Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-28
DOES 1T BLIND PILOTS?
Complaints to the Treasury Against the
Use of Electric Search Lights.

II has become the custom for the large ex-
cursion steamers on rivers near cities to be
furnished with the electric search light with
which the passengers are amused at night by
the display Of the brilliant white stream of
light thrown in all directions over the water.
These lights are advertised and made a spe-
cialty in the evening trips and furnish great
amount Of entertainment. But it now looks as
il the use of them would have to be discon-
tinued, or at least diminished and controlled
by law, for complaints are being received from
oil quarters from ship men navigating the same
waters as the excursion steamers that the use
of this light increases to e large degree the
danger of river navigation. Several complaints
of this nature have been received at the Office
OF the supervising inspector general of steam
vessels In the Treasury Department in this city
and all replied to in the same manner. STAR
reporter was yesterday shown n letter that has
Just been add s.'ed by Gen. Dumont to a num-
Der OF steam. .; captains whose craft run on the
waters of the 81 Lawrence river, who recently
made complaint of the flash search light
used on the steamer st. Lawrence on the
ground that it blinded them and at times rem
dered it impossible for them to distinguish
either her regular lights or those of other YES
sells SO that they could obtain information to
how to steer. The general replied by referring
to q copy of letter which he wrote about
year ago to the supervising inspector of the
Buffalo district on the same subject, which he
inclosed, and concluded thus
''You are further informed that this office has
no authority within itself to stop the use of
such light, even though illegal If you know of
any case of violation of law you should file
complaint giving day Cor night and date of
che violation with the United States local in
spectOrs at Oswego, whose duty it would be to
investigate the charge, and. if proved, revoke
the license of the master, besides referring the
matter to the United States district attorney
for prosecution for the penalty incurred"
In his former letter written i'll September,
1889, he says of this same steamers light:
Il am of the opinion that electric light
carried IN the manner as described is strictly
illegal and is III violation of section 4233 Revised
Statutes, rule .. Such light If used only as a
search light momentarlly when needed might
possibly be permitted. but to be constantly ex-
posed Is a dangerous as well illegal one, as
you will see by examination of the law Acct
dents have occurred by the use of the electric
Light on steam vessels, its brilliancy obscuring
the regular signal lights. both white and col
Ored. One such accident occurred in Decem-
Der last near Norfolk, Va, and the inspectors
there suspended the license OF the master of the
steamer which carried 1t. The case was never
appealed, thereby conceding on the part of the
steamer company the illeSalty of carrying such
u light"
The case referred to was q collision between
the steamer John Romer and the steamship
Guyandotte, which occurred on the night of
DECEMBER %, 1883. The conclusion of tho in
ePectoI report on the case read as follows:
''Rule for the prevention of collisions on
the water says: The lights mentioned N the
following rules and no other shall be carried in
al weather between sunse. and SUNRISE The
lights which shall be carried are then recited.
The Guyandotte did carry other lights. She
carried "A powerful electric light at he. bow
and Capt. Kelly says that this light was used
from Inn Point and down the river until after
the collision.
There does not appear to have been any spe-
IN for oF l,f-l Toht -
testimony says that the night though dark was
clear. We find that by the of this electric
light Captain Kelly did contribute to this col
IlsioL. We also suspend the license Of
Capt. John ~ Kelly for the space of sixty days,
Tor using light not authorized by law, thereby
contributing TO the collision.
Your attention is also called to the fact that
the government at an expense of many thou
sand dollars erected tower for an electric light
Mt Hell Gate, NY. which it had to abandon the
use of on complain. of pilots that it blinded
them so tn ~ CO id see nothing at all outside
the points on VIII the light focused