The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-16
LIGHTING COASTS
OF UNITED STATES
Service the Most Extensive
of Its Kind
BEACONS sKETCHED
0NS SKETCHED
Construction of Modern Lighthouse
and Methods of Distinguishing
Lights-About $500 Men Are
Required for the Work
From the National Monthly.


The sea coast line under the iur-
isdiction of the United states is 49,
ss1 statute miles, measured in three
mile steps. The general government
provides lighthouses and other aids 10
navigation along all this coast, with
the exception of the Philippine Islands,
1l,511 miles, and Panama, where the
marking of the coasts Is maintained
by the local governments. In addition
tho United States provides lights along
the American shores OF the Great
Lakes, 1920 miles. and on interior and
coastal rivers, 547S miles.
The United States lighthouse service
thus maintains lights and other aids
to navigation along 46,s2S miles OF
coast line and river channels, length
equal to nearly twice the circumfer-
ence of the earth. In this distance 1t
has 12,S2S aids to navigation of all
classes, sufficient to place one every
two miles around the equator.
In respect to territory covered and
aids maintained, says George X. Put
nam, commissioner of lighthouses, II
Is much the most extensive service OF
its kind under single management
of river post lights and there are 76s
lights having resident keepers, 81 light
vessel stations and 43S lighted buoys.
The total lighted aids of all kinds Is
4516.
There are in all 933 fog signals, OF
which $40 are fog signal stations, AZ
submarine bells. 124 whistling buoys
and 256 bell buoys. There are 62S1 un-
lighted buoys and 1474 day marks, or
OH cd he (
private aids to navigation, maintained
at private expense. but under govern
ment supervision
This service is carried on through
an organization of 10 districts, under
a central office in Washington. Each
district Is In charge of a lighthouse
inspector and has local office and one
or more supply depots and lighthouse
tenders. In all there are As of these
small vessels which carry the supplies
to the stations and place and maintain
the buoys and light vessels.
About $500 men are required for the
lighthouse work. of whom 211 are In
the executive. engineering and clerical
force; 1888 are keepers of lights and
depots, 1870 care for post lights, 1916
are on vessels and 4S9 are in the con-
struction and repair force.
The entire personnel Is under the civil
motions are on a strictly merit system
This is of great Importance. for the main.
tenance of good organization and rigid
discipline in a purely technical service
on the efficient conduct of which is di.
rectly dependent the safety of all the lives
and all the property carried on the seas
and the navigable waters of this coun.
try.
The annual maintenance cost of the en-.
tire service is close to s50oo.Oo0, and in ad
dition In recent years there has been ex
pended about 100000 a year on new
lighthouse works and vessels.
At all important light stations there
are from two to five keepers, who main
tain a continuous watch of the light Al
night and of the approach of fog at al
times. At less important stations there
is but one keeper, and sometimes a singl,
keeper cares for several lights.
The first lighthouse on this continen
was built by the province of Massachu
setts in 1715-17l6, on an island in the en-
trance to Boston harbor. Although
candles and even coal fires appear to hav,
been used In lighthouse illumination II
England to q much later date. Bostor
light was probably illuminated from tn,
first by oil lamps. In 1889 the light wa.
produced by Is lamps In groups of four
Crude lenses and reflectors were fittee
In 1911 and also revolving mechanism, i
having previously been fixed light. Sew
eral other lighthouses were built ant
maintained by the colonial governments
For New York harbor and immediat,
approaches alone 26S aids to navigation
are required, including 46 shore lights,
light vessels and 36 lighted buoys; ther.
are 1872 buoys of all classes and 81 fof
signals, including sounding buoys.
Among the lighthouses of the country
may be found examples of great engineer
ing skill and of dignified and simple de
sign.
Various materials have been employe,
in lighthouse construction. stone, brick
iron, steel. concrete, reinforced concret,
and wood; In new work, however the lat
ter is now little used because of the de
STABILITY Of permanency.
Lighthouse construction on the land Il
usually comparatively simple, excep
when there is difficulty of access to tn,
site. But often it is important for th'
protection of shipping that lighthouses b,
to the sea or actually in the water, OF
sand or rock bottom. Such work hal
called forth the greatest skill of engI
neers.
Numerous types of construction hav
been used. Where the foundation is ex
posed. even at the lowest tides, masonr,
towers have been, with great labor ant
often danger. fitted to the bedrock; other
wise the structure has been erected oil
iron piles driven. screwed or pumped int,
the sand or coral. or on caissons foatet
to the site and set on the bottom or sunl
deeper by the pneumatic process, or by
the use OF cofferdams, within which TIN
masonry tower has been erected; smalle
structures have been placed ON ripraI
foundations.
The earliest example now existing of {
sea swept lighthouse is the beautiful tow
er of Cordouan, built in 1884. to 1911 OF
rock in the sea at the mouth of thu
Gronde, on the west coast OF France
This lighthouse has since been altered
and raised in height. The original struc'