New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-05-08

Having been fortunate .roroh .,

Having been fortunate enough 10 ob,.;,
a few proof-shcet pages Of the Repor, NJ a..
Lighthouse Board" andpcrfectly aware TIA, ~.
important matter which it contains Gamma, -,
more generally circulated through the eo.,,,r,
than IN the columns of your interesting journal
the insertion Of few remarks on the sub;ee. !,
most respectfully solicited.
In l7s9 we had but eight Light House; in Iso
hfty-fve I'm 1851, three hundred and fi;ty an. 49,,
what is really astounding, have bat three CO.,,
lights from one end OF our coast TO the 9TH,
The Reflector system, abolished in fuuee a.
early as 1925, is still adhered to in tht~ c,ur,,,
except in the Of the three lights bs.,.s men,
toned, and although the law of 1889 giyes a,n,,s
latitude for the introduction of all napro.e4o,n,.
in this department of science, it is too palps,As
that nothing has been done to furnish ,he country
with really useful and appropriate system o; hght.
house apparatus. In England the Fresnel IAa,< Ia,
entirely superseded the antiquated reAeciors. and
the latter are only used in Light Boats, as heinz
fit for secondary purposes alone IN fact the gre.,
quantity of oil they consume will shortly reud,,
their abolition in that country certain aud Gnal Nv
the way oflustrating the effect and uselnes of tho
two kinds of lights, few facts will be gwen as sta
ted in the Report. Sandy Hook Light lone Of the
best Reflectors in the country consumes one and
three quarters more oil than the Revolving Lens
Light at Neyersnk while the latter, in POINT Of ef
feet and power is ire and teo-fetths ii'aes more
valuable than the former. The same with the
Delaware Lights. Brandywine Shoal Light Third
order of ens) at fifteen miles distant was more
brilliant than Cape May at eight and three.quar.
tiers, and Cape Henlopen at six and quarter
miles; still each ofthese lights consumes four tiaes
as much oil as is burned in the new light AZ Bran
DIVINE. There can be no question as to the ecoR-
omy of the lens lights those fitted with the
rejecting apparatus indeed, the Report contains
an srithmetical statement, which proves as plainly
as figures can prove anything, that out of tho
mean annual appropriation for OIL, during the last
six years, of $l22, 629, saving of Sll0,i7l might
have been made had the Fresnel Lens been used
in all our light houses instead of Reticctors. Du.
ring this time $i,90S.3l7 81 has been appropriated
for light house purpose out OF which $40, ia OF
(nearly ten per cent has been paid for repairs and
and the snug sum of $69,0l5 81 has been given
to Collectors by the way OF commissions, for hay-
ing UlSDufSeu Tue OONtluinCHt IuluS III Onf-
dience to instructions. The money allowed
for commissions in one year will cover the expense
of altering fourteen lights similar to that at Laz-
zaretto Point, near Baltimore, into gas lights of
equal power and allow, in each case, two HUNDRED
dollars for labor besides the first cost of the appi.
ratus as at present 4 use there. But this is not
ALL 1t seems that the Collector at Bost IN pur-
chased all the supplies at that place, such as oil,
lamps, wicks, &C., and that nearly all the contnc.
tors for building our lighthouse towers are from
the same city. BY very simple process in add
ton we learn that 1924 1862 43 has been dsbaned
by the individuals who have held this Office during
the last six years, and no doubt under all the dsad-
vantages of purchasing at ain inferior market, and
subject to the ruinous effects of principle Of mo.
nopoly. The great quantity Of oil used in tho
mechanic arts of the country will always secure
for it ready sale indeed, the Government may
now expect greatly increased competition in tho
oil Market and must sooner or later abandon the
old-fashioned refectors too expensive, il not en-
tirely worthless. Naval.