The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-04
MARINE INTELLIGENCE.
LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS OF
SHIPS AND SHIPPING.


savannah.
commander Benjamin P. Lamberton,
lighthouse inspector, returned to Balti-
-,ore Friday after having personally su-
.,s-intended the placing Of Diamond
s1oal ughtship. No. SO. on her station.
rbe new lightship is stationed about four
-es7 miles off Cape Hatteras. Diamond
sba,l projects into the sea seven miles off
t1,+teraz. 1t is covered with from six to
tvventv feet, and has heretofore been
marked only by Hatteras light, standing
~ sbore seven miles from the outer edge,
and not discernible in foggy or hazy
heather. The traffic in that vicinity de-
..anded that precautionary measures
ebo,,ld be adopted, and the lighthouse
hoard determined to place lightship on
the shoals.
an hoard ightship No. 50 everything
,oolxs so tidy and inviting, the quarters
Gre so roomy and the arrangements for
tha comfort of the men so perfect, that
Tho thought of months on board the YES
81 beconoe less dreadful. The main cabin
g light and cheerful. and the four state
rooms which open into it are occupied by
.ho cantain, mate, engineer and assistant
engtneer. From the cabin one enters also
the chart room, in which flags for the
signal code and charts are kept.
The lighthouse board undoubtedly
Knows that telling old and threadbare
t7Ies and playing cards sometimes fail to
s,nplv the means for killing time aboard
,igbtship and a neat little library is
snnnlied. which is kept in the main cabin.
,rbe hooks are returned to the lighthouse
hoard every three months and a new sup
NV is placed at the disposal OF the crew.
Forward from the little saloon Is the
DYNAMO room, in which there are two
electricity generators. Only one dynamo
is necessary to supply the lights for the
nastheads and those elsewhere aboard
The shin. but duplicate machine is kept
in reserve in case of accident. In TINS
anartment is also a marble switchboard,
by means of which the lights in the Var1-
Gus parts of the vessel may be regulated.
The only lightship stations at which cleo
tricity is now used are South shoals, off
Nantucket, and Sandy Hook, and in Meth
or of these ships is the electric plant so
complete as on board ships Nos. 6S and
&c. The forecastle is nicely fitted up, ana
an employe of the board said that there
are no other vessels anywhere in which
such good provision is made for the sail
Ors
Forward of the little messroom is the
great capstan, from which the monster
anchor-chan runs. The chain is made up
of links 15s inches in thickness and 8
inches long, and at its end on the bow OF
the vessel hangs the 6,0O0-pound mush-
room anchor by which the vessel Is
moored in thirty fathoms of water.
The vessel will toss and roll in the
"a thn ctr In anRhOT-
chain will be tremendous. To guard
against accident on that account, surge
reiever' or resistance spring has been
fixed in front of the capstan. This is so
powerful that the strain must exceed As
600 pounds before it is felt on the capstan.
Below is the engine room, with Its
small but powerful machinery, and the
boiler room. Everything about the craft,
even to the smallest detail, is built to
resist hard knocks and rough usage. There
is nothing remarkable in the appearance
of the deck, but the two sturdy masts,
with their basket-like arrangement at
the top in which the lanterns are placed,
attract immediate attention. There are
three lanterns on each masthead, as ex-
planned in the departments circular, and
if the vessel can withstand the gales off
Hatteras they will be sufficient for the
purpose for which they were construct
ed. In case of accident to the electric
plant white continuous light will be
shown from the lanterns.
The new lightship's crew consists of
sixteen men, and, while the lighthouse
board believes that No. So will be as
comfortable for it's crew as the other sim
liar vessels are for the men who live
aboard of them, Capt. r. d. Evans has
been quoted as saying: There is no
chain that can be forged that will hold
No. SO on Diamond shoal for any length
fS wi
sends The sand shifting around at a terri
bic rate. In short time this action of the
sand will cut any chain, or weaken 1t so
that the first heavy gale will cause it to
part. When that happens the Diamond
shoa lightship will almost certainly
drift ashore, and the sixteen men on her
will be lost"
The weather forecast for October, as
predicted by the photographic office,
states that frequent gales are to be ex-
peeted during the month along the New
England coast and the British Isles and
as far south as the 10th parallel. Tropical
welcomes or hurricanes are probable south
OF ~ north and east Of 60 west. Fog on the
Grand Banks is to be expected, diminish
ing in quantity. There win be no ice
south of the 50th parallel, but bergs are
probable in the vicinity of Belle Isle.
ne Norwegian barkentine Prince John,
Napt. Marcussen, from Wilmington, Del,
arrived Yesterday in ballast. She is char
tered for cargo of naval stores to Eu-
rope Capt. Marcussen is accompanied by
ns wife and little son, who are making
voyage on the vessel.
Inc Norwegian bark Ragna, Capt. Oh
sun was towed to the city from the
quarantine station yesterday. She is char
rIea Tor cargo of naval stores for Eu
tope Capt Olsen is accompanied by his
VIE and child on the voyage.
Ihe northeast wind developed into Sc
we're blow at Tybee yesterday. A heavy
was running high and it was so rough
i t4a' the tow boats came inside for har-
o4f last night.
ne tug William f. McCauley, will be
I+ul.1 out on Jones marine railway to-
' ~ nave her bottom scraped and paint
apt Jacobs, of the tug, took occa-
Js.. OF his boat being laid up. and left
G,g n.snt for Wilmington, N. c., to visit
I"lh1y for a few days.
,o schooner Carrie Strong has been
H., ' y'd for cargo of fertilizer from