Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-06-05
TITANIC rlEnoPlAL LIGHT HOUSE

by the sea Dreezes and needed the
frequent use of the bellows to keep II
alight. There were many complaints
about the poorness of the lights and
the lanterns were subsequently re-
moved, but coal or wood fires re-
manned in use till 1922.
Candles were next thought Of, but
these again had obvious disadvan
tages, for the great heat generated in
the lantern melted the candles and
thus diminished the intensity Of the
light The wicks also required the
constant use of shutters, and this
again was serious disadvantage
The use of oil was not universally
adopted until the middle of the oigh
teenth century, while soon afterward
contrivances were adopted for increas
Ing the light by means Of reflectors
Gas was first used as an illuminanN
In the early part Of the nineteenth
century, but only for lighthouses on
piers and harbors near gas works,
and 1t was not until 1865 that gas
was used at out Of the way light
houses. Soon afterward electricity
and limelight were introduced; and
these, gas and oil are now the princi.
pal illuminants employed.
It was toward the middle Of the
eighteenth century that schemes for
distinguishing one light from another
were introduced, and the first device
Of this kind was invented, strange as
1t may seem, by a barber of Lynn
called Robert Hamblin. The method
by which lights are varied nowadays
consists Of hiding the light shown for
certain number Of seconds. Thus
one lighthouse may show a single
flash every IL seconds, another three
flashes in quick succession every 30
seconds. and yet another may show a
light for 30 seconds and then be OBJ
secured for ten seconds and 30 ON.
These methods, combined with the en-.
ployment OF white, red and green
lights, provide many different varie,
ties of lights and thus form a ready
means of distinguishing one from the
other. as no two lights on our coast
are exactly the same.
Bell on the inchcape Rock.
The present Bell Rock lighthouse IN
situated OF Arbroath. and this is the
place. it will be remembered, that has
been immortalized in the poem OF Sir
Ralph the Rover" where
The good old abbot of Aberbrothock
Had placed that bell on the Inchcape rock
On buoy. In the storm. 1t noated ana
swung.
And over the waves its warning runr
The first time q lighthouse was
erected on an isolated rock was in the
case Of the first Eddystone lighthouse
completed by Winstanley In 1898
where tallow candles were used as an
illuminant The tower was polyaonal
In form. which the ornamentat,on
above offered great resistance tn IN.
wind. This lighthouse, however. atood
TIL 17O3, when 1t was knocked down
by tho sea. and Winstanley himself
and all the occupants persisted tn
next Eddystone was completed In
1706 by Rudyard. and this was COM
pletely destroyed by fire In December.
1855. 1t had been constructed ~
wood, and the next tower. of granite
was erected by John Smeaton ana
sAood from 1853 to 1881. In IAN
however. 1t was discovered that thu
sock on which 1t stood was being un-
1armined by the action Of the water
and this necessitated the building a.
. new tower ON . neighboring rook
with more secure foundation Thae
tower vas completed In 1851, vhac
the Old 9meaton lighthouse vas n
moved to the Hoo ut Plymouth. vhws
Il now stnn6A