The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-02-05
COAST SENTINELS.
INFORMATION ABOUT AMERI.
CAN LIGHTHOUSES.
The Different Buildings and Lamps
Notable American Lighthouses
Number Of Persons Employed
and the Cost Of Maintenance.

The latest report of the United States
Lighthouse Board gives for this country
alone the following grand showing Of
our coast sentinels: In 1883 there were
2230 lighted and 1896 unlighted aids,
making grand total of 1926 aids to
navigation, consisting of lighthouses,
graded from the first to the sixth order,
lightships, fog signals, day beacons and
buoys of every description. The report
further goes on to state that in the con-
struction, care and maintenance of these
various aids are employed twenty-seven
vessels which are used in the construc-
ton of the different works and in carry
ing supplies; the service also giving
employment in different capacities of
light keepers, crews of ightships and
laborers to 3035 people.
AS it was found necessary that each
signal should present something peculiar
to itself that would render it protector
in truth and not misguiding and con-
fusing indicator, variety of lights was
introduced. The complete system as
used at present comprises eight varieties
namely: fixed white, fixed red, flash
ing white, flashing red, fixed white varied
by red flashes, fixed white varied by red
and white flashes and flashing red and
white alternately. Only the two colors,
white and red, are employed, the latter
color being obtained by either using a
chimney of ruby glass or panels OF red
glass outside the lens; red is thus chosen
as being the one color whose rays, above
all others, best penetrate the thick and
murky atmosphere Of a fog.
Of the 2230 lighted aids to navigation
ffty-two are what are termed first order
lights. The height of the tower is re-
gulated by the elevation of land on which
it is placed, and the angle of vision sea-
ward that is desirable to establish, and as
it is necessary that by day as well as by
night distinct difference should exist be-
tween the different stations, variety of
shapes, number of out-buildings, differ
ent coloring and different combinations
of color are employed to give to each
station its own idiosyncrasies, making it
totally separate and individual thing
from any other of its fellows.
The Absecon Light, Atlantic City,
N. j., which divides with the Fire Island
Light the honor of being the first land
mark aiscerned by incoming vessels, is
167 feet high, and to give some idea of
the thickness of its walls, it will be sufi-
cient to say that while the outside diam
eter at its base is twenty-six feet ten
inches, the interior measurement is but
ten feet. Its color or day mark is white
part of the way from the base of the
tower, and it completes its individuality
by two horizontal stripes of red and
white for the remainder of the distance
upward.
The oldest lighthouse in the United
States is the Boston Light, on Little
Brewster Island, at the main entrance to
Boston Harbor. 1t is light of the Sec
ond order, flashing every thirty seconds,
thrown from tower Ill feet above sea
level and visible for sixteen and a half
miles. So greatly was this light es-
teemed that in 1718, when the first
keeper, q certain George Worthylake,
lost his life in a storm, together with
that of his wife and daughter, Benjamin
Franklin wrote ballad thereon and
hawked it about the streets of Boston.
During the Revolution this light passed
to and fro between the British and
Americans, until, when the British feet
evacuated Boston Harbor, it was blown
up by them. It was, however, restored
by Massachusetts in 1888, and rebuilt in
its present shape in 1859.
. The Farallon Light, on the largest OF
the Farallor Islands, off the entrance to
San Francisco Bay, CAL, commands the
surrounding sea from the great height of
$50 feet. 1t is lonely enough, this
Farallon Light, with its conical, white
tower percbed, upon the very hi CHEST
point of the rock, with no neighbors
save the screaming gulls, and weird
and mournful sound issuing from the
depth of the rock every forty-five Sec
onds, first-class steam siren or fog horn
occupying subterranean cave.
The well-protected Boston Harbor can
also boast of another fine light, the cele-
brated Minot's Ledge Light, founded
veritably on rock, holes twelve inches
in diameter and five feet deep being
drilled therein to receive the heavy
wrought iron piles on which this octagon
tower is built. Such is the present struc-
ture, the first one being swept away in
1851 after the labor of eleven years having
been expended upon it. So important
was this warning signal considered, that
in May, 1855, the work of rebuilding it
was begun, and completed in 1850, and
as the sun went down on the evening of
November Is of that year, the magniti-
cent star of Mlnot's Ledge Light shone
out steady and clear from its tower. The
"Outer Minot's," on which this light
stands, has rarely a surface greater than
twenty-five feet, which is left uncovered
by the sea; the lighthouse tower is
therefore the realm in which the keepers
must live and move and have their being.
The structure is divided into five stories,
with sixth compartment directly under
the lantern, constituting the keepers
rooms, store rooms, etc., and the entire
cost of this light was $500, 900.
Such structures are likely to be super
sededby towers of iron instead ofmasonry,
as being lighter and especially adapted to
sites, where altitude and lightness of
weight are both indispensable. The two
renresentatiye ones of this order are those