Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-04-24

LIGHTING OUR COASTS.
Construction of Modern Lighthouses
and Methods of Distinguishing
t-iqhts.

lion of the United States is 1881 sta
tnte miles, measured in three mile
steps. The general Government pro-
ytdeS lighthouses and other aids tD'
navigation along 2alftthis coast, with
theexeeptioIf of zths Philippine Isl
ends ll.5lt inilea5ja and Panama.
If@fefe The marking ufiuhe coasts is
maintained by the3klodal gbvefnInents.s
In addition the United Stttes provides
lights along the American shores of
the Great Lakos. f,020 miles, and on
interior and costai rivers. 5,41S, miles.
The United States lighthouse service
thus maintains lights and other aids
to navigation along i6 SIS miles of
coast line and river channels 4 length
equal to nearly twice the circumference
Of the earth In this distance il has
1854 aids to navigation OF all classes
sufficient 10 place one every Two miles
around the equator.
In respect To territory covered and
aids maintained. says George K. Pct
nam, Commissioner of Lighthouses, in
the National Geographic Magazine, it
is much the most extensive service OF
its kind under single management
There are 1,462 lights above the order
lights having resident keepers, 81 light
vessel stations and ass lighted buoys.
The tota, lighted aids Of all kinds is
i,516.
There are in all 9gs fog signals. Of
which SO are fog signal stations, AZ
submarine bells, ia whistling broys
and $50 bell buoys There are 6.2S1 UNI
lighted buoss and LII day marks, or
= L =
private aids to navigation, maintained
at private expense, but under govern
ment supervision.
This service is carried on through an
organization of nineteen districts, UNI
der a central office in Washington
Each district is in charge of a light
house Inspector and has a local office
and one or more. supply depots and
lighthouse tenders. III all there are.
forty-six 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 en are in
the executive. engineering and clerical
work. 1913 are keepers OF lights ana
depots. 1.570 care for post lights. l,516
are on vessels and $50 are in the con-
struetion and repair force.
The entire personnel is under the civ
il service rules and appointments and
promotions are on Il strictly merit sys-
lem. This Is of great iinportacc for the
maintenance of good organizai ion and
rigid discipline in a purely technical
service. ON the efficient conduct of,
which is directly dependent the safety
af all the lives and all the property
carried On the sea, and the navigable4
waters of this country.
Tie annual maintenance cost Of the
entire service is close To $5.0ee.o oa and
in addition in recent years there has
been expended about $l.0oe coo II year
ON new lighthouse works and vessels.
Al ali important light stations there
are from two 10 five keepers. who
,uaintain a continuous watch of tilel
light at night and Of the approach OF
fog al all times. At less ilnportantl
stations there is but one Keeper, and
sometimes ,.S single 81 f E$ss}srera farfs for
several lights. ,s.s45a.., 49,
HE iirst lighthouse Oh Oh this cqntin-
ent Was built by the province Of Mas
sachusetts i'll f115-1,1G, on an island I'M
the entrance tolRoston harher. AL
though candles and even coal fires az
pear to have been used III lighthouse.
illumination in England to much
later date. Boston light was probably
illuminated from the first by oil lamps.
| IN 1888 the light was produced by six
teen lamps in groups of -four. Crude
| lenses and refiectorS were fitted III 1871
and also revolving mechanism. il hay
| ing previously been fixed light. Sever
al other lighthouses were built and
| maintained by the colonial govern
ments.
| For New York Aarbor and immedi-
ate approaches alone 26S aids to navi-
| cation are required, including 46 shore
lights. > light vessels and 36 lighted
huoys. there are 1872 abuoys of all
| classes and 81 fog signals. including
sounding buoys.
| Among the lighthouses of the country
| may be found examples of great en-
4 gineering skill and of dieniiied and
| simple design.
/ Various materials have been employ
4 ed in lighthouse construction, stone,
| Prick, IRON steel, concrete. reenfofeed
concrete and wood; in new work, now
/ ever the latter is now little used be-
cause of the tiesirahlity of permanen-
cy.
Lighthouse construction on the land
is usually comparative simple, except
when there is difficulty of access to
! the site. But often IL is important for
the protection of shipping that light
houses be erected either on rocks or
i reefs exposed to the sea or actually III
the water, on sand or rock bottom
Such work has called forth the great
l est skill Of engineers.
Numerous types OF construction nave
1 been used Where the foundation Is ex-
lpnsed, even at the lowest tides, mason
airy towers have been, With great iabor
i and often danger, fitted to the ped-
rock: otherwise the structure has been
erected on iron piles driven. screwed