Daily Republican., 1880-07-30
ABOUT BUOYs.
A rev Facts About the FIoatiug
Finger-b board Of the Mariner.

FinEor-bOaf0 OF the MArln@r.
Messrs. Hilles 4 Jones have another
large order from the Light House Board
at Washington for first and second
class can and nun buoys, such as they
have previously made for the depart
ment. They were comparatively full
Of orders during the panic, and since
then have been quits busy. Orders
have increased so rapidly in oil depart
mepts that they are constantly increas.
ing their force Of workmen. This firm
has been very successful in bidding for
buoy contracts. They have only lost
two contracts during the past ten years.
They have made at least 800 buOys for
the United States.
81 wonder what buoys are used for"
asked reporter Of himself with the
most amazing Ignorance of maritime
matters yesterday. Then he went and
found out. Buoys on the river and bay
answer the same pnSpc3e as guide
boards do on the public road. A long
line of those indicators of safety or
danger mark the safe sailing ground
on all our leading rivers. The channel
is indi Gated plainly and all the devious
windings ara told to certainty. And
so complete is the system that certain
kind may indicate certain channel;
a certain color.a certain depth of water,
and another color shoal or dangerous
obstruction. II lie so plain that to the
pilot it is like an open book, and he
never ha1 any trouble unless the buoy
goes adrift or sinks.
Buoys are of some FIVE kinds viz :
first and second class nun, first and
second class can and the spar. The nun
buoy in shape is similar to balloon,
with the exception that the lower end
does not taper down to a sharp point.
The can buoy Is different from this in
that 1t does not taper at all after leaving
the oval cap, and the bottom is broad
and fat. The spar buoy previous to
1876, was made Of wood. 1t twas placed
in dangerous parts Of the coast, and
floating ice in the winter would often
destroy the wooden ones in the course
Of season. As an experiment six iron
spar buoys have been made and they
have answered very we'll. An idea of
their appearance can he gathered from
the name.
These buoys are enormously heavy
things but are so large that they float
easily. A fret class can buoy with all
its fixtures will weigh 1000 pounds,
and one of the second class, 5000 First
and second class nuns weigh 5000 and
200 respectively. Accompanying each
buoy is ballast ball or anchor, which
attached to it by a chain, answers the
double purpose of keeping it in an up
right position and preventing 1t from
floating away.
The Delaware River and bay form
part Of the Third Light House District.
The buoy service is part of the work
that comes under the attention of the
Board. The buoy and light house ten
der for this district is the "Arbutus,"
named after SOM flower as are all the
vessels of the Light House Board, and
by Captain sooy, an expef-
perieneed officer.
When not making the periodical
rounds among the light houses the
Arbutus cruises up and down the bay
and river inspecting the buoys. II one
is not floating properly 1t is raised and
repaired. If one has disappeared it
follsws as a natural sequence that it |
has broken from its mooripgs and
hoated away or has been sunk by 4
passing steamer, and another is put
down in it's place. And so Year in and
year out the buoys are watched over
and the system kept complete.
The buoys which Hills & Jones are
now making, go to the station of the
Fourth District At Tomkinville on
Staten Island. The order is being rap
dly filed.