Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-28

ginia, one hundred and sixty-rive feet
high.
The lighthouse on Mlnot's Ledge Is
the most important engineering work
that belongs to our lighthouse system;
and Indeed IL ranks, by the engineer
ing difficulties surmounted in its cree
tlon and by the skin and science
shown In the details of It's construc-
tion. among the chief of the great sea-
rock lighthouses Of the world.
other remarkable instances Of the
union OF the knowledge Of the en-
gineer and architect are the Light
houses at Penheld Reef, Long Island
Sound. and Tillamook. a picturesque
rocky promontory In Oregon. There
are other notable structures, but these
come to mind. The most famous bea-
con in the world, however, Is the
Eddystone light in the English Chan
mel.
The Lighthouse Board has some
forty llghtshlrs under Its control.
Among the better known are the New
South Shoals Pollock Rip, Sandy
Hook. Frying Pan Shoal and Winter
Quarter Shoal
The buoy Is to the seaman by day
what the light Is at night, and what
the fog signal is in thick weather. II
tells him by It's size. form, color and
number how 10 avoid the rocks and
shoals, and shows the way in and out
Of harbor
Congress prescribed that red buoys,
with even numbers be placed on the
right-hand side. and black buoys, with
Odd numbers. on the left-hand side OF
channels approached from seward;
that buoys placed on wrecks or other
distractions having a channel on each
side, be painted with red and black
horizontal stripes; that those buoys
placed In mld-channel, and which indi-
cate that they must be passed close to
to avoid danger, be painted with white
and black perpendicular stripes; and
finally, that perches, with balls, cages,
etc, when placed on buoys. will indi-
cate n turning point, the color and
number OF the buoy showing the side
ON which they are to be passed.
Buoys are exposed to many dangers,
not the least Of which is that of being
run down and ripped open by passing
steamers. As the iron buoys are made
with compartments. they are rarely
sunk, but their line of notation Is often
lowered. and their usefulness accord
lngly decreased. Spar buoys frequently
lose n portion OF their length, which
IL cut off by strokes of colllding pro-
pcllcr blades, Despite state and ma
tiOnal statutes fnrbdding 1t. vessels
VIII sometimes make fast to buOys.
thus gradually dragging them off their
bearings. a buoy has sometimes been
set ndrift, that u reward may be OBJ
tanned for its recovery; but this It not
profitable operation. as the reward
paid Is varied with the circumstances
OF each case. The buoy's worst enemy,
however, Is ice
Telephone communication has just
been established between Sandy Hook
and the Scotland llghtship. The cable
runs from the electric buoy station at
sandy Hook TO the mushroom anchors
OF the lightship, whence the fluid runs
up the chain cable to the receiver Of
the telephone on board. The outer end OF
the cable Is. so to speak, frayed out,
thus forming a "grdiron" or grid"
as 1t Is named, which. by diffusion,
creates an area of identification. u
The vessel may swing any way she is
driven. but II she does not get cut Of
this area. connection is insured, The
same system will probably be applied
TO every lightship in the service.
Fog horns and bells. operated by
clock work and caiorir engines, for
many years obtained favor as a method
Of warning In fogs and storms, but in
later years these gave way to the fog
siren.
The principle Of the siren Is easily
understood. A musical sound Is pro-
duccd when the tympanic membrane
Is struck periodically with sum ,ient
AhlANliA9s nv ll'huA'llbl o. AilfAt y IN
panic shocks by pufls Of air was first
realized by DIR. Robson, and his de-
vice was the first and simplest fern
of the siren. a stop-cock was so con-
structed that It opened and shut the
passage of pipe I2O times in second.
Air being allowed to pass intermittent
ly along the pipe by the rotation Of
the cock "a musical sound was most
smoothly uttered" A great step was
made IN the construction OF this in
strument by Cagniard de la Tour, who
give II IT'S present name, He employed
box with n perforated lid, and above
the lid n similarly perforated disk.
capable OF rotation. The perfpratlons
were oblllue, so that when wind was
driven through, it so mpinged upon
the apcrntures of the disk as to set IL
In motion. No separate mechanism was
therefore required to move the upper
disk When the perforatlons OF the two
disks conceded, n pun escaped; when
they did not coincide, the current
OF air was cut of. In this way u sue
cesslon OF Impulses was impaired to
the air The siren has been greatly
improved by Dove, and specially so by
Helmholtz, Even In it's small form the
instrument is capable of producing
sounds of great intensity. These sirens
are used on land and sea, even the
lightshlps numbering them among their
equipments Many improvements in
lights, buoys and fog sirens have been
introduced during the past few years,
and IL need not tax credullty to believe
that In II short time buoys will serve
as mark by day and n torch and
danger signal by night; that electric
ity viii take the place Of oil as an H.
Illuminating agent. and that every ef-
fort will be put forth to maintain the
wcll-earucd reputation of this branch
of the government for efficiency and
progressiveness. The present light
house board is composed of able men,
most Of whom have devoted much time
and thought to the interests of the SER
vice Admiral Walker, distinguished
sailor and scholar, is the chairman of
the board. If he has a hobby II is To
| keep the lighthouse service of the
United States in the lead of the world.
and in this patriotic work he is ably
supported by Commander G. Il. Il.
| Wilde, United states Navy, and Cap
tain John Mills, United States Corps
| OF Engineers, Naval and engineer sec.
retaries, Under the administration of
these men the lighthouse service of
the United States will steadily go for
ward and always maintain it's proud
position as a model branch OF our gem
eral government.
JOHN II. BURKE.
MN ~, m.