The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-18
BEACONS IN SUNNY SEAS.
NOTES TAKEN IN TIE SIKH LIGHT
EOUSH DISTRICT.

j. III. bTyCe III 1uTpeT " etSsN.
LIGHTS along the shore have been used
from the earliest days, mention Of them be-
inc made by Herodotus. the father Of histo-
r;sns Among those Of ancient times the
r,ost renowned was the Pharos Of Alexan-
dris which was finished $50 B. C. It was
lo0 feet high and was visible forty-one miles.
After sending its light across the water for
many long years, it was finally destroyed
bv an earthquake. the exact date OF its
destruction being unknown.
M those Of more modern times the Eddy
s,ore Is the best known, and much has been
uri,ten concerning it. Founded upon the
solid rock, it has stood firmly in its place
Tor more than a century, and successfully
-os,s+sd the stormy waves which have con-
.tsntlv dashed against its base. The first
Tght house erected on this spot YVES built In
If16 and was destroyed by a storm in 1908.
II was rebuilt in 1909. destroyed by Dire 10
1755 and rebuilt in 1856.
In this country the erection Of light
houses was begun by the colonies nearly
two centuries ago, the first being built on
little Brewster Island, at the entrance of
Poston harbor, in ZIG. This was followed
nv others. and in 1889, when they were
ceied to the general government, it is
known that they existed at Portland, New
burvport, Cape Ann, Boston, Plymouth.
Nantucket. Newport, New London, New
work. capes Of the Delaware, capes of the
Cbesspeake, port of Charleston, and at the
month of the Savannah river. Most of
these were small and unsubstantial struct-
ures. which have been replaced by others,
larger and of better construction, and the
nnmber has been constantly increased, as
the needs Of navigation and commerce
required, until to-day there are hun
dreds, besides Thousands OF lights of lesser
degree.
vided into sixteen districts, to each of
which is assigned an inspector, who is de-
tailed from the office Of army engineers and
navy. and whose term of service in this
CAPACITY is three years. The inspectors are
made the disbursing officers of the govern
Inent, and though no bonds are required,
and hundreds of thousands Of dollars pass
through their hands annually, it can be
said to their honor that not dollar has
ever been misappropriated. While in other
countries tax is laid upon vessels to sus-
tain the expense of keeping up the light
stations, in the United States an appropria-
ton is made by congress, and the
Ight house system is a branch of the
treasury department. 1t is made the duty
Of the inspector to visit ever light station
in his district four times year. and 30 re-
port its condition to the light house board.
These visits are made without notice to the
keeper who must see that his lights and
station are in constant good order. Each
district is supplied with steam vessel, on
which the inspector makes his tours, and
which is also charged with the duty Of
locking after the buoys and other aids to
navigation.
Light houses are usually constructed Of
stone or brick, and are placed upon as solid
a foundation as can be secured. The homes
Of the keepers are built at convenient dis
lance, though occasionally these are portions
OF the light houses themselves. Much inge-
nuity has been exercised by architects and
engineers to vary as much as possible the
form and shape of the light houses, the
object being to indicate to mariners at a
distance upon the ocean the name of the
station by its appearance. They are painted
in various ways, end every practicable de-
vice is resorted to that this object may be
accomplished.
The towers and beacons are sometimes
made Of wood or iron, and in the former
provision is made for hosting the light every
evening, thus relieving the keeper Of the
necessity OF mounting to the top twice a
day, as must be done in the light houses,
the lamps being lighted at shutdown and
extlnguished at sunrise. Oil is almost the
universal illuminant. Experiments have
been made wish electricity and gas, and at
least one station has been lighted with
natural gas, but these are only exceptional,
nearly all the stations using a high grade Of
kerosene oil.
Among the sixteen districts into which
our coasts are divided, the most extensive
and one of the most interesting Is the sixth,
which reaches from the mouth of Cape
Fear river North Carolina) to Jupiter Inlet
FLORIDA, and includes the coasts of South
Carolina and Georgia, and parts of North
Carolina and Florida, the upper portion Of
the former included in the fifth district.
and the lower portion OF the latter in the
seventh. The duties of inspector of this
district are now ably discharged by Com
mander James G.. Green, United States
navy, to whom l am indebted for many
Gcourteses during my voyage among the
hght houses of his district. The govern
ment vessel, the Wistaria, Is commanded by
henry Brown, an efficient officer, and a
veteran OF the civil war.
The thousands who annually make the
trlp to and from Florida by steamer find
themselves, soon after passing stormy Hat
teras which has light house measuring 1911
ieet IN hight, within the bounds Of the sixth
district, and see, after nightfall, the flash =
ing hghts-some red, some white-along the
SHORES, while during the day they may &C.
cssonally catch view of the tall towers,
Standing in solitary grandeur as mile-posts
along the way. On some the lights are
,nGed" red or white; on others they are
nashlng," intervals of darkness being suc-
oeeded by piercing rays.
I4ree hghtships are passed-one at Fry
iTIs an shoals, near the mouth OF the Cape
rear river another at Rettlesnake shoals,
eSst OF Charleston harbor; and the third at
Maruns Industry shoals, off Port Royal
entrance. These are all 2-mast. schooner
aasgeu vessels, are supplied with lights and
oag marks at the mastheads, and have bell
alu morn as fog signals. They are rugged
o "i.u sails, so that if las has happened in
Usler 1lstrlcts) the violence of the storm
suouid wrench them from their moorings.
1ney will not be entirely at the mercy of the
y. and waves. Each vessel has q crew
sn eisut men, to whom provisions are sup
Soeu every quarter by the light house ten
o ~, auu who manage to catch an unlimited
fuaauty of fish, and are able to secure
seo su meat occasionally from passing
r'nnI1s' The life is, of course, a very
tas SnoIonous one, and they are constantly
NJ ' ssII oy the waves. But there is no lack
applicants for the position whenever a
'4TCancy occurs.
c1 1ueIe are within the district nearly a
or S.e VI The larger lights, while the smaller
Of ,b lumber more than hundred, many
bsrtoo latter being placed within the
Vor.euu above the mouth of the river.
no,sya sers by one of the best known and
nv popular lines running to Florida must