The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-02-16
DAILY.
TIL E r E ? u BLIC.
Report Of the Lighthouse Board.

the foNo"ing extracts from INC epo't OF thc oitu
of Olicers convened under instructions from the
/ Secretary of the Treasury, "to inquire into the
condition Of the lighthouse establishment Of the
| United States, and make general detailed report
and programme to guide legislation in extending
and improving our present system Of construction,
| illumination, inspection, and superintondence -
| in coniormity to the eighth section of the act Of
Congress making appropriations for lighthouses,
| light boats, buoys, &c, &c; and transmitted to
the House of Representatives on the 4Ih instant.
| The Board consisted of Commodore William B
Shubrck, U. S. N; Commodore s. + Du Pont,
| U. s. N. Brevet Brgadier General Joseph q.
Totlen, u. S. Corps Of Engineers; Lieutenant Col
onel James Kearney, T. S. Typographical Engi-
neers; Professor A. ID. Bache, LID, Superin-
tendent Coast Survey; and Liculenant Thornton
A Jenkins, y. N. secretary:
| OFFICE LIGHTHOUSE BoARD,
| WAsHINGToS CITY, January 30, 1852.
Sin: The Lighthouse Board bavo The honor to
submit the report Of their Investigations, and the
conclusions they have arrived at, under your IN
structions of the 2lst May 1851. hereto appended,
in conformity 10 the Sth section or the act making
appropriations for lighthouses, light boats buoys
&c, approved March 3, 1851, IN the following
words:
..i,,d be IL further enacted, That the Secretary Of
the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized and
required board TO be convened, OF as carly
day may be practicable after the passage OF!
this act, TO be composed OF two oicers OF the navy
Of high rank, two officers Of enginecrs OF the army
and such civil officer Of high scientific atanments
as may be under the orders at the disposition Of
| the Treasury Department, and Junior officer oi
the navy 10 act secretary TO said board; whose
duty it shal be, under Instructions from the Trea.
sury Department, TO inquire into the condition of
the lighthouse esta bishment OF the United States
and make general detailed report and programme
to guide legislation in extending aud improving
our present system Of construction, illumination,
inspection, and superintendent Provided, That
no additional compensation be allowed TO any per
son serving on said board"
The board, having entered upon the duties con-
hded 10 them with a high sense Of their response
bilites and importance, have spared neither pains
nor labor in seeking to obtain facts, from their
own observation and from reliable sources, upon
the different points embraced in your INSTRUCTIONS.
They have sought for useful information also from
reliable treatises and from public documents, and
have endeavored TO reach correct conclusions on
the numerous points submitted 10 them.
The subject of lighthouse illumination and i'm
proyement although one Of occasional discussion
in Congress and in certain circles within the last
ten years, has not occupied the public mind TO any
great extent IN this country; while in Europe
generally. but more especially in France, Eng
land, scotland, and Ireland, the ablest and most
distinguished statesmen philosophers, and philan-
thropists, have devoted themselves Tor the last
twenty five or thirty years to this snbject, in en-
dcayoring 10 apply practically the aids which
science and the mechanic arts have developed.
Experiments 10 ascertain the truthful practical
tess Of the relative useful and economical values OF
illuminating apparatus combustbles, and their
accessories, in the most minute detail. have been
made by Fresnel, Faraday, Stevenson, and other
distinguished individuals; the results of their in
vostigations have been pu blishod the wofid, and
their conclusions have served for the formation OF
system for lighthouse illumination, approx
mating 20 perfection
Legislation too, has taken a prominent part in
thi. important branch OF the public seHice IN
Europe.
In is25 the French government adopted deini-
Z lively the French system Of illumination ON The
coasts OF France, aud took, as the basis Of their
/ future lighthouse cs,abiishncnt. the programme
proposed by tho board Organized for The purpose,
at the head Of which was Admiral kossel, OF the
| French navy.
About this time the subject. which Sir David
Brewster bad loreshadowed in 1911, was revived in
/ England aud Scotland, through Colonel Colby, Of
the royal engineers, and Mr.. Stevenson, the cngi-
neer TO the northern ligh, (and the disting gushcd
architect Of the Bell Rock to~erj) however, no
important step wns taken on the English side Of
the channel TO introduce tho Fresnel apparatus
Ill after most careful and rigid examination had
been made by the lighthouse engineer OF Scotland,
and after trials Of comparative usefulness and
nouy with that and the reflector apparatus at the
! Inchltcith station.
| In 1884 a new impulse was given 10 the subject
| Of improvement IN lighthouse illumination by let
ters on the subject from Sir David Brewster, and
from the action Of the House Of Commons scloct
committees the subject.
The lighthouse boards Of Europe seemed 10 exert
| themselves 70 satisy public opinion by the intro
dDction Of the Frcsnel lens az few Of the mos
| important points for land hghB, and or improved
apparatus Tor floating liChts consisting Of tbc Ar
gand lamps and psraboltc refectorsi in general use
/ for land hghts, prior 70 the introduction Of the
Frcsnel lcns, and movable machinery for con-
vorting such fixed floating lights az we're necessary
into revolving ones.
Although the lens met with much favor in Eng.
land, and has been gradually getting into use.
/ al nearly Ono-bnli the soacOast lights have been
changed since 1897, still Scotland bas introduced
larger number, in proportion 90 extent Of
coast than the Trinity house corporation Not
withstandinr tbese decided Improvements In the
lights Of Great Britain, another select committee
on lighthouses was raised by the HDusc Of Com
mons in lsf5, and. Of the benefits arising from this
last report. have been the introduction Of largo
number Of lens apparatus, not only in Great Bri-
tain. but alec into many of TN, colonies, and the
substtUtOn OF the COLA seed OIL Ia nearly
every lighthouse in the kingdom, in consequence
Of its superioriiy and economy compared 10 the
improvements in illuminating apparatus and
construction, ventilation, cOmbustiblcs &C.. have
made rapid progress In Eghthouse engineering in
Europe, while in this country attempt has been
made 10 improve the hghta. With the exception Of
tho act 81 Congress approved July z, 1893, and
which was the result OF the recommendation of the
Committee Of Commerce in the Senate, as icllOws.
'sEe. q 8nd be u f,rfhu enacted. That the Sc
crctary Of the Treasury be, and be is hereby, di-
rectcd TO cause two sets Of dioptric lcntculsr
apparatus one Of the fret the other Of the second
csss, aud eso one sct, II he deems u espedisni Of
ftitAAVf al " ilt uto-A lihlFoNfN
kinds, to be imported, and cause the said several
sets TO be sct up, and their merits. as compared
with the apparatus in use to be tested by full and
sntisfsciory experiment"
Under this authority lens apparatus vas placed
IN each of the towers at the highlands Of Nsyesnk
and fourteen out Of The fifteen rclectors were
placed in the Boston lighthouse.
II " the said several scts' werc "sct w" and
{" their merits" a. compared with the apparatus n
use, tested by foil and satisfactory experiment"
IN conformity to the act the results OF those eype
rimcnis have not been seen by the board, nor have
| they ever heard that such experiments made.
With this exception, and the authority Of Congress
/ 'to test Mr.. isherwood's plan Of discriminating
onc light from another. and Of determining the
| distance of a vessel from light" which resulted
in placing second order lens IN The tower at San
| katy head, Nantucket, and the lghts authorized
by law 10 be constructed under the direction Of the
Typographical bureau, (Brandyw wine shosl, Cary.-
fort reef, and Sand kcy,) the board have been un.
able 10 discover that any steps have been taken TO
keep pace in lighthouse Improvements in this
/ try with those Of France and Great Britain.
| The board, after examining with patience and
a zeal which they believe tins important branch of
| the public service to demand. different t,oipta