Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-14

4
ing Alaska, one. Porto Rico. and the
| third the Hawaiian Islands.
The service maintains at the present
! time over 12,0oo aids to navigation, in
| Guiding lighthouses, light vessels. buoys,
| beacons. and fog signals. During the
| year $50 aids were established and .2l8
| discontinued, leaving a net increase of
| 475. Tie. service has 63 light vessels on
| 81 stations, the vessels in excess being
used for6relief. Some important smprove-'
ments in the type Of Illuminating APP
| paratps have been introduced .on the
4 light vessels.
| There are at present AZ lighthouse 4en-,
Iders stationed along ,the coast and used
| to supply light stations and vessels and
| for inspection and construction of new
| works.. During the year five tenders
| were sold or transferred being not
| worth repair for lighthouse purposes
and Rot needed under the reorganization.
| One new. tender and one new light ves-
sci have been completed and plans are
under way for additional vessels to take
| the place of others as they become worn
| out.
| The business methods of the service
| have been examined and various modifi-
! cations made; a cost-keeping system in
1 troduced. and a general iighthousue in
| speetor and an examiner, or travelling
auditor. have been appointed to go sys-
| tematically from district to district and
l examine both technical and business
methods the maintenance of vessels etc,
| improvements in lights and other aids
| to navigation have been made as rapidly
as means would permit. Two hundred
| and ninety-six lighted aids to navigation
| have been established during the year.
| including .first-class stations at Cape
/ Hinchinbreok, Alaska. and White Sheal,
| Rock of Ages. and Split Rock. on Lakes
| Michigan and Superior. Twelve lights
have been changed from fixed to flash
ing or occultiug lights, giving more dis
| tinctive characteristic. Incandescent oil
vapor lamps have been introduced IN
place of oil wick lamps at % stations,
giving much greater brillianey of IL
Illumination for the amount of oil USED.
Acetylene lights have been installed in
place of oil lights at 16 stations. These
are mostly unattended lights, not requir-
| ing the services of light keepers. me
marking and lighting OF the new LIVING
stone Channel of the Detroit River rs IN
progress. as this important channel VIII
probably be open for navigation next
year.
Progress in Alaska.
The need of additional aids to naviga-
| ton in Alaska has been. recognized. 1t
was made a separate district and an m
| spector placed in charge with an ONCE
and depot at Ketchkan and Tonka- Two
| lighthouse tenders have been at work
| There have been established ~ new
| lights, . unlighted beacens, q buoys, and
/ L fog signal. a year ago there were -
| lights in Alaska. SO that the NUMBER
has been doubled since. Preliminary ar
rangements have been made for the m
! stallation of q additional lights during
| the current fiscal year, and an estimate
| is submitted for the establishment or a
| frst-olass light and fog signal station st
/ Cape ST Elias. There are now 2as aids
to navigation in Alaska. of which "A are
| lights.
| New Types of Lamps and Signals.
| investigations and experiments have
| been continued. throughout the year for
| the. improvement of apparatus used In the
/ service \ new type of oil-yaper lamp
has been developed and put into use at
| various stations. The use of aeetylene
| gas has been extended, especially for
| unmatched beaeons and buoys, including
| large lighted buoys at sea. which Will
| operate for long periods without atteh-
| tioFf This gas has also been used fpr
many of the unattended beaeons IN
| Alaska. where it is difficult TO provide
| light keepers, Steps have been taken
| for the improvement of fog signals, par
| ticularlv with view to having them
| sounded instantly on the approach of
| fog. Investigation is being made of the
/ availability of wireless telegraphy for
| fog signals.
| The appropriations for the general
maintenance OF the service for the pres
| ent fiscal year were s4S3.0o0 less than for
the preceding year. this reduction being
| due largely to economies effected in the
| reorganization The use of the appro-
| priations of $4,000 for the construction
| of three lighthouse tenders was also de-
| ferred as these vessels We're not inn
mediately needed.
The estimates submitted for the main
| tenance Of the Lighthouse Service fo'
| the next fiscal year are practically the
| same as the appropriations for the
| present year. These estimates include
| new vessels required to replace light
vessels and tenders as they become worn
out in service. and important new light
houses and depots for the conduct of the
work of the service along all portions of
the coasts of the. United States and out
lying territories.