The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-02-02
The Light House.


: Nothing evinces TIE ameliorating aud human
izing influence Of civilization mans evil pro-
pen>itieS nIore than the care bestowed upon all
matters tending reduce and mitigate the perils
OF the In the infancy of commerce, the
wrecks OF foreign vessels We're considered God
send by the Inhabitants, and even the govern
ment Itself not unfrequently came in for por-
ton the whole of the spoils. The hardy mar
ineg. AMI the adventurous trader, had 10 encoun-
ter only the hostility of the winds and waves,
but they were considered lawful subjects of ex
torton and plumber on every shore; and the
grester the perll-the more they stood in need of
c.ping haud-the more were their goods re-
garded as lawful prizes.
Peace between two nations did not exemp:
shipwrecked goods from confscation, and even
straagems were sometimes reSorted TO by the
people of dangerous coast, to lure Ill -fated ships
upon the rocks. Thus the coast of England.
time, undulatng lights Were displayed from
the cliffs in imitation of those of ship al sea,
in order to deceive vessels in the vicinity, and
en,ice them upon the coast Foreign and do
mestic. friend and foe, me; with mercy at the
hand of these worse than pirate wreckers. who
would leave the crews and passengers to perish
while they seized upon whatever Of the stranded
cargoes nigh. feat within their grasp. These
savage codes have been gradually softened down
under the Influences OF an enlightened nterna
tional law, until the shpwrecked mariner has
u
government and his goods are looked after and
protected from plumber with the utmost vigilance
and care. No act receives a more spontaneous
and hearty approval from the whole civilized
world, than that of brave and generous ships
crew, who delay their own voyage and imperil
their own safety for the sake Of affording succor
70 the helpless tenants of wreck at
Along the coasts of all civilized countries
rious devices are resorted TO for the purpose Of
0arninf, vessels of slnlen rocks and f}irs III no
their courses in the safest channels. Among the
most efficient and common of these, is the light
house usually erected upon points Of land
stretching outward from the shore, and perched
upon hi, ,,h rock so as 10 throw its rays as far
rs possible on. over the waters. The curvature
OF the earth's surface renders it necessary ele
vac them to a considerable height, in order that
the targential rays shall touch the far off
as they can penetrate the gloom of night and
storm.
To any one sailing along our coast, as for in
stance through Long Island Sound, these bea-
cons are visible along each shore, casting their
light sacred as the fires upon the altar Of mercy,
far over the waves. Various expedients, such
as the revolving light, the alternating colored
light dc are resorted to in order to signalize TO
the mariner what particular light he sees. One
of the greatest obstacles to the perfect efficiency
of the light house is the fog, which often OBJ
scures its rays and makes them powerless TO pene-
lively useless at the very time when their friendly
light is Of the greatest value.
Il. FREsSEI. French philosopher, in the year
1919, invented lanthorn composed of glass
plates and prisms, which collect all the rays of
light and perfectly reflect them in a narrow belt
Of intense Brightness that can be seen at a great
distance out at sea One of these costly lights
was last season on exhibition at the Crystal Pal
ace in New York, and is thus described in the
Peoples Journal:
Its exterior, composed of clear and polished
crystal supported on small base ahd rising to
a height of about twenty feet, presents the sngu-
lar appearance of tall monument, revolving
continually upon its base, and flashing out at in
teryals, rays Of the brightest and purest light.
1t is denominated a revolving Fresnel light, of the
first order, and manufactured by Lepante,
of Paris for the United States Government 1t
is designed to be placed on light house at Cape
Hatteras which is now erecting.
The principal part consists of cylindrical belt
OF glass which surrounds the flame in the centre,
and by is action retracts the light in rertical
direction upwards and downwards, so to be
parallel with the focal plane Of the system. To
near observers, this action presents narrow YER
the extent of the horizontical angle embraced
by the eve. This arrangement, therefore. fulflis
all the conditions Of fixed light, and surpasses
in effec. any arrangement OF parboiic redectors.
In order to save the light which would be lost by
passing above and below the cylindrical belt,
catGdogtric zones are employed. These zones
are trian gular and act by total reflection; the
inner face retrGcting, the second totally refecn2
and the third or outer face, second time refro, :
ting, so as TO cause the light to emerge horizon
talY0.