The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-04-13
LARGEST LIoH'r-NoUsE.
Il Is on the French Coast and Is Of
Wonderful Power.

If there is one thing which the
French Government has cndcayorcd to
to we'll it has been TO warn mariners
of dangerous parts of The French
coast, and il there is spot where the
Service dies pharcs de France has
largely experimental with a view to
providing the best method Of light
house illumination it has been at the
lighthouse at the Cap de la Heye,
near Hayre. Four different kinds of
apparatus have already been tested
at this lighthouse, which are de-
scribed in the Pail Mall Gazette.
The first comprised oil lamps with
reAectors giving luminous intensity
OF 5000 candle-power, visible in clear
weather a distance Of forty-one miles
In the second case oil lamps were
used with fixed lenticular apparatus,
yielding a candle-power Of 10000,
capable Of being seen i'm clear weather
Il distance of forty-nine and one-half
miles. The third comprised the en-
plOyment Of the electric are light,
with fixed lenticular apparatus, Civ
ing an illumination Of $4,000 candle
power, the light being visible fifty
seven miles away. In the fourth
case the use of the electric arc light
was combined with a lenticular fash
ing apparatus, yielding 24,OOO, 900
candle-power and capable of being
seen on a clear night no less than 1870
miles distant. A new light has,
however, been practically completed
at this lighthouse, and will give q
luminous intensity Of 10000, 600 cam
dle-power, and it will be the most
powerful lighthouse in the world.
As far as the electrical apparatus
is concerned, the old magnetic ma
chimes have been dispensed with and
four new generating machines have
been substituted. These are two
continuous-current dynamoS, giving
each from twenty-five to forty-five
volts. The current yielded by these
machines will be utilized for produce
ing light in Serrin regulating lamps,
fitted with cylindrical carbons. The
optical apparatus which has replaced
/ the old fixed lights is new type, de-
yised by NJ. Bourdelles, one of the
chief engineers of the Service des
Phares, and who was prominent
member of the recent international
Maritime Congress held in London.
This apparatus gives white flashes,
which succeed each other every five
seconds, and it possesses this peculi-
arity, that the number OF lenticular
panels, which in lighthouses of the
first order range from eight to six.
teen, has been reduced to four. The
difficulty Of revolving the panels at
the necessary rapidity to produce the
| flashes at sufficiently regular inter
walls has hitherto prevented the reali.
zation Of this important improvement
| but this now has been overcome in
an ingenious manner, and it is now
, possible to make a complete reyolu.
tion in twenty seconds. as compared
with u minimum Of four minutes
with the ordinary lights of the first
order. The square lantern has beer
demolished and a circular one substi,
| tuted.
The new light will, as already men
toned, be the largest lighthouse
light in the world. During clever
months of the year the light at the
Cap de In Heve will be visible from
its geographical bearing a distance
of twenty-three miles, while with the
old lights this limit has only beer
obtained for eight months in The
year, leaving out Of consideration the
greater luminous intensity obtained
with the new apparatus.