Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1914-05-02
n HE first lighthouse on record is
said to have been erected at
Alexandria in Egypt by Ptole-
my Philadelphus nearly three

my FnllauelpnuS nearly three
centuries before the birth OF
Christ. 1t was said to have been 500
feet high, while the light. consisting
In all probability Of 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 a
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 it did with the men who
gratuitously tended these coast lights
as a 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 1t was customary for
private people to erect lighthouses at
their own expense, in return for which
they were allowed to levy a toll on all
passing vessels. The license to do
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
rich and powerful organization, hold
ing the general management of navi-
cation. They regarded the erection
of these private lighthouses as
usurpation of their rights. for they
were responsible for the buoyage of
the channels, and alleged that they
had the sole right of erecting light
houses. Trinity house, therefore op-
posed all schemes for the building of
lighthouses by private persons. But
In spite of this hostility lighthouses
were erected at many points on the
coast The light consisted of an open
hearth at the summit of the tower.
while the curious davit and pulley on
the right hand side were used for
hosting up the necessary fuel.
Trinity house. in spite or the obyi-
GUS utility of the light, was bitterly
opposed to the measure, and charac-
terized the lighthouses as useless"
dangerous" and burden and
hindrance to navigation" and IL was
not until about century later that
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 the
sailor to demand that for the dues he
paid the private lighthouse owner
should show a good and steady light.
They also set about improving the
various schemes for illumination. but
1t was not until 1886 that privately
owned lights we're abolished, and the
entire system passed into the hands
OF Trinity house.
The principal illuminants used in
ancient lighthouses were coal or wood
fires In an open hearth. but toward
the end of the seventeenth CEN
fury it occurred to some people to in
close the fire in lantern with a fun
mel or chimney at the top. This saved
the fuel, but the efficiency of the lights
suffered, for 1t was no longer famed