The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-08-23

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From st. Louis TO Cairo. .....-.......-...-- "a
From Cairo to Memphis ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. u
From Memphis to Nicksbnrg. ..-..,............luo
From yieksburg to New Orleans. ...-......-..- Ill
From 81. Louis to Kansas City ........--...... 80
Twenty were added last year. and still
other new ones are gradually being
placed as they are needed. The number
of persons required to attend the lights
is 531, and the present cost is So, 165 per
month. Il may be interesting to know
further that during the last year IS, 242
gallons of mineral oil and sixty gross of
wick was required to keep the lamps
burning; also that 2.607 trees were felled
to give pilots unobstructed views of
lights. There are also in the service two
patrol boats, the side-wheeler. Joseph
Henry, and a small steam launch, the
ivy. These are used for inspection
tours, carrying supplies, pay, etc, as well
as making soundings of the channel,
placing new lights and changing old
ones.
INSTRUCTIONS TO KEEPERS.
Keepers are istructed by regular
printed circular, from which the follow
ing points are taken as showing features
of interest in the work;
Trim and fill lamps daily; have them
up and burning at shutdown; at sunrise
take lantern down and during the day
clean it; remember that your lantern
must be lighted and in place every night
during navigation, and if you are away
| from your station, YOU must have some>
body to attend to it properly during your
| absence. and report the fact to this office;
| if during the absence of the tender (Ihe
Joseph Henry) willows, trees or weeds
should grow up so as to obscure the light,
you will clear them away SO that your
| light can be seen in every direction by
pilots; III the event of highwater wash
| ing away the bank at The location of the
lamp post. YOU will in good time secure
| the government property and move the
post directly back from where i. stood,
as near as possible with safety to its pre-
vious position; when there is a likelihood
oil food in the river you will secure the
post, ladders braces, lanterns and oil
cans from being lost, using your small
lanterns on trees or other suitable places,
until the water falls sufficiently to per
nit the post to be replaced III its former
position. Especial care must be taken
when posts are near caving banks.
Whenever stations are not hghte |,
through neglect or otherwise, reduction
in pay for each and every time will be
made against the keeper, when naviga>
ton is closed by ice you will stop light
ing your lamp and inform this office of
the date YOU stopped. No pay VIII be
allowed during the time regular boats do
not run, unless you are especially notified
from this Office to keep your light gong
You will be notified in the spring at what
date to commence lighting your lamp
and will Immediately inform this office OF
compliance with order; otherwise your
name will not be placed on the pay roll;
all masters and pilots of boats report to
the inspector the condition of each light,
and on passing station at night, if the
light is not burning. boats will give one
long and three short whistles. On hear
ing this signal. the keeper will at once 60
| to his light and examine it.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE SERVICE.
The inspector, In making appointments
of keepers, is governed by the circum-
stances, first, of the wishes of the owner
of the land on which the light stands;
second, the character of the man; and
third, his proxim ity to the light. 10 a
letter from the light house board touch
ing this matter, the following appears;
The board, having neither purchased
or leased sites for the river lights. has no
| legal rights at any of the points where
they have been established, and to avoid
complaint and trouble desires that, as
far as practicable, the keepers shall be
either owners OF the land on which the
| lights are located, or members of the
owners families, and when that can not
be brought about. that the keepers select
ed shall not be offensive to such owners,
and that they shall be instructed to alb
stain from all measures which can sub
jeet them or the board to adverse criti-
Cism.
The compensation of keepers has been
graded according to the distance they
live from their respective lights, as fol-
lows: Under and including one quarter
of mile, So per month; from quarter
| to half mile. $40 month; over half a
mile, S12 per month, Lights requiring
a keeper to use a skiff. such as in sand
bars or islands, entitle their attendants
to Sl2 per mouth. When n light is es-
tablshed at point where a keeper can
not be obtained, e man is taken there
who will camp on the spot. Such light
is technically known in the service as 9
camp light and man gets, usually.
SIS per month, though one draws Sic
and another $50. When two or more
lights are so near together that it is con-
venient for one keeper to care for them,
| bhal HTahgeHlcnt IL Always mdut
better keeper Can thus be obtained, since
the pay is larger. He is generally paid
the minimum amount for each light
On the upper rapids between Rock Is.
land aud LeClaire there are nine lights in
the Is miles-and nearly every one at.
tended by man who lives near by.
The highest amount paid to any keep
or is $50 month, to E. Cooper, who
has charge of the Des Moines rapid,
lights. The Gate City says there are
eleven of them, two being red float lights
Cooper is skilled man, and is able tC
replace the floats at any time in case they