The Lamar register., 1894-06-16
ELECTRIC SEARCH-LiCHT
AT SANDY HOOK.
Throws Its Ray. over the Atlantic for
= Distance of Eighty Niies-Perched
leo . Tower Ninety Feet High-The
'larre.t Protector Ever Made

% United States government Tor the
hrpose of experimenting in coast
bfcnse- 1. is at Sandy Hook prov
II ground where 1t Is perchcd on
bp OF tower 90 feet high. from
hich it sweeps the waters in all Oh
Actions
1t Is undoubtedly the largest pro-
ctor ever made II measures five
et across the front OF the lens. and
Aough the strength OF the arc is
Il 900 candlc-power. yet this Is mag
ificd by special mechanism which
~ a part OF the lamp itself. until the
bram of light reaches a candle-power
20 1874. 900. 600 So strong is it In
{Aci. that II Is possible to detect its
1arting light eighty miles away.
The fact tha, the search-light, so
|successful on our men-oi-uar. might
prove OF great utility in coast de-
kfcnse has been suggested before. but
mo good opportunity presented itself
ontil last year whoa German firm
pf electricians exhibited the present
Rhig lamp at the Chicago exhibition
hee the ordnance department de-
1ded to buy II and commence the
Drics OF experiments a. the sandy
tpok proving ground.
FfOf late years immense strides have
bn made in the offensive facilities
nc navy department. and. while
pystems OF defense have wonder
advanced. they have not in
= instances kept pace with the
end OF the science A very
5nstanco can be found In the
mances OF the torpedo boat
ng. The little craft built by
erreshoYs has been able so far
~ oven the search-li9ht Since
Aas been painted green II Is
81 impossible to find her in the
with the seArch-hght now
By naval vessels At Goat
a last summer she played about
vatcr near tho man-of- war and
ever discovered until she had
cd that she had been prowling
and could have blown any or
- - the big battle ships out OF the
Wm1oP. On several occasions she
- mp within few yards OF the San
r 4Hfoncisco and the Miantonomah in
- face of the search-lights and was
G4 detected
fith the big scarch-light at Sandy
Dk It would be impossible for tho
hing to play such pranks
he lamp was made especially for
Chicago exhibition by Schuckert
Co. OF Nuremburg. Germany. says
New York Journal 1t was
un ted on the northwestern corner
the roof OF the manufactures
Hiding. and when 1t was operated.
rec evenings each week. its light
s detected in Milwaukee. over
Ehty miles away. When completely
& bunted il stands about eight and
e half feet above the platform on
& Aich it is erected The space with
the lamp Is large enough to allow
|e or six men to eusconce them
Ives
The most important part of the
mp is the large parabolic mirror.
hich is used to magnify the light
om the carbons- Ii has working
ameter OF FIVE feet and thickness
seven eighths OF AN inch. 1t is n
\ emarkable piece of glass. and six
bonths we're consumed IN the labor
grinding and polishing. The back
the glass is heavily coated with
ver. which is protected BY coat
of specially prepared paint 1t
been proved by experiments that
style of mirror is best adapted
projecting the rays of an arc
lAnp for search-light purposes. as 1t
Wrnishes the reflection OF the in
eonse rays more than any other kind.