New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-19
AN ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARD.
FIRE ISLANDS BEACON AIDED BY LIGHT
SHIP SEVEN MILES OUT TO SEA.


After long delay and considerable changing Of
mind on the part OF the authorities. new warning
OF the dangers of ships attempting to take short
cut 10 New-York across Long Island has been
placed twenty-eght miles east Of Sandy Hook and
about seven miles south Of Fire Island light.
few years ago 1t was proposed TO increase the
power and range OF the Fire Island light by chang
ing II from an oil to an electric apparatus and
plans made for altering the structure suffi-
GENTLY to permit OF carrying the great reflector
used at the Chicago Worlds Fair. Then 1t was de-
cided to retain the present characteristics or the
light and the present method of illumination. send
ing the big electric plant to another station further
south Later came the arrangements for building
lighthouse on the famous Diamond Shoa of Hat
teras and # was said that II the building could be
erected the giant reflector would be installed there.
making station OF which the great white hash
OF Hatteras would he secondary part While all
this argument going on, Fire Island kept on
sending its beam OF light out over the waters once
every minute and transatlantic steamers made
their course for the light a guide 10 the APP
proaches TO the gateway OF the continent. The
need for a brighter light or some way OF giving me
needed Information to shipmasters without com
polling them come too close inshore was In no
way lessened and the authorities finally decided TO
place lghtship outside the island as an additional
safeguard Five lghtships had been ordered
to be built. and of them was recently completed
and placed the station known as the south
shoal off Nantucket while lightship No. IS. which
was on that station was towed to her new post OF
duty off Fire Island.
on each Of her two masts at height OF 37a. feet
above the water is fixed white reflector light VS.
ibe under ordinary conditions Of weather at dis
lance Of eleven and one-quarter miles. Her greatest
usefulness, however is expected 10 result from her
Pinch steam chime whistle. which can be heard
through a fog which will smother the ught. ana WILL
be sounded In thick weather tor three seconds out
OF every twenty giving thfse Das.s fac n an
While IL probable that No. % Will ony DO tenn
porary duty off Fire Island # is possible that shc
will be kept there permanently, even after the re-
manning four ships completed. She Is nne
vessel hardly inferior TO the ones TO he Dullt ana
nearly new The main differences between this boat
and the newer type represented by the new ship
at South Shoal, that the former is equipped with
oil lamps and IL Of steel while the latter has electric
lights and Is composite In structure, being partly
steel and partly wood
The laynan would think that the substitution OF
electricity for oil 10 supply the signas on llghtsh!p
would be a vast improvement, but captain Albert >
Snow who Is In charge OF the Third Lighthouse DIS
trct and Jurisdiction over the stranger in these
waters SAID. in speaking OF the new light. that IN
point OF efficiency electric lights beacons were
on.y a slight advance the light produced by OIL
Neither could be below the horizon and either
could above Bu there thiss ignt exception
in OF the electric light. that IN cloudy weather
Us superior bril.iancy glow upon the clouds
which could be while the light itself was still
below the horizon. The use Of electricity saved the
trouble Of handling oil 10 great extent Dut not en-
flrely as oil equipment was necessary TO replace
the electric light in OF its failure In actual.
practical effectiveness there was little 70 choose be-
tween the ancient and the modern way. The use OF
composite construction had been recognized az pos
sessfng some advan over the wholly steel vessel
for iightship purposes