Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-07-22
LIGHTHOUSES IN WAR.
How They Can BE Used to Lure an Enemy's
Ships to Destruction,

How They Can BE Used to Lure an Enemy's
Ships to Destruction,
The lighthouse keeper has his spec
ial duties in times of war, and it is in
his power to render valuable service
to his country's cause. The extin-
gushing Of the lights in the bay was
the beginning of a policy which was
outlined early in March by the Light
house Board.
At that time general instructions
were issued to the keepers Of the light
houses ordering them to familiarize
themselves and their assistants with
all the requirements incident to the
exigencies of war. The extinguishing
of the shore lights will be last re-
sort, as the extensive commerce of for
eign merchant vessels would be SER
iously interfered with by it. 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 is 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 is fixed, white light
which never changes, but sends its rays
20 NJ 70 = a tah II nil
recognizes it at glance.
Other lights change from red to
white, or the reverse, or show a disk,
one side of which is white and the
other red. The approaching mariner
knows at once in what direction he
should steer. If the red light is on
the right and the white on the left
side of the disk, he knows that by
keeping to the left he will find safe
channel, while dangerous shoals await
him in the opposite direction. OF
course, it is obvious that the light
house keeper by reversing the colors
on the disk could do inestimable dam
age to unfriendly vessels. In all such
cases il is obvious that our own ma
riners 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 at
Fire Island is "one flash every min
ute" If this were changed, so that
the light would flash only once in two
minutes. the mariner would be as
badly off as if 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 would signify
to him that his calculations were
wrong, and that he was in an entirely
different locality.
! Another means by which the pilot
gauges his location is the distance Of
visibility of the light. Shinnecock
Light, for example, is a fixed white
light situated on Panquogue Point, on
the north side of Shinnecock Bay, L.
H., one mile from the line of sea beach
and about midway between Montauk
Point and Fire Island light stations.
1t is visible at a distance of 1874 nau-
teal miles Now, if it were known
that an enemys ship were approach
ing, the light could be screened so as
not to be visible at all or to be visible
at half or quarter OF the usual dis
lance. The vessel might thus be led
into a trap before its pilot realized his
proximity to the dangerous coast.
The changing of fog signals has also
been contemplated as an effective
means of deceiying the enemy. 1t is
the opinion of those most familiar
with the subject, however, that in
cases of actual invasion of our waters
by the enemy's ships the signals would
be discontinued altogether.
The characteristics of fog signals are
indicated by the length of blasts and
the intervals at which they are given
and it is thought that changes might
be misleading even TO our own pilots
The late George w. Reed left to ii
church of Messiah, Montpelier, a beque
of $1,000.
An extra freight train of Is empt
J cars came in to Barre over the Centri
, Vermont road to transport grant
, Friday morning 10 of them were sci
l out loaded with granite. This indicate
| good business in the granite line