The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-28

his boat disappeared over the crest of
wave in the distance. In the meantime the
mother and daughters were obliged to sub
SiSt on a cup of cornmeal and one egg
each q day, at the same time in state
Of uncertainty about the safety OF the
father and brother. Through all this time
Abbie cared for the light and for her sick
mother, by her cheerful spirit keeping
their spirits up. The father and son re-
turned safely.
A little romance grew out of her knowl-
edge of the operation of lighthouses. When
her father was relieved from his duties In
1861, and Capt. Grant and his son came
to the rock to take charge of the lights,
she instructed them in the operation of
the lights. Later in the year she was mar
RED to the son. She remained on the rock
until 1875, then the mother of four chill
dren when, q vacancy occurring al the
White Head Light, Me-, her husband was
appointed keeper and she his assistant.
They remained there for many years.
With cIockIIke Regularity.
The method of utilizing more than one
tower to. give light stations identifying
characteristics is an expensive one, as 1t
involves the operation of more than one
light, besides besides keeping the house in
repair. By the Improvement of lenses
and the clockwork by which revolving
lights are operated, 1T has been made pos
sible greatly to vary the characteristics
of the light. AS foundation there are
revolving apparatus. The variations are
fixed white, combined with a white flash,
fixed red with a red fash, a fixed white
with red flashes Of different numbers,
flashes with intervals of different lengths,
combinations of white and red flashes,
lights which show white in certain di-
rectfons and red in other directions. Sew
eral of these combinations can be seen
in New York harbor and the neighbor-
hood The well known light at the west
erly end of Long Island sound on EXecu-
ton rock is a light which flashes white
except In one sector in which the flashes
are red The He'll Gate port light has
flashes of three seconds duration, alter
nately white and red. The North Hook
beacon on Sandy Hook has fixed white
light with "a fixed red sector covering the
water, beneath which lie the cables OPP
Grating the electric buoys in the Gedney
and Bayside channels. Vessels are forbid
den to anchor in the red-hght district
The center of the main ship channel lead
Ing into Salem harbor is marked on the
water by stronger light than that on
either side. The light is fixed white,
lens panel greatly increasing it's inten-
s1ty being placed on the side of the Ian
tern opposite the channel.
At Montauk Point the main light is a
revolving light. A fixed red light placed
IN little balcony just beneath the main
lantern sheds a warning light over a reef
on the north side of the point The line
Of keys which fringe the Florida coast
from the Fowey Rocks to Dry Tortugas is
marked by continuous band of red light
furnished by series of lighthouses pro-
Vided with red sectors, whose rays inter-
| sect. A vessel attempting to cross the
danger line would be made aware of the
| fact at whatever point the attempt was
made The remaining sectors of the lights
| In some cases the white, fixed or flash
| ing.
The Cape Charles light signals "45''
! every minute. There are four flashes, fol-
| lowed by an eclipse of six seconds and
then five flashes, followed by an eclipse
| of thirty two seconds
| The color of a fixed or revolving light
! which does not change is given by the
color of the chimney on the lamp within
| the lens In cases where a red light is
| to be thrown in given direction piece
! of red glass is placed in such a position
/ that all the light thrown in that direc-
| ton, whether from a fixed or revolving
! light, Will pass through 1t. Whenever
! there Is to be combination of white and
I red flashes certain of the panels the
number being determined by the number
4 OF red flashes and their frequency, are
! covered with red glass, which moves with
| the revolving lens. The interval between
| the flashes is determined by the speed
| with which the lens is carried around. The
/ flashes are not separated by dark panels
| as one might imagine. The separa ton is
| due to the form of the lenses, which con-
| centrate the rays passing through given
instead of scattering them throughout the
entire arc which would be covered
| by a fixed light from that panel. These
| beams, therefore, are more brilliant thar
| those from a fixed light
| The lighthouse establishment will ex-
| hfbit models of some of the especially in
| teresting lighthouses at the ST. Louis ex-
position. They are being prepared al
Tompkinsville.