The Republican journal., 1905-12-14
WINDMILL FOR lIGHTSHIPS. ETC.

The Canadian exploring steamer Arc
tic, Captain Bernier) which has made
can extended voyage North poleward, is
provided with novel electric light in
stallatlon. Since fuel cannot be OBJ
tanned for the generation of steam, and
as the ship will have to spend many
months i'll darkness, it was decided to
install an air compressor plant which is
being operated by windmill. The
compressed air is then used to drive
the generators, which in turn furnishes
current for charging the storage batter
les used for lighting the vessel.
1t would seem that Windmils might
similarly be utilized on board of light
ships and alongside of lighthouses, for
generating electricity for illuminating
purposes and for the signal lights. in
connection with electric storage bat
ter,es. The subject is certainly worthy
OF consideration by the lighthouse au-
tlorlties and by electrical engineers, as
thousands Of dollars could be saved to
the government annually, if windmill
driven electric lighting plants We're in
stalled i'll all light vessels and light
houses. Nv hat has been done once can
he done again. is an old saying, so
why not harness the wind for general
ing artllcldI llgNIr
Where the lights on IightShipS and
lighthouses are used only on an aver
age of about II hours out of the q,
there is 10 good reason why electric
storage batteries of ample capacity
could not be fitted i'll the holds of the
lightships to furnish all the power nee
essary to run the lighting equipment
during calm periods, or at times when
the breeze was too light to drive the
windmill. The electric fluid could also
be utilized to charge the storage bat
tery OF an electric launch, and to do the
cooking and heating on board of a
lightship. The attention of the United
States Lighthouse Department is re
spectfully called to this suggestion,
advanced by The American Shipbuild-
Ell during the past few years, all tend
ing toward saving dollars and cents for
our readers, and benetiting. American
shipping and marine interests.
On Nansen's ship Fran there was a
windmill electric set installed to give
power during her Arctic voyage, and a
similar set was placed on the ship Dis
covery during her Antarctic exploring
expedition, both OF which worked add
mirably
AS the old Five Fathom Bank light
ship has been condemned, the govern
ment might make trial Of the wind
mill electric LIANT OIL her and at a com
paratlvely small outlay. Should the
experiment prove successful the Light
house Department would have at hand
a new and inexpensive motor power
and illumination, that would $50 far as
the windmill is concerned last for 20
years,
DR.. Charles F. Brush, of are electric
light fame, has on his extensive country
residence a highly successful windmill
electric Lighting equipment that iur-
nishes several hundred electric lights,
and produces power for pumping water,
saving wood. running electrlc fans,
threshing corn, cutting corn and feed
for the farm animals; churnIng milk,
and performing variety of useful m
dustrial duties, nc.
We Shall be pleased to hear from our
readers upon the subject, as we are de
sirous of finding out ways and means
for utilizing the power OF both WIND
and wave, and we believe the windmill
can be successfully used in connection
with lightships and lighthouses; and,
perhaps, on households as well, fol
electric lighting and for charging the
electric launch that would be used both
as ferryboat between houseboat and
shore and for towing the houseboat.
AT any rate the project is vastly more
worthy of trial than scores OF lmprac'
ticai wildcat mechanical and othel
enterprises that often succeed in en-
Listing capitalize Jackson squirt
(hydraulic) boat of several years ago
for instance .-American Shipbuilcer.