The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1914-03-12
- HE first lighthouse on record is
said to have been erected at
Alexandria in Egypt by Ptole-
my Philadelphus nearly three

my PhiladelphuS nearly lnTee
centuries before the birth OF
Christ. II was said to have been 500
feet high, while the light, consisting
in all probability of a coal or wood
fire in an open hearth on the summit
OF the tower, is supposed to have
been visible AZ miles out at sea-
In the United Kingdom, toward the
end OF the fourteenth century, the
lighting of the coast was left in the
hands of the various religious orders
who established and kept up lights at
their own expense and thus did their
best to warn mariners Of the dangers
which lurked round about their mon
asteries or dwellings, an exchange
says. The lights at this time usually
consisted of a wood or coal fire burnt
in an open brazier situated on
church tower, although we occasional
ly read OF lights being exhibited in
windows to guide ships in from sea-
ward. The dissolution of the monas-
teries in the reign of Henry VIII, do
ing away as IL did with the men who
gratuitously tended these coast lights
as sacred duty, abolished the lights
also at one blow and it was not until
several years later that the first of
the regular coast lights were insti-
tuted.
Private Lighthouses Established.
At this time It was customary for
private people to erect lighthouses at
their own expense, in return for which
they were allowed to levy toll on all
passing vessels. The license to dc
this was granted by the king, but
Trinity house, guild or fraternity OF
sailors who undertook to look after
the interests OF all those connected
with shipping, had developed into q
rich and powerful organization. hold
ing the general management OF navi
cation. They regarded the erection
OF these private lighthouses as 4
usurpation of their rights. for they
were responsible for the buoyage o
the channels, and alleged that they
had the sole right OF erecting light
houses Trinity house, therefore, op
posed all schemes for the building o
lighthouses by private persons. Blu
in spite OF this hostility lighthouse
were erected at many points on tn
coast. The light consisted OF an opel
hearth at the summit Of the tower
while the curious davit and pulley OF
the right hand side were used 10
hosting up the necessary fuel.
Trinity house, in spite or the obv
Gus utility OF the light was bitterl
opposed to the measure, and charaC
terized the lighthouses as useless,
dangerous" and a burden an
hindrance to navigation" and It wa
not until about a century later tina
the policy of the corporation changed
They then no longer opposed all meas
ures for the establishment OF lights
but, on the other hand, helped tn
sailor to demand that for the dues h
paid the private lighthouse owne
should show a good and steady ligh
They also set about improving tn
various schemes for illumination, br
It was not until 1886 that privateI
owned lights we're abolished, and IN
entire system passed into the hand
OF Trinity house
The principal illuminants used
ancient lighthouses we're coal or WOO
fires in an open hearth, but towar
the end OF the seventeenth Gel
fury It occurred to some people to 4
close the fire In a lantern with a fu
mel or chimney at the top. This save
the fuel. but the efficiency Of the ligh
suffered, for IL was no longer fame