The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-05
coRYFIELD LI6nTsHIp.
Life and Duties Aboard a Government
 Vessel.

Vessel.
 Essex. Nov. 2.-Your correspondent recently interviewed one of the occu.
 pants of Llghtship No. 5i. This ship Ii
 anchored in Long Island Sound on
 what Is called Long Sand Shoal. which
 has length of six miles and n width of one-half mile. and is considered the
 most dangerous reef between New
 York and Boston. The boat is an chored four miles southwest from Say
 brook breakwater light. at about the middle of the shoal. Landing from the ship. to procure mall and other neces- sIties, is made at Saybrook. At other times at Saybrook steamboat dock or at cornHeld Point. This ship and her sister ship, now doing service on the North, Carolina coast, were built at West Bay City, Mich.. two years ago. and are constructed to rateA1. Lloyds. The Cornfeld ship contains all the modern Improvements, electric lights, steam hoisting gear of improved pat tern, and water condensing machinery, and carries constantly from forty to eighty pounds steam pressure. The officers in command are: John A. Beebe of Mantle, master of lightship. who has been in the service on this ship and the former one for the past eighteen years, and whose father, Charles Beebe, also commanded be- fore him for many years; John Man. warning of Mantle, first officer; William H. McDermot of Essex, chief engineer; Harry Thomas of Staten Island, N. r., second engineer. The crew is as fol- lows: Bremen, Ira Thomas of Staten Island, David Peterson of Essex and Henry Clark of Long Island; cook and steward, John Robertson of Water ford, East Lyme; sailors, Willard Brown, Jr., of Essex, Manuel White, Anton Joseph and Anton Ramus, New London. -...
 The duties performed by the crew in- clude standing watch and changing watch as the bell indicates. There are men constantly on the lookout, with others whose duties consist in polish ing brass. scrubbing decks and waging a constant war on every form of dirt. The ships provisions consist of good substantial food of fair quality and in July, October and April by the lighthouse board. News is obtained from passing steamboats and sailing craft, from which papers are some times secured. Vessels approach as near as is expedient in foggy weather to find their bearings. The most de- ceiving obstacles to the mariner are snow and fog. Snow is considered far worse than fog, as it's searching flakes blind the. mariner. The electric light is a flash light, giving complete satisfac- tion to the navigators, and the plant is sskillfully operated. The ship can trav- el with her own steam and stand up to her moorings during gales. Her cleo tric light is located on the mast head, and is fixed white light. showing for twelve second periods, separated by eclipses of three seconds. The light is visible to the naked eye at a distance of twelve to eighteen miles, according to the condition: of the atmosphere. The. j, ship, has a twelve-inch steam whistle for use in foggy weather, which can be heard from twenty to twenty five miles, according to the state of the atmosphere and the direction of the wind. The time between blasts is twelve seconds and the blasts continue three seconds, making four blasts to the minute.
 The men on board keep, as nearly as possible, the number, names and rig of vessels passing. The ship is moored with ninety fathoms of heavy chain, attached to what is called mush- room anchor, and easily swings with the flood and ebb-tide. In heavy weather the sea breaks over her. The men on board claim, and the thermom- eter indicates, that it is from three to seven degrees colder on land than on board ship in winter. The average summer temperature, however, Is fifty eight degrees. All water consumed aboard is condensed and is produced rapidly by improved condensing ma chinery, making it as soft as rain water.
 The monthly payroll on the ship