The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-02-18
OUR COAST
BEAC0NS
Cheering Lights That Warn
and Guide the Mariner.
A BLAZE OF KEROSENE OIL
The Wonderful Lamps and Lenses That
Produce Brilliant and Far-reachiug
Flame-why Electricity Isn't
Used in Lighthouses.
A BLAZE OF KEROSENE OIL

The goal toward which the light
house board of this country ~ striving
Is continuous chain Of lights com.
pletely encircling the United States
and possessions and In the case OF rlv.
ers and inland seas bounding the wa.
tiers on all sides, so that a ship may
never leave the area OF light thrown
by one lighthouse before entering the
circle of the light Of another. AS fast
as congress will appropriate the money
the gaps are being filed.
But what makes the light? When
the curious inquirer is told kerosene"
be naturally wonders why his own
student lamp does not give better
light IL the Same oil In the lighthouse
sends its beam from FIVE to twenty-five
miles.
Various methods Of lighting were in
use until 1910, when a new system
was introduced Of employing nearly
true parabolold rehectors and better
glass lenses. In some cases these re-
hectors gave light which is not sur
passed even today except when han
died with intelligent care. In 1852,
when the present lighthouse board was
instituted, the Fresnal system Of lem
ticular glasses was introduced from
France and still remains. The first
cost is great, but by the saving OF oil
over the reflector system this is soon
reduced. with any reasonable care
fine light always results, and It Is ftn-
possible for a keeper to maintain a
poor light with this apparatus without
fragrant disobedience OF instructions.
Even with such an apparatus no
common lamp can supply the light.
First order lamps have I've wiclSs. one
inside the other, and are fed with OIL
by pump and pipe system. The oil
is fed to the wicks so that it reaches
the ends where the fame is in the
right time and In the right quantity.
1t is difficult to look at II, so intense
is the light In the lenses rather than
In the lamp is the secret. for they pick
up and utilize nearly all the rays of
light which ordinarily 90 astray. The
Fresnel apparatus collects almost all
Of this waste light and reflects and
refracts 1t out in one great broad
beam Of light parallel to the surface
Of the sea. where 1t is needed.
The flames which come from the
lamps are largely transparent So, of
course, are all other similar flames. If
flames were not transparent there
could be no advantage In having one
fame inside another and a third inside
the first two, etc. The lights from
the inner flames could not get out and
would do no good
In some lighthouses, usually for
range light purposes, the light is all
to be concentrated in one beam. This
Is done by concentric rings Of prisms
and central bullseye and reflector.
Vessels getting such a light in range.
either by itself or with another light
and running down the beam, are safe
from distractions which may be near
by, the range lights or beams Of light
marking out the channel to be fol-
lowed.
1t is frequently asked Of light keep
ers why electricity is not used In
place of mineral oil. An electric light |
Ia expensive to install and difficult and
expensive to maintain. There Is al
ways difficulty in keeping the are ex-
actly In the focal point Of the lenses.
the carbons never burning twice alike
and constant watching being neces-
sary. Failure to have the light source
exactly In the focal point OF the lens
results in sending the light rays up or
down instead of straight out, where
they are wanted. Electricity, while
superior In penetratiye power in d I
fog, has no advantage over power
full oil lantern In clear weather Min
eral oil, COLA oil or lard oil lights Of I
The first order could be seen hun
bred miles were it not for the curva-
ture Of the earth, and as long as the
light is visible long before the coast
Is all purposes are served.
IL Is only WITHIN recent years that /
mineral oil has been In use Lard oil
COLA oil and was used ex-
up to 1880 and with mineral
Ill up to 1889. Since the latter year
mineral oil has been used entirely, ex-
'ept where electricity has been expert
nented with, or coal or acetylene gas.
80 far coal oil, for power, efficiency.
ease Of operation and
holds its own against all
'ther means Of light making.
Electricity, If it can be successfully
is the best light, but through
Expense Of maintenance and in the in
Ibility to get skilled attendants for
uch light for the price set on keep
rs services it makes slow Roadway.
The traveller who cruises up the
casts and who sinks one light before
licking up another must know that
in the dark circle is a spot
licked for the foundation of a light
which viii be erected as soon as funds
nd time allow.-Scientiflc American.
So Sweet Of Him.