Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-10-02
asbington Sentinel.
From the Journal Of Commerce., Sept. q.
The Crystal Palace.-The Fresnel Light.

:. So TO nightwandering sailors, pale with fears,
Wide DER the watery waste a. light appears,
Which on the farseen mountain blazing high.
Streams from some lonely watch-tower u the sky
iiiad, rtr l0i
Perhaps nothing in the Crystal Palace
varied as are its collections ofwhateyer is beau
tful and useful in art and scicncc-nuthing
which it contains more strikingly illustrates
the great utility of exhibitions Of this kind than
the Fresnel light.
This light the last and most approved Of all
the ingenious and benefcent contriyances re-
sorted to from the days Of Homer to our own
to diminish the perils of the sea, which, for the
accurate scientific knowledge and nice me-
chanical skill that it displays, is surpassed by
nothing in the Palace-this light, but for this
exhibition, would be known only to few &C
complishcd and highly educated persons, who
might have seen the mandatory ut Paris, or
have taken the time and trouble to 20 down to
Cape Hatteras, or Sand Key, to visit the light
houses where they are set up. Now, thanks to
the exhibition, the construction and operation
Of the Fresnel light will be in few months as
familiar to the whole Of our mechanical world
as that of a common compass.
One Of the frst-class Fresnel lights is already
set up at Sand Key, in Florida, and it being
known that another was ordered by the gov
eminent for Cape Hatteras, the following letter
was addressed by the President Of the Assoca-
ton to the Secretary Of the Treasury:
Office Of the association .tor the Exhibition Of
the Industry Of all Nations.
New YORK, Aug. u, 1853.
SIR take the liberty Of addressing you as
Secretary Of the Treasury, and also as president
Of the lighthouse board.
A first class Fresnel light, ordered by the
lighthouse board, to be put up at Cape HATTIE
ras, has arrived from Paris, and is now in the
custom-house here. 1t is not immediately
wanted by the lighthouse board, and will not
be for some time, the tower is not ready for it.
The purport Of my letter is very respectfully
to request you to give permission to let this
light be put up in our exhibition building until
it is wanted.
Ny object is not, by any means, SO much to
secure for us an additional attraction as to make
this great benefcent invention we'll and famil
iarly known to our people and our ingenious
mechanics.
At Cape Hatteras it can only be seen by ma
rincrs, and from afar-here it can be studied,
understood, copied, and perhaps improved on.
earnestly hope you may see as do the ad.
vantages not unlikely to flow from complying
with this request.
l should add, that am informed by Il mem
Der of the lighthouse board, that this applica-
ton has the cordial concurrence Of that body
that through them the services of most COM
petent officer to put it up will be secured; and
that every possible care will be taken oft
May beg Of you the favor Of as early re-
ply as your occupation wilt permit?
Believe me, with the highest respect, your
obedient servant,
= THEODORE sEDGwIcK.
Hon. JAMES GUTHRIE, Secretary of the Trea.
sury. Washington, u. c.
The "member of the lighthouse board" re-
tcrred to III this letter, was we presume, Cap
tain Dupont, the superintendent Of the Crystal
Palace.
The government, with that liberal DISPOSE
ton which it has uniformly manifested to pro-
mote the views Of the association, acquiesced in
the request contained III this letter, as appears
by the following letter from Capt. Hardcastle,
Of the Typographical engineers, and secretary
of the lighthouse board:
TREASURY DEPARTMENT.,
OFFICE LIGHTHOUSE BOARD,
August ls, 1853.
SIR: Your communication Of 18th instant to
the honorable Secretary of the Treasury, re-
questing that the frstclass Frsnel illuminat-
ing apparatus designed for Cape Hatteras light
may be put up in your exhibition building,
was referred to the lighthouse board, by whom
the application Of your honorable Association
for the Exhibition Of the Industry of all Ma
tons was cordially approved
am directed by the Secretary of the Trea-
sury and president of the lighthouse board to
authorize the apparatus TO be placed in the
exhibition, under the following conditions, viz:
that it is to be under the charge of a compe.
tent officer, and put up and exhibited under his
personal supervision-the expenses of the ex:
hibition to be betrayed by the association, and
the apparatus to be subject to the control of
the lighthouse board, to whom it shall be re-
turned in the same condition AS received,
whenever it may be required for the public
service. This will not be before the mdd'" OF
October next.
It is suggested that Captain s. +. Dupont.
United States navy, a member OF the Light
house board, and connected with the manage
ment of the exhibition, superintend this ar
rangement, and see that the apparatus is placed
under the charge ola competent officer,
Earnestly hoping that the above may be &C
ceptable to you, and that the beneficent objects
you have in view may be accomplished, have
the honor to he, sir, with great respect, your
obedient servant,
EDMUND l.. +. IIARDCASTLE,
Secretary.
THEODORE SEpGwlcK, Esq, President.
The permission thus being obtained, the
next matter was to find the proper person to
put it up. Fortunately, Captain George Mead,
of the Typographical engineers, who has already
put up one Of these same lights at Sand Key,
in Florida, very literally offered his services
for the purpose, and the Fresnel light, in con:
sequence thereof, under his supervision and
superintendent, has been blazing, and revolv-
ing, and flashing in the exhibition for the last
weck-a little crystal palace within the Crystal
Palacc-Imperium IN imperio.
Fancy twenty. four sided structure Of glass.
terminated at the top in a sort Of truncated
cone or dome; the whole being about ten feet
high and six feet in diametcr-cach of the
twenty-four sides. instead Of being composed Of
one or more plates Of glass, being made partly
Of twenty.seven segments or sections of a great
lens four feet three inches high, and partly Of
prisms so scientifically calculated, so artistically
H.. hot