Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-12-22

Acl>uIc uiOulCi'r.
still ascending, we roa u. tn low
lightro0m, devoted NANNY g. m mp
paratus for giving II WHITE, hxcl suir
sidia'y light Tue ci Gth cn;npait
ment Is the bedroom. haviag IN,
berths, two above aad three below,
with cretOnne cui.aias. and below
are cupboards Tor Clothes; 1.-The TIVE
speaking tubes fixed ON the wall arc
connected with the lantern and low
lightroom respectively, 80 that the
Leeper OH night duty can easily com
municate with his sleeping mates
should an accident happen and as
sistance he required. Considerable
space Is devoted to thc two pressure
pumps for supplying oil to the lamps
By mems CO weighted rams, which,
being first rais,l 10y a pump'nS lever,
descend gradually ia.o the oil, fore
inn it up the pics into TIE l:m-s
The chief work performed in the SCI,
vice room is at night, when the light
is going and the keeper is on duty.
IntcAse lights for S ,rny Weather.
Surrounding the last fight Of
stairs, we enter the MIST interesting
compartment OF ALL namely, the Ian
tern. 1t is 10 feet high, IA feet ia
diameter and cylindrical in form.
The Trainings are made OF steel, COW
cred externally with gun metal, and
there Is very careful arrangement
for thorough ventilation, having re-
gard TO the great heat thrown of by
the lamps. The lighting apparatus
is the outcome of many costly expert
ments in optical science. The lamp
is known as a Douglass improved six
wick burner-that is, one having six
tubes of wick Of varying sizes, the
larger encircling the smaller, which,
when burning, produce a solid flame
equal to to the intensity Of 722
standard sperm candles. Two such
burners are fitted, one above the
other, within the revolving drums,
so that in bad weather flashes of
enormous intensity are sent forth,
the combined illuminating power be.
Ing equivalent to $50, 900 candles.
The glass apparatus by which the
effect of each burner is augmented
and economical, consists of two
twelve-sided drums, each six feet in
height and each side or panel sof
which is formed by central lens or
bulls eye and surrounded by concen-
trio rings of larger bulls eyes, so that
the same effect is obtained as though
portion OF one huge lens were en-
ployed. The two bulls eyes OF ad-
joining panels are brought close to-
gether, much resembling two eyes
squirting; and on the rotation OF the
drums, with the inside central light
burning, each bulls eye and its sur
rounding rings carry round concen-
trated beam of light, which becomes
visible to the outside observer as soon
as the focus of the BULBS eye falls
upon him. A very short interval Oc-
ours between the flash of the first
bulbs eye and that of the second, and
after two such flashes nearly half a
minute elapses before another pair OF
squirting eyes comes round and dis
! charges the two flashes; and thus is
obtained the distinctive light Of the
Eddystone. The two drums are
superimposed, with lamp in each,
so that in foggy weather, when both
act together, double lighting power
is procurable.
The monotonous round Of duties
carried on day by day so far away
from THEM fellow men invariably in
duces, after the first month, acute
depression Of spirits, the attack last
ing from twelve to twenty-four hours,
and, work being temporarily impossi-
BILE, the sufferer remains In his berth
until the sickness moderates, his
mates filling his duties meanwhile.
Every month weather permitting) a
relieving vessel goes out to the light
house. taking the man who has had
his month ashore and returning with
the keeper who has completed his
three months, but it frequently hap
pens that the weather upsets their
calculations, when communication by
signal alone can he effected. In fine
weather each man is on duty four
hours and eight hours off, but when
the atmosphere is thick there il
double duty to perform, two men be-
ing on watch at the same time.
At dusk the lamp is lighted, so
accompany the keeper into the int
rior of the glass drum, and observe
how, with spring grip, he raises
the lamp chimney and ignites the
wicks; but, being still daylight, the
illumination is not brilliant, although
it increases in brightness as night
comes on. The next proceeding il
to wind up the gear which rotate:
the drums, and, as the weight to bt
lifted is equal to a ton, and the opera
tion lasts about an hour, it is some.
whav fatiguing.
On fine summers day it is de
lightfully quiet in the lantern; hui
there are times, as the fury Of tn,
tempest beats upon the massive tower
and the binding flash of lightning
permeatcs every apartment, wheI
the men in their solitude cannot fai
to be impressed by the mighty powe
and majesty of natures forces. L
: was terrible experience, ever to b,
remembered by the lightkeepers
! when, on the night of the blizzard ii
March, 1891, the lantern was partly
imbedded in snow, entirely obscurinl
the light on one side and effectuall.
blocking up the exit. The storm
was of such severity that nothing
, could be done to clear away the oh
n az r,ction ti11 tho nayt nnnrninU xvba,