Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1898-07-22
LIGHTHOUSES IN WAR.
How They Can Ne ussa to Lars en- Ensmy's
shipsto Destruction,


shipste Destruction.
The lighthouse keeper has his spec
ial duties In times OF war. and II Is In
his power 10 render valuable service
20 HIS country's cause. The extin-
gushing OF the lights in the bay was
the beginning Of policy which was
outlined early in March by the Light
house Board.
Al that time general instructions
we're issued 10 the keepers Of the light
houses ordering them 10 famillarize
themselves and their assistants with
all the requirements incident 10 the
exigencies OF war. The extinguishing
OF the shore lights will be a last re-
sort, as the extensive commerce OF for
elgn merchant vessels would be SER
iously inierfered with by Il. The or
der to put out these lights will only
come in case OF actual danger Of In
vasion by foreign men-of-war.
In considering the various means by
which the lighthouse keeper can rem
der service In war time. II Ia necessary
TO know something Of the lights them
selves. In every lighthouse station
the beacon has some characteristic
with which the mariner Is familiar. or
which he may readily recognize by an
examination OF his chart In some
cases the beacon Ia fixed. white light
which never changes. but sends its rays
far out 10 sea. where the watehful pilot
recognizes Il at a glance.
Other lights change from red TO
white. or the reverse. or show a disk,
one side OF which IL white and the
other red. The approaching mariner
knows at once In what direction he
should steer. n the red light Is on
the right and the white on the left
side OF the disk. be knows that by
keeping TO the left he will find a safe
channel. while dangerous shoals await
him In the opposite direction. OF
course. Il Is obvious that the light
house keeper by reversing the colors
on the disk could do lnestimabe dam
age to unfriendly vessels. In all such
cases II Is obvious that our own ma
rlners must be warned IN time Of the
changes contemplated.
other lighthouses have a beacon
flashing white at regular intervals.
Thus the characteristic OF the light nj
Fire Island Is zone Hash every min
uis." II this we're changed. 30 that
the light would fash only once In two
minutes. the mariner would be as
badly on as II there were no light at
all. With the idea In his head that
he had reached a point near Fire Is
land. the unusual signal woula signify
to him that his calculations were
, wrong and that ne was In an entirely
, different locality.
, Another means by which the pilot
, gauges hisJlocation "a the distance Of
, Visibility ~ the light shnnecock
Light ffof example. Is a fixed white
! Ife6t situated on Panquogue Point, on
the north side OF Shlnnecock Bay. l.,
l., one mile from the line Of sea beach
and about midway between Montauk
/, Point and Fire Island light stations
: It is visible al a distance Of isA nau.
teal miles. Now. n II we're known
: that an enemy's ship we're approach
ing. the light could be screened 10 al
/. not to be visible at all or to be visible
at a half or quarter Of the usual dis
> lance. The vessel might thus be le'
n into a trap before rs pilot realized biz
= proximity 20 the dangerous coast
= The changing Of fox signals has als'
been contemplated as an effective
means OF decelvlng the enemy. Il 1
-, the opinion Of those most familia
a with the subject, however. that II
cases Of actual invasion OF our water
by the cnemy's ships the signals woul
be discontinued altogether.
The characteristics Of fog signals ar
n, indicated by the length Of blasts an
A. the intervals at which they are glyef
i. and II is thought that changes Nigh
/, be misleading even TO our own pilot