The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-05

about by the motion of the water. A
steam fog whistle, similar to those
used on steamboats, and locomotives,
is another appliance employed on the
sea coast. Of similar nature are the
trumpets and sirens. The largest of
the former is an enormous instrument
seventeen feet in length, and with a
mouth tbirty-si1 inches wide. Air
condensed in q reservoir and driven
under pressure through this tube
against long steel tongue produces
a terrific shrek which may be heard
upwards of ten miles. The siren is
similar instrument fitted up with disks
and revolving plates producing 30,-
900 vibrations q minute, which are
taken up and projected by the trum-
pet. It is about the loudest of all the
fog signals, and under favorable cir
cumstances may be heard thirty miles.
If any sound can wake the dead, the
siren is the thing to do it. Steam fog
signals are rather expensive affairs. 1t
cost $500, 900 to establish the eighty
one operated in the United States
waters, and about $780, 900 year to
maintain them.
Sound signals are oftentlmes very
deceptive, and subject to alterations,
according to the state of the atmos-
phere. and implicit reliance on them
has frequently led to disasters. This
matter has been the subject of labori-
GUS scientific investigation.
Sometimes it is almost impossible to
tell by the ear the direction from
which sound comes. Different con-
trivances have been invented to cor
rect the mistakes to which human
powers of addition are susceptible.
Some of these are very ingenious, but
it is without the scope of this article
to enter upon a description of the
various inventions.
The lighthouse establishment of the
United States is under the control of
the Treasury Department, and the
Secretary of the Treasury is ex-oficio
President of the Board, of which the
Chairman is generally rear admiral.
Among the members of the board are
two officers of the navy, two officers OF
the corps of engineers, two civilians
of scientific attainments, and an officer
of tie navy and an officer of the en-
gineers as Secretaries. There are six
teen lighthouse districts, in each of
which there is an officer of the navy
as Inspector and an officer of the engi-
neers as lighthouse engineer.
The keepers Of lighthouses were ap-
pointed by the earlier Presidents. but,
as they became more numerous, nomi-
nations were made by collectors of
customs, and the appointments made
by the Secretary of the Treasury. The
nominations are, however, always to
be passed upon by the Lighthouse
Boara, and an examination by an in
Inspector generally precedes the final
appointment. The salaries are very
small, considering the nature of the
service rendered, and its Importance.
The compensation of Keepers ranges
from 500 to $1,000 per year. The
keeper must be between eighteen and
fifty years of age, and possessed of a
knowledge of reading, writing and
| accounts, and have some mechanical
ability. They are furnished with
quarters for themselves, and in GER
tain cases for their families, and zith
fuel and rations. As a lighthouse
keeper naturally has a good deal of
time on his hands, he is supplied with
library of instruoting and entertain
ing books, containing about fifty vol
umes. At regular intervals this IL
brary is exchanged for another and