Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-06-11
Tells the Seaman How to Avoid
Rocks and Shoals.
IS BUILT OF WOOD Or IRON
Preference for Cedar IN Its
Construction.
The Growth of the Buoy Service OF the
United states-A Department Having Its
own Code of Laws, Fleet of Small
Steamers and Corps OF Contractors.

shows the way IN anu OUT OF laiDOr,
says the Nov York Herald,
The growth of the buoy service may
be measured by its cost, which was,
for the five years preceding tho organi
cation Of the board, in 1859, about
S75, 600 per year, and for the five years
after that about $50, 600 per year
In 1S42 the Lighthouse board had
nearly 1000 buoys in position; in 1868
it had l, ,034; in 1860 it had /, ,73S; dur
ing the war of the rebellion it lost
those ON the Southern COASTS, but in
1867 it had so far replaced and added
to thom that it had 2,0i4 in 1875 it
had 3,0O2, and on June Both, 1899 tho
date of the boards last report il had
d, 300 buoys in the waters of the several
districts. An appropriation of 1925, 600
was made for maintaining the buoyagc
of the United States coasts during the
year ending June Both, 1883.
The buoy service has its own code of
laws, State and National, fleet of
small steamers for its maintenance.
besides corps of contractors TO attend
to the buOyage of Coves and inlets i'm
practicable to the tenders. IL has its
depots for the storage of iron buOys,
where they arc painted and numbered
or repairted, and also where wooden
buoys are made ready for service. 1t
has its own directory printed yearly,
in 13 volumes, distributed grltuitously
for the benefit of commerce, in which
each ono of the more than 1000, buoys
is mentioned by name, located by
station and is described by size, color,
number and vicinity.
Buoys are Of wood or iron. The
wooden buoys now in use are sticks
from II to 60 feet long Of pine or spruce
or preferably of cedar. The board fire.
quently contracts for the delivery mt
one of its depots of cargo of logs in
the rough, at from $40 to Sl5 each,
where they are freed of their bark,
smoothed of their protruding Knots,
painted to the pattern required TO tell
their allotted story and fitted at the
larger end With an iron sleeve, to which
the stone or iron anchor can be at
tached by mooring chain. Then they
are packed in classes or sizes on skids
to season. Finally they replace those
which must be freed from barnaclus,
have fresh coat OF paint and recover
their bunyancy. Spar huOys arc classi-
fled first by length and thickness and
then by acquired color, but they are
interchangeable within these condi
tions.
Iron buoys are hollow, with air tight
compartments, and are made of three
shapes called nun, can and leo buoya.
The nun buoy is almost cOnical in
form, the can buoy is in shape the
frustum Of como, nearly approaching
a cylinder, and the ice buoy intended
for use in winter is formed much like
a spar buoy of great length, slight
thickness and of largest diameter near
it's middle Each shape is classified
by size and diversified by color and
number. The cost Of these huoys
varies. with tho price Of iron and the
cost of labor, from $50 to $50 each.
Congress prescribed by act of Soptom-
her 2Sth, 1850, that rcd buoys, with
even numbcrt, be placed on tho right.
hand side, and black buuye, with odd
numbers, on tho loft hand sida Of chan
nels approached from seawar,l: that
huoyS placed on wrecks or other ub.
structiuns having a channel on each
side bo painted with red and blacI
horizontal stripes; that those buoys
placed in midGhanHel and which iudi.
cato that they must bc pastni close ID
TO avoid danger be painted with white
and black perpendicular stripes, and
tnaly' that pcrches, with ba!Ia, cages
Nc, when placed on buoys will indi-
cate Il turning point, tho color ana
numher Of the buoy showing thu side
on which they are 10 br passed..
Buoys are exposed TO many dangers.
not the least Of which is that of being
run down and ripped olen by RAISING
steamers. Az the iron buoys are mgcr
with compartments they ARE ralol,
sunk, but their line Of ilotatinn i.
often lowered and their usefulness nd
cordingiy decreased. spar buovs fre.
quently lose a portion Of their length,
which is cut oil by strokes Of co!lidinp
propeller blades. Despite State and
National statutes forhidding it, vessels
Will sometimes make fast buova. thut
gradually dragging thom or their bear
ings. A buoy has sometimes been sci
adrift that a reward might he obtained
for It's recovery, but thia is not d yer,
profitable operation
The buoy's worst enemy, however. i,
zee when moving in mass ana with |
tide or current 4 wcll-nlatle. we'll
moored buoy at the mouth of marrow
ilver can create an ice gorge, bu'
usually, whom the icr moves il fnrro
tho buoys have their mooripr aluut,
torn out, their mooring chains broke,
or their mnoring anchors WEIGHED MI,
in each case the buoys are carried ON
10 sea whom the buoy tenders piy,
chase. The sea going qualities of N,
large iron huoyH are shown by tbci
volunteer voyages. One Is nov AN
chorcd oil the coast Of Ireland. whrr
II was picked mp about six Weeks aftc
II had been wrenchGd from itg ulHc, i,
New York harbor and turned over II
the Irish lighthouse establishment. n
which ii was reported 10 tbp Upitr,
States lighthouse board, when il w,.
presented t. the llisl board, Who aipi
piy atidcd to its furlnGr ugrlE5 tlri
own and moored il mar tho min
Whcre II came ashore, in cummumoru
non Of Its peculiar voyage.
1u"NS TO ho used mt night or in i,lAcp
wEere 1t Is desired 10 give nutillcA,iu
~ some distance Of dangerous rocks Il
SHOALS arc uf twh principal tusses, M
leIl buoy and the whistling buoy. /
the Former the boil, wrighin.s ,O
lounus Is mounted DIT the tot III i
iron franz . teot high. weighted
lLai J, VIII tent upright aud srrt,rel
a4ehmed q tIo bottmn TIM ho!
l"iF,l by lfc motion II thr watpr rnrF
ins T. Trn giDin 10 aidr of c1ur.a.
H2AH.a tin luadral when ttn MI i, i
the mogt violent cuara;juu. N
u-ea nmet' iu hea"eaad ri4lr4 mi
s9as Y, 5aab ut " ln ya il agal
Iio %biatIing buoy Is an iraa, r NJ
EHle b9lh, in ~. Jargast sizoi. b.,
aetaH ~ The wi,iH7t pau, ana il1..lIn
y toni aut ot thc wataf. lnsia n
Duh i7 atuho sI iurhcs across. fr1'
tlE f"@ tho tln throu,n thp aottul