The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-08-24
GREAT NEW FLASH LIGHTS,
ILLUMINATING THE NEW YORK.
HARBoR APPROACHES.

AoAUhN - f9ANs
TT may not be generally known that
the application of electricity to
lighthouse purposes is soon to re-
ceive its greatest illustration at
the entrance to New York harbor and
that before the summer is over there
will be in operation there the two
most powerful electric lights in the
world. Both of these, however, will |
not be for distinctively lighthouse
purposes, as the one at Sandy Hook
is merely a search light, belong |
ing altogether to the army and es-
tablished for use as feature Of coast
defence, This search light, which has
been tried recently with fair results in
transmitting flash light messages to
the city, is the one which was origin
ally used at the Chicago Fair, throw
ing its rays as far as Milwaukee, dis
lance Of ninety-two miles. It's power
is nearly as great as that of the other
light being prepared for Fire Island.
The Sandy Hook search light has nc
place in the system of lights OF the
lighthouse establishment and is not
intended as an aid to navigation. 1t
is merely a large protector, intended
in war to examine at night all APP
proaches to New York harbor, to dis
cover the movements of enemies who
may seek to enter such approaches,
ETC. Its power is estimated to be that
of 200, 900, 900 candles, but it is found
that after the power Of few thousand
candles is reached, it is difficult to
note the full effect from the addition
of few thousand more, so that al
though the power of production may
be accurately calculated and stated,
the human eye is hardly capable OF
distinguishing sto the excess in brill
lance of one very powerful light ovel
another.
The lightning flash light to be
erected at Fire Island consists Of BIZ
valve lens about eight feet in diane
ter, to be Illuminated by two arc burn
ers of several thousand candle power
each, magnifed by the lens SO as to
give a flash of 100000 900 candles,
estimated This light will have the
most powerful lens ever constructed,
and in favorable weatherits rays, pro-
jected against the sky, ought to be
seen at a distance of at least 100 miles,
while the light itself will be visible
twenty-four miles. 1t will flash every
five seconds. The light at present at
Fire Island will be transferred to Hog
Island, Va, where it is much needed,
Some idea of the intensity of the new
light may be gained by q comparison
with the illumination of the Statue of
Liberty, the torch of which, familiar
to all New Workers, is of only 5000
candle power The new Fire Island
light will be 10000 times as brilliant.
While the new lights, one at Sandy
Hook and the other at Fire Island, are
thus distinct in purpose, different in
construction, and of unequal brillian.
cy--if the estimated candle power can
be absolutely depended upon--the
aims Of both may, 1t is said, be frus
trated by one common enemy, anG
that is fog, 1t is not positively known
that such very powerful electric lights
will not penetrate fog to a great dis,
lance, but it is asserted on the other
side of the Atlantic that the electric
light is not as valuable for the pene.
tration of fog or haze as the ordinary
gas or oil lights In clear weather al.
most any light can be seen far enough
for practical purposes, but thick
weather is the test for lights as well as
fog signals.
The most powerful light on the
English coast is that at the Isle OF
May, for which an illuminating power
of 80, 0O0,0 candles is claimed, but
mariners assert that it is as invisible
in foggy weather as if 1t were only
$500 candles. The records which
have been printed in English news
papers show conclusively that in fog
gy weather the 38, 900, 900 candles OF
the Isle of May areinvisible at a shor
distance, while that the 1000, 900 can
, dle-power light at st. Catherine
, Point, is equally invisible in sucl
weather was proved by the loss las
, fall of the North German LloyC
? steamship Elder near that lighthouse
Possibly these assertions may b.
, what has deferred European nations
from erecting any more brilhan
lights along their coasts, for they Ger
e taiuly have nothing to compare will
= the Examinations that will guard til,
. entrance to New York. The mos
+ powerful at present on the French
/, coast is that at Cape LeHeve, tire,
r miles from Havre, which is of onl,