The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-13
BEACON L|GHTSOF
YOUR UNCLE SAM
The Warnings of The Sea By
Day and Night Cost Govern
ment Millions Last Year
NA-ashinptnn Star.

Washington Star.
roasts of the United States and you
soc the pickering of distant lights, or
baar the deep, rhythmical tones OF
> bell Of the loud warning roar Of a
As YOU sit on the deck of a YES
sci at night on the rivers BAYS.
sounds and on the ocean along the
foghorn, or the shrill shrek of 81
ren. remember they are there as part
III one of Uncle Sans most perfect
systems for the protection of life and |
property, and that the beginning of |
this system of lights was provided |
for before the formation OF the Unit |
I'd states government.
The government maintains lights |
all the way from ordinary lanterns |
on some parts Of the Mississippi river !
tn a $4,000, 0,000-candlepower light |
south of New York. the most power |
ful in the United States, if not in the !
world.
These beaconS and warnings of the
sea and painted buoys are indispen-
sable to navigation both by night and
Gay, and they are watched and at
ended with never-ceasing care. HUI
man eyes are open and alert where
ever there is lighthouse, and in the
case Of other lights they burn as the
result OF mechanical adjustments that
is marvellous or by daily care.
For New York harbor and imme-
date approaches alone. 268 aids to
navigation are required. including 46
shore lights, 2 light vessels and 3S
lighted buoys; there are 1872 buoys
Of al classes and 81 fog signals, in
Guiding sounding buoys. A chart Of
New York harbor in 1897 shows not
single aid to navigation there at
lhat time. One may imagine the diff
hculties Of Hendrix Hudson when, in
ha caileI Nony EnpE hoy
IN the Half Moon.
There are 1904 lighted aids to nav
gation i'll the United States. OF
these $50 are either lighthouses or
major lights. What are known as
minor lights number 2,791; light ves-
sells number So: gas buoys, 453, and
huat lights. 118.
Unlighted aids to navigation are
maintained as carefully as the lighted
pneS There are 519 fog signals, As
submarine signals. SO whisIling buoys
233 bell buoys, $3.50 other buOyS and
1878 day beacons. In all. the United
States maintains 14,19S aids to navi-
CATION.
There are 1862 employees in the
lighthouse service under Commission
.r George r. Putnam, and only 48 OF
these are in Washington. The light
house service is a part OF the De-
partment Of Commerce.
lighting dangerous waters in which
about reefs, rocks and shoals has pro
sressed from wood fires and candle
70 oil vapor and electric lamps Th'
early lighthouses were lighted b.
wood or coal fires burned in opel
braziers, and later by candles inclose'
IN lanterns. The resulting light wa
necessarily weak and fitful and
large part was lost by being diffuse,
directions of n YinQTS
coal fire was burned at the Isle o
May light, on the coast Of Scotland
up to 1916, and the famous EDDY
stone hight was lighted With twenty
four WAX candles up to 1911.
Oll lamps were early used in thu
country if not from the first lightin
pf Boston light. Fish oil, sperm oi
COLA oil, lard oil and mineral O
were in turn burned, increasing eS
pense in each case compelling
@hange. Circular wick lamps, wit
central current of air, were invent
ed by Argand in 1882. At the pres'
ent time lamps with from one TO fiV
"orcentric wicks and burning hiSf
sfadc of kerosene oil are used IN
majority of lighthouses. More tina
100000 gallons of oil are burned eac
year at light stations of the Unite
States, about $4,000 gallons OF whlc
are for lighthouse illumination.
For the more important lights II
WcandeScent oil vapor lamp is no
used, having been introduced by II
French in 1898. In this lamp the {
Is heated and vaporiZed and is burr
ed mixed with air under a mant
which is made incandescent Tn
gives a much more brilliant Hg
than the wick lamp, with small
consumption Of oil. This change
lamps 1T Cape Hatteras increased q
orilliancy of the light from $4,000
100000 candlepower, while the co
sumption Of oil was reduced near
one-half
Electric lights are used only at
few light stations. The expense
TOO great to warrant the employme
of electricity at many important st
lions. For some harbor lights 1t c
a 20 odx 70 nv taking