Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-04-03
NO. IA.


Until 1852 the lighthouses were under
the superintendent of the Filh Auditor of
the Treasury, who had other matters TO at
tend TO, was not himself chosen as an eN-
pert in lighthouse construction or main
tenauce, aud had no authority to employ
skilled assistants. There had been such
constant and urgent complaints of the de-
ficiencies OF cur lighthouse system that a
commission OF proper persons was at last
sent to Europe TO inquire into the manage.
men of lighthouses there, and in conse-
quence of their report the present Light
house Board was constituted by act of Con-
gress in August, 1852. This act authorized
and required the President TO appoint i'm
mediately two officers of the navy of high
rank, one officer of the Engineer Corps.
one of the Typographical Engineers, and
two civilians OF high scientific attainments;
also an officer of the navy and one Of the
engineers TO bo secretaries. These togeth.
er were constituted the Lighthouse Board,
and to il was given charge the erection, re-
pair, and maintenance of all light houses,
light-ships, beacons, and buoys, with full
powers. The Secretary of the Treasury
was made ex-officio president of the board
The labors of this Lighthouse Board
have placed our light service, which was
once the worst in the world, at the head of
all for the excellence of its different devices
for relieving navigation OF risks, and max
ing our harbors easily accessible. All the
most approved modern improvements in
lenses, refectors, and lamps have been in
troduced the many difficulties in build
ing lighthouses which are found on our
long and varied coastline have been over
come with engineering skill and ingenul-
ty highly credtable 10 our officers; and
Congress dealing literally with this branch
| of the service, has enabled the board to per-
feet their work in all respects.
There are thirteen lighthouse districts,
beginning in Maine, and ending on the
Pacific coast, and competent officers are
detailed in each district to superintend
new structures and repairs, and to see that
supplies are constantly sent as needed.
A lighthouse keeper is required by the
government 10 be over eighteen years old,
to be able to read and write, and to be COM
petent for his duties. "Women and SER
wants must not be employed in the man.
agement of the lights, except by the special
authority of the department"
There are six orders of lights in our SER
vice, the first being established TO give
warning of the approach TO land, and the
others being subsidiary, to mark headlands
and points in bays, rivers, and lakes.
There are white and red lights; fixed, re-
volvng, and fash lights and the revolv-
ing lights have different intervals, from a
minute and half 10 ten seconds. There
are also fixed white lights showing a red
flash at intervals and in some cases two
and even three fixed white lights mark a
headland. Thus, on Cape Cod, Chatham
has two lights, and Nausett three in a row.
These differences are made 10 enable mari
ners the more readily and surely TO dis
tin guish lights apart, and thus to be GER
tain what point or headland they are ap-
| preaching at night. For the same reasons
light-ships are numbered, and have their
numbers painted on their sides. Buoys,
too, are set in regular order for the better
| guidance of seamen. Thus, on entering a
bay or harbor, the ship leaves red buoys,
| with even numbers on her starhoard. and
black huoys, with odd numbers, on her
port side. Where a buoy marks an OBJ
structoI in mid-channel which NAV be
passed on either side, it is painted with
horizontal red and black stripes but if the
buoy is striped white and black perpen-
dicularly, this denotes that you must pass
close to ii TO avoid danger. Perches with
balls and cages on buoys denote that they
are placed at turning g-points in the channel.
Thus it appears that by various ingenious
expedients, as little as possible is left 10
chance or guess-work and the seaman
who has his chart before him, and under
stands these simple regulations, can find
his way into any Of our ports.
All lights on the st. Lawrence, and on
all our Northern lakes and their bays, are
discontinued on the 1st of January, and re-
lit only when the ice mets and navigation
reopens.
Congress rightly has great confidence in
the scientific skill and integrity of the
Lighthouse Board. At the last session,
besides the usual appropriation for the
maintenance of the lighthouse system, it
gave the money needed 10 build forty new
lighthouses and ten steam fog-signals. If
we ever have a merchant marine of our
own again, our seamen will find the stormy
and rock-bound coasts of their country
well lighted for them Charles Nordho6
in Hdrper's Magazine for March.