The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-04


I'm the lamp house of the government
lighthouse station at Tomkinsville Sta.-
en- Island, is housed the most wonderflI,
nght IN the world. The light itself stands
10 feet high, the face Of its bull s-eye is
feet across, and its lenses are as mucn
as four inches thick 1t is capable of
hashing a ray of light equivalent to the
power of 25O,0O)000 candles, and the dis
lance from which il can be seen on clear
nights is practically limited only by the
curvature of the earth. This flash will
have the intensity and binding glare of q;
stroke of lightning. That part of the light
which revolveS weighs fifteen tons an6
so exquisite is the mechanism by which
1t IS moved that the pressure of two FIR
gers VIII turn it. A child could controi
the machinery, and the motive power
winch propels 1t is a single bit of clock
work encased in a box two feet square
The light consists of two concave discs
about S12 feet in diameter. These discs
are placed back to back about a foot
apart and in position look like tremen-
qous double convex magnifying lenses, so
large that they could not be cast in two
single pieces, but had TO be built up in
segments, and the whole strung together
on a great iron skeleton. And this in
point OF fact, is precisely the case. Back
to back the lenses inclose a hollow in
terror into which is thrust a poWerfIIl
electric light. This light of itself is about
1000 candle power. When its light ia
projected through these huge magnify
ing prlsms, its power is intensified more
than $1,000 times. 1t is altogether beyond
sible effect of 250,O00000 candles which is
the Illuminating power of this new light
house wonder. At the present time the
finest oil lamp which ingenuity has bean
able to devise may be seen on a cIea -
night some thirty-fiVe or forty miles a.
sea. The new light may be seen at A
point 40 miles away.
The queer. cross-shaped crystals Of
slicate that are known to the inhabitants
of Virginia as fairy stones have lone
puzzled the most noted BIOLOGISTS of the
world, says the New York World Inst
why Silicate should crVStalliZe is the firs+
problem that confronts them. and the
second is why the disqualification shouid
always assume the form of a cross. IF is
only IN one part of Virginia that these
stones are found. Patrick county is the
favored locality, but almost every Vir-
ginian has sent to some friend or neighbor
Tor a specimen, for they are supposed to
be lucky stone. Indeed, no self-respect
ing citizen of the Old Dominion viii he
found with a rabbits foot in his posses
sion nowadays, and he must have a fairy
stone Tor mascot. The legend which
gives these little crystals such a ren1Ita
tion for luck is not only old, but is Quaint
ly beautiful. When the crucifxion took
place. the fairies of that particular sec
ton of Virginia were overwhelmed with
grief, and their tears, in falling. crvs
tallized into tiny crosses. For many wears
the fairy stones have been the ma Y-ticuIar
mascots of Patrick county citizens and
il was only by accident that the fame ~
the emblems has spread. A few months
dSo d certain OOl. trooper went into the
mountains of that county on a prosneot.
ing tour, and while there put up at a farm
house. He noticed that all the peopIe
about the place We're wearing irregular
cross-shaped crystals, and on asline
found out the significance of the custom
He secured one. and within a few DAYS
struck a bonanza. Shortly after the GAL
liant colonel appeared in Washington his
studs, cuff buttons and scarfpins all made
of fairy stones. Congressman and even
grave senator's badgeIed him for mascot
rod fnwu~ -
eted lucky stones. The fairy stones are
scarce, and are found after dilieenf
search in the beds Of the streams. along
let's. N - y