The Columbus commercial., 1915-11-04
OUR COAST LIGHTS
These Beaeons Are invaluable af
AIRS 10 hsagalIon.


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rsss 80 Flssh ~ go ls~p - ne
ssss - shs Fss s.fs. Wslssss-. .
Warns ths Wssssfai nssless.
The wofk ~ safsF harding assixsilm
on tie egaass ~ The fnltnl Htftes n
faf kfsatsF and uiafs t1mplst problem
ihaa mot iespls alffreisfe f9f there
Il = fnuliliude ~ tonF'es fsniIflous q
10 ast. sseb shs varying siih the I,e
rullafliie# ~ lfs 10 ati0h The terri
tors 10 h. covered 4 siso unusually
grrHi. o. Il ineluslsy. Hai n4It The entire
Deean ffunta u ihe eUUsffy. hsth ~
the Atlantic and raelfc oteahs. bot Of
Alaska. the Hawaiian Islands. portions
~ the West indies and the great lakes
NJ we'll aud the serfire never ends
either by night or day. summer or win.
ter.
The lighthouse servicc comprises a
force of 1900 men. 0n whom devolsez
the duty ~ maintaining over ii.OOJ
I aids % navigation Of various kinds. IN.
Guiding lighthouses. hghiahips. light
beacons and buoys Of vafious descrip
tions, together with many fog signals
\ aud an important incidental duty Il
that Of protecting the shores IN the
ncighborhood Of stations from damage
by erosion that might endanger the
structures.
The desirable distribution OF lights
and other aids along a coast depends
on It's maritime Development and is
physical characteristics and is infiu-
eneed by the prevailing meteorological
conditions. Thus the north Atlantic
coast has large foreign and coastinp
trade, and the shores are intricate and
In part rugged. and along this coast
the main lights are, with few excep
tlons, placed at such intervals thai
their ares Of visibility overlap Oh
I, portions of the coast of simple con
tour. and with smaller traffic, ther,
are unighted stretches between tn,
lights which stand ON the projecting
capes. The design aud construction
of lighthouses vary with their loca
ton and the surrounding conditions
no two. being exactly alike.
Next 60 the lighthouse, the lightshil
Is one Of the most picturesque object
seen along our coasts. This vessel 1
ninety-twO feet on the water line
twenty five feet beam and has
draft of eleven feet four inches. 1t !
built of steel and ncombustible ma
terials throughout and has five waite
e tight bulkheads. 1t is self propelled
/ being provided with an internal con
bustion oil burning engine Of 20
horsepower. and has an oil yapor Q
o gas light fifty feet above the water
- located on tubular mast. throug
which access to the light can be safel
4 had In any weather. The fog sigma
is a siren using compressed air, an
q submarine bell Ia also fitted. Fifty
} two light vesselsNre .lnaintained. an
that there may be no Interruption 0
the service there are fourteen relic
3 ships, so that If anything happens
&c a ship or station another can be quici
ly sent to take its place. All of thes
vessels are very strongly built to Ell
able them to withstand the sever
'e service they are required to perforl
ID and have flush decks for increase
~ safety.
Only one light, tkat at Navesin
n. j., is equipped with electric light fl
q which current is generated at the st
y tion, but there are thirty minor station
where electric lights, either incande
~ cent or are, are used which obtain GU
rent from outside sources In most
the coast lights oil vapor lamps a
rs used having mantles of either thirt
T. five or lifty-fve millimeters diamet
6. and arranged either singly or in grou
giving light intensities of from 600
$500 candles These lamps are II
only very powerful and reliable, b
ie are much more economical than the o
IN oil wick lamps. as they require b
I'd from 0.6 to 0.SS gallon per candle po'
er per year as against 4.S to rs gallo
for the old oil lights The increas'
illuminating efficiency is about eg
times.
II Beacons, both fixed and floating, a
We numerous and depend on either gas
Ir. electricity for their lights, and the
are especially valuable in inaccessit
places where attendance is ditiicu
These. however. are only put in st
~ tions of subordinate Importance. I
re majority OF such beacons use gas al
ne are provided with tanks of suflicie
RS. capacity for storing supply OF acct
ene gas for about five months.
Fog signals are Of particular value
many places, and these are distribut
ng along the coast, according 20 conditio
prevailing. Thus on the coast of Mai
VS. there is an average of 1867 hours
,re fog during the year, while on the sou
Atlantic and gulf coasts the average
only 1S0 hours. There are 32S fog $