice have brought upon him; for such a long
period he has been kept out of business, and ruined by
the Lords of the Admiralty proceedings, and ho feels
assured that your Honourable House will hear the
prayer of ono whose labours have so much contri-
buted to the safety of all nations, both by railway
and at
sea, as it is universally acknowledged by all nations.
That your memorialist is the " only true inventor Rhof
I
and
or
gave to coloured lights a signification
day and Light," and that without these figs
they
COMM
'
they could not travel by day or night one hour in
safety,
sp
ent his all for the
That your memorialist having
good of his country, and the solo object in
.slaving of the
lives of our seamen and vessels
lasear, 1 8 51—and
100,670 tons, and 11 steamers, 1,306 00
tonssatlng VB5llOl,
, having been
wrecked and run down during
th e
for seven years since this plan was b yrought out and
tried, and kept back by parties for interested purposes,
to the sacrifice of human life, demands at least investi-
gation to the fullest extent ; also that due reparation
may be given for himself and family, &c.,
Your memorialist will ever pray,
ROBERT RETTIE, Consulting Engineer.
M.P.
Sir,---As a motion upon the subject of this petition
by John M'Gregor, Esq., M.P. for Glasgow, stands its
the votes of the House of Commons for Thursday, the
27th May, your friendly aid is respectfully solicited ia
behalf of humanity and justice.