Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-11-07
NAVIGATION AIDS,
The Lighthouse Board Makes
It's Annual Report.
We Have 1906 Lighthouses and Light
eeacous and As Lightships.
Y Tue Of Rhode Island FaI ms. .Shipbui'd'n9
and the Silk Industry.


Washington, Nov. S.-The lighthouse
beard has made its annual report TO
Secretary Gage for the fiscal year end
ed June 30 last. This shows that AT the
close Of the year there were under con-
troll Of the board the following named
aids to navigation: Lighthouses and
beacon lights. 1906: light vessels in po-
sition, As: light vessels for relief. ::
electric.lighted buoys in position, II;
aas-lighted buoys in position. 81; fog
signals operated by steam. caloric or
oil engines. 179: fog signals operated
by clock work. DO: post lights. 1877:
day or unlighted beacons. 49,
whistling buoys in position. "a: bell
buoys in position, la2; other buoys III
position. including pile buoys and
stakes in fifth district and buoys in
Alaskan waters. Also.
In the construction. care and main
tenance of these aids to navigation
there were employed: Steam tenders.
Is: steam launches. II: sailing tenders.
;: light keepers. 1920; other employees.
including crews of light ships and ten
ders. 142S: laborers in charge of post
lighs. 1874.
Inc DOaru ASKS LOT appropriations i'i
the different branches of the work. II
asks for four new tenders and for tho
completion Of three tenders for which
partial appropriations have been made.
Efforts have been made to carry on
the Porto Rican lighthouse service by
borrowing occasionally a small vessel
from the navy department and by
making temporary use of lighthouse
tender belonging in the seventh light
house district. The results have been
so unsatisfactory that the board has
been compelled to recommend that ar
appropriat ton of S125000 be made TO
provide a suitable seagoing tender IL
be devoted to both construction and
maintenance duty in the light and buoy
service in Porto Rican waters. and es-
pccially for carrying lighthouse sup
plies and material from the mainland
t., the islands.
Since May |. 1899. the Porto Rican
lighthouse service has been under tho
charge of the lighthouse board. Con
-ress. by the act approved June 6, 1900
appropriated $50 600 to maintain exist
ing aids to navigation and complete tho
construction Of the Mona Island light
cent islands. BY the act approved on
March ). 1901. an appropriation was
made of s115. 600 to maintain aids to nav
igation in Porto Rican waters. AS the
huovage system for these waters will
have to be almost entirely reconstruct
ed it is estimated that an appropria
ton of 500. 900 will be needed to do this
and to maintain the existing Porte
Rican lighthouse system during tbs
coming year.
The following recommendation made
in the boards last annual report is re-
ncwed: 1T is also recommended that
$4,000 be appropriated to maintain tn.
Hawaiian lighthouse establishment il
case ii should be turned over to the
lighthouse board"
The lighthouse board repeats some
suggestions made by ii last year as tt
wireless telegraphy, and then says:
Permission was given to one of TIL
great New York daily newspapers I,
connect the Nantucket Shoals light
vessel with the island of Nantucket
by the Marconi system for expert
mental purposes. with apparently sat
isfactory results.
While the board does not propos,
to either gather or disseminate marine
news, it is quite DESTROYS in the inter
eSts Of commerce and navigation a
well as of economy to be put into early
and quick communication with its out
living light vessels and lighthouses. and
il is for this purpose alone that ii ask
an appropriation to enable it to install
Il wireless system of telegraphy be
tween such points in the lighthouse es-
adjustment as shall seem to be most
necessary"