Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-02
LIGHTHOUSE SYSTEM.
That of Our Government Is Without
 an Equal in the World.
Upwards of Fifty Vessels and OvsR Four Thousand Men Engaged i'm the Servlce-InterestinK
 Particulars.

l nS necessity TOT anOrQ9ng a1Q ana protection to vessels along a seacoast of excessive length has resulted in the development by the United States government of a lighthouse system which Is generally admitted to be with out parallel on the globe, says the Chicago Daily News.
 Employed in one way or another in the supervision and maintenance of the lighthouse system are upward of 50 vessels and between 4,Ooo and 5000 men. The phase of the operations at once the most interesting and the most picturesque is performed by the light house tenders-vessels of various sizes within the range of the opera tions of which are found all manner of tasks from the conveyance of ma terial and supplies to the most isolated lighthouses and Hghtships to the re- plenishme mt of the gas supply in those novel buoys which are illuminated continuously for several months as the result of one charging
 There are now in the service of the United States 95 steam tenders, II steam launches and two sailing ten- ders-a lighthouse fleet without & counterpart in the world-~and the az gregate of the officers and crews of which amounts to nearly 1000 men. If the recommendation of the United States lighthouse board is carried out the fleet will shortly be increased by the addition of four new steel tenders. One of these will be handsome vessel to be constructed at cost of $751; 900 for carrying on the Porto Rcan lighthouse service. The vessels now on this unique squadron, in addition to the important part which they play in all works of construction under taken by the engineer branch of the lighthouse board, and the care given to the thousands of buoys maintained by his government, also distribute each year supplies valued at about $5oo,- 900. ..
 In the lighthouse fleet are vessels of several distinct types and, indeed. the development of the tender to it's pres- ent high plans of efficiency may be traced by means of vessels yet in serv- ice. One of the pioneer craft Is tho wooden sidewheel steamer Geranium, which is in service on the coast of Maine. This vessel was built in 1868 and is of only 356 tons burden, but she steams, on an average, about 5000 miles year in discharge of her duties, which consist principally of the maintenance of buoys. Another wood- en sidewheeler, the Verbena, built in 1870, is also in service on the New Eng land coast.
 An adequate appreciation of the characteristics of the latest approved type of craft for lighthouse service may be gained from the stipulations in, the specifications for the steamer Magnolia, to be constructed at cost of about $125, 900 for service along the Florida coast and in the Gulf of Mex ico. This tender has length over all of 17s feet; length between per" pendiculars, 1855 feets beam molded, 30 feet, and depth of hold of IS feet She is fitted with two compound sur face condensing engines and steam is furnished by two Scotch boalers capable of developing about 75o indi- cated horsepower. ...,,
 This vessel is unique and of special interest from the fact that the natural conditions of the district in which she Is to operate render 1t imperative that the steamer shall be so constructed as to make 1t possible to alber, when necessary, not only her trim, but her draft of water A vessel with great draft could not, for instance, act as & tender in the lakes and inland bays with which this coast abounds, while on the other hand, hght-draft craft would be inefficient and even danger ous In performing her duties in the open sea of the Gulf of Mexico. The problem has been solved in the case of the Magnolia by the construction amid ships of a ballast tank extending from the bottom of the vessel to within about three feet of the main deck and the provision of trimming-tanks forward and aft. The relative capacity of these three tanks is such that the draft and trim of the vessel may be changed from six feet six inches on an even keel for inside work to nine feet aft and seven feet six inches for- ward for gulf service A powerful pump fills or empties these tanks while the vessel is on her way to OF from the gulf. The displacement of this ingenious craft is 7so tons, or $50 tons, as her tanks are full or empty
 Hsa Willy Plea.