The Republican journal., 1880-06-24
Electric Headlights tor Ships.

Electric Headlights tor Ships.
after the collision of the Sound steamers Nara
gansett and Stoniugton the New York Herald de
clared that no steamer loaded with passengers as
are these Sound steamers should be without an
electric light apparatus for toggy weather The
electric light it said. was the great solution OF
navigation in fog, recent naval experiments hay
ing demonstrated that this light can be i'll a
fog almost rs well an ordinary light il cleai
weather In succeeding issue the Herald pub
lished interviews with number of steamboat men
who were unanimous in their objections to the
electric hight and in asserting that the onl! safe
method OF navigating in fog IS by sound
Several OF the steamboat men who have been
consulted on the subject profess to believe tlat an
electric light would not be servIccable Tor sigma
light steamboat III dark night, for the reason
hat 1t would Impair the keeHncss and range OF
G! e,isht of the lookout, by the glare il cast int,
tile darkness beyond Those who have been much
at sea viii not need to be told that lights On Yes
sci have to br used with great deal OF Judgment
For example, On very dark night. It is almost
impossible for the lookout in the wheelhousc to
see any distance ahead OF the ships bow It there
are strong lights in the cabiu window back Of him
For this reason it Is customary to keep the wheel
house and its immediate vicinity in almost com
plete darkness Bat, If All electric light with a
reflector was put we'll forward, say at the top OF
the flagstaff at the bows OF the steamboat, we do
not See that this objection would hold Those on
\ the lockout would then be III position 10 see cor
fanny as Ia! ahead as they nov, and it is not
uni k"iy lhlt their range of vision. particularly IN
tos would be greatly extended But the chief
benefit would be, that II would enable vessel To
he seen und,I conditions where She would lou be
invisible and, even If II did not increase the range
OF VISION Of the nayI4ators the vessel that car
lie the light irs Importance a, a warming 10 9TH
cr~ would sliIl BE- exceeding great.
Bat practical test Is far better Than theory. aud
the RESULTS OF The recent experiments Oh The Month
river sustain the position taken hy the Herald
| So! that paper
Considerable interest was excited on the North
4 River ia>t might by series Of experiments with an
/ electric headlight for srdgoluE vessels rom the
4 pro" Of the steamer city If Columbus at per No
/ - Ihr air was unprecedented with mist enough to
4 bring dat into full rritt the prnclliri beam OF
! milky ILht. THAT bib natter III What direction 1t
WAS turned brought into bold relief every phircl
tor at beast three miles from the pi,r and that
I without the least interfering with the Wis on OF
/ the lookout er the pilot The beam of light was
about eight inches III diameter al the reflector and
/ eoHld be- latnet with ease up or down or rl-h or
| lett Il revealed the craft moving Oh the rlNcr.
/ the cour> IN which the! were painted and Iu ualy
Instances lie letters % Their names The towers
VI ot the Monastery Oh the heights IL totokpl thc
great elevator N the Erie kal!Ua, ana tie Iapot
\ "l TIE jersey Central haI~ay were Iu Turn reveal
Ell clearly M the space ot minute the li,.4c cJy
1 eriug twelve points of the compass or All o1tu>r