The daily union., 1852-09-16


and seeing that they perform their duties satisfactorily
persons who, in fact understand the whole system from
the construction OF the edfce down to the scientific prin.
eipes which regulate the construction OF the lights and
burners.
But this lighthouse board. in their report state fur
ther, That The lights not well distributed, or prop
erly and sufficiently well distinguished along the coast
think m one place they called nuisance, because
they interfere with each other, and confuse mariners
who are not thoroughly acquainted with the United
Sta'es-ioegn navgators, or those OF Our own country
who are not familiar with them That comes from this
circumstance; The system is not provided with means
OF distinguishing the lights one from anoher and by
lhe-by that Is another advantage in the system which
prevails IN France and lsewhere Again the light
house board say:
"That many Of the small lights have unnecessary
nunberd lamps and retecors, while sea-coas lights are
gfesuy SpHcient in them
They say further:
defective in sizs and sh pe and deficient general rule
and that sufficient is taken competent persons
employed 10 place, moor, and replace them"
They say further:
serce hey required PERFORM being defective in size
model and moorings %
They are not properly moored and are, consequently,
often carried away We hardly ever hear of such a
thing light boat being carried away in England.
Here they are carried away, and not replaced for long
time, anu, in the mean time, comes the mariner in the
midst of Storm and his vessel is lost for want OF a
proper and efficient organization of the system.
| will not detain the Senate by going over all the
items to which this report audes; but il the Senate
had patience TO listen could refer to the testimony oi
such Sir David Brewster, 10 show how infinitely
the system desire 10 establish superior 10 the pres
en So The report of the senator from Massachu.
selts himself TO which have alluded, and which is full
of practicable information the subject, the best an
to the proposition which he makes TO let this
subject go until the next session 1t is fourteen
years The subject was agitated, and we have not
advanced inch, unless II be as to the lens lights al
Sankaty Head and the Navesink.
Mr.. DAVIS. The senator is greatly mistaken.
Mr.. PEARCE. AT all events, we have not advanced
in the establishment of that system of lights presume
/ am not mistaken in that | say we have established
three OF these improved lights, and three only. How
many lighthouses have we Something over two hun
dred and twenty
Mr.. DAVIS Nearly three hundred.
MIR. PEARCE. Nearly three hundred, and we have
adopted only three of the improved lights. Then in
gard to the cost understand that lens of the first class
burns about five hundred and seventy gallons OF oil in
year, and equivalent light with the reectors burns per-
haps between double and triple that amount. So the
second order OF lens burns three hundred and eighty gal
Ions. and equivalent reflector burns thousand gal
Ions OF oil Here is what Sir David Brewster says in
speaking OF these lenses:
Ifhese twenyour reaectors arranged in groups of
the eye that OF six reaecors, which is repeated four times
in each revolutions whereas in the lens we have
light equal to nine efectos repeated eight times during
each revolution, besides the additional light OF the eight
smaller lenses and that OF the other piece o apparatus
Hence was demonsrabe that the lens apparatus is no,
only fI3 eventually f5l3 cheaper than the refec
apparatus, butgyes more intense and penetrating light
s,ink. therefore. it will be admitted. without reading
further extracts to the Senate that Improvement is de-
sable light house system, and that this is not
likely to be effected under its present light house admin
isaton, which is admitted on all hands to be defective.
This bill is not going to increase the expense greatly 1t
proposed TO give any additional pay TO the officers
who serve the board 1t is proposed to give any
pay at all TO the civilians believe it is known that
competent civilians be obtained TO serve without
charge Then the expense OF the inspectors OF the pres
ent gh,s-,here are some forty collectors who believe
act inspectors OF the lights If they get $500 piece,
that is $4,000 expended in that way-will much more
than pay all the expenses Of the proposed board because
we have army and navy officers who will receive in
creased pay for their duties the Board and the civil
lans will receive no pay. suppose, OF course the
travelling expenses will be allowed, but they will be
the rate which they get in the regular service suppose
there will be ne increased expenditures hope, there
FORE the proposition TO strike out these sections will not
be agreed TO.
measures cannot be brought before Congress until the
close OF the session, and that compelled there
ore TO embrace the occasion to adopt such reforms and
provements the exgences OF the public service de-
maBd. think there is but one opinion that present
system is behind the age that il needs reform; that il
needs to be brought up 10 the standard of modern i'm
pTovemen,s and discoveries am entirely in favor OF the
plan of introducing board composed Of competent,
skilful, and learned men upon this subject, and OF
vsng the system, which has fallen much behind the
times. not disposed TO go into the details OF the sys
tenn now. Although no Senate committee committee
OF the House may have been ready to report upon the
subject yet the House has reported and has presented
a bill. That bill presents to us an important public
ure-one which commends itself TO my judgment, and 10
my support therefore shall vote to retain these sec
tons the bill and concur with the House OF Represent
atves, so that the system which they propose may be
adopted and at the next session. II any defects should
be found in its details, or any n the form which il
may assume, shall be under obligation, a member
of this body, TO the Committee Commerce il they will
bring forward such amendments as may be necessary In
the mean time, however, propose to take the
as il is.
Mr.. DAVIS appeal TO the honorable senator from
Connecticut whether any such pressing emergency has
sprung up IN the system under which have lived for
hall century as 10 make Il necessary TO adopt compi-
Gated bill without considering The subject at all That
the effect OF this step. What fell from my learned friend
from Maryland mt PEARcEl shows how complicated
the subject is, how many grave considerations in
voved IN II, and how necessary is to examine il be-
fore il can be understood | think the senator from
Maryland is mistaken in several particulars. He says
that ought TO adopt the lentcuar system exen
sively than do. He contends that il is economy TO
have the lenses and he proves that by showing that the
amount OF oil consumed in the lenlicular lamp is less
than the amount consumed in the reflector in light
house, where all the horizon required TO be lighted
That Is true; but then how readily the reflector
itself to our system When the lighthouse
board made these comparisons they assumed that the
whole horizon TO be lighted The enticular lamp
light no less than the whole horizon II cannot be d.
mlnished. The whole quantity OF oil must be used,
whatever is the amount OF light wanted, while on the
other hand, as every reflector has lis own lamp, every
reflector you take from the light dminshes by much
the expense The board dwell upon comparison which
does not apply the general system OF lights, for this
reason: In very large portion oil The lights upon the
coast OF the United States, it is necessary light but
one-haf OF the horizons therefore these comparative
expenditures do not Justly into the consideration OF
this business at ALL unless you found IT upon the actual
state OF things.
But the senator says our system is defcient,ha, il
ri .k.a b.s