St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-06-13
OPELOUsAs, LOUISIANA, SATURDAY, JUNE l3, 1896.
ENGLAND's LiaHTsHtPs.
There Are Fifty-six Scattered Along th
British Coast.

There Arc Fifty-Six Scattered Along gh
British Coast.
There are no less than Sc liehtship
Or floating lights anchored of the .eoas
of Great Britain. Ireland, Man, the Scill,
and the Channel islands, and there ma,
be some more which have been addet
since the last official revision OF tht
list. A lightship is, as the name i'm
plies, 81 stout built vessel, strengthened
to resist the constant beating of th,
waves, which is moored in the open ses
off the end of some shoal or shallow
or in the neighborhood of some danger
Gus rock, IN order that the beacon which
it exhibits may warn mariners of the
peril.
A good number of these lightships are
anchored off the stormy and rocky
south and west coasts of Ireland in
the most desolate situation that can be
conceived. The official account of the
Saltees floating light, for instance, de
seribes it as light vessel in 80 fathoms
off Coningbeg rock southermost o1
Saltee islands" The floating lights of
the ArkloW bank are described as light
vessels in rs fathons two miles from
sand of bank" and Eight vessel in Is
fatho1ns, from N. end of bank S. E. BY
z. one-half E. three and one-quarteI
miles"
There is a kind of livery peculiar
to ightsfips by which they can be rec
ognized in the day. It admits of few
variations, but they are slight. The
South Arklow light has black hull,
orDamented with white stripe 1t
carries three masts, and there is device
representing half a globe over globe at
the maiHnlast head.
By night the Bghtship exhibits either
a fixed light, which is always visible.
or else revolving one, which acts like
a searchlight and sweeps the entire
range of the horizon in the course of a
minute, or 20 seconds, according to cir
cumstances.
These floating lights are all under the
control of the corporation of the Trim
ity house, which stations, repairs and
inspeets them, collects the dues which
are intended for their maintenance, and
pays the men who are in charge of them.
The Seven Stone lightship, which has
all the latest Trinity house improve
ments, is moored off the Lands End,
at 42 fathoms, by mushroom anchor
weighing 30 hundredweight, and 315
fatho1ns of 11s-inch chain cable. In
the event of her breaking adrift she is
provided with sails. The cost of her
fully equipped for sea. with her Ian
tern and her fog-signaling apparatus
"a siren), was about e9,50o.
These ightships are manned, as a
rule, by two men, who are supplied with
a stock of provisions for two months.
at the end of which time they are visited.
inspected and repropisioned, and also
with surplus in case the weather
should render it impossible to come out
to them. This precaution is wise one,
for the business of running alongside
or sending boat to a lightship is diff
cult enough at any time, owing to the
dangerous nature Of its position and to
the persistent wash of the waves; but
in stormy weather there is considerable
danger, and cases have been known
when men have been reduced to their
last ration before it was possible to get
near enough TO effect 4 transfer by
means of a jibboom.
The man intrusted with this post
must be superior to the ordinary sea-
man. He must have a certain amount of
knowledge as an engineer, in order that
he may be able to attend to the machines
that work the light, and also to make
any slight repairs that may be re-
quired. He must have some knowledge
Of the GLACIERS art, for the panes of
the lantern are metimes broken by
the force of the waves, or. by stones
hurled up at them, and he must be able
to replace the damaged ones with spare
ones, which are kept on board.
A good deal of clerks work falls to
his lot. He has to keep accounts. He
has also to keep regular log, or#day-.
book, in which he enters reports of the
weather, of the ships that pass, of any
events of interest, and Amy Irregularities
which may happen. Sometimes his log
includes an account of a shipwreck.
Light dues are demanded from, ships
hat go that way, but they are collected
1t the nearest port, not at the lightship.
As a rule the men take alternate
at the light, one awake and the
other asleep. II the light is a revolving
one it goes by clockwork. This has to
,e wound up, and then it goes automat-
cally until it runs down, which event
S announced by bell. During the
lay their time is practically free-only
both must not leave the ightship at
he same time. There are the meals to
oe got ready. clothes to be mended,
,he decks to be sluaed, lines to be at
ended to, the weather to be observed
Ind the log to be kept. There is boat
which can be used for fishing purposes.
As a rule the life of a lightship keeper
S very deso1ate one. The post at
ong intervals brings him letters and an
occasional newspaper. Lately move
nent has been started by the editor Of
truth to supply lighthouse and light
hip men with old newspapers, and it
las been taken up by number Of
aides. Packets Of newspapers are sent
o the Trinity agent Of the nearest port,
nd forwarded when convenient. The
efters which the men have written in
eply show both that the papers are
warmly appreciated and a high degree
f education on the part of the writers,
No women are allowed on iightships.
Iarried men are not disqualified, but
heir wives and children are required
O live On shore aud haya- To he fcrl.