Evening star., 1915-03-21

- YOU sit on the deck of Ves-
I\ sell at night on the rivers,
N\ bays, sounds and on the ocean
. x along the coasts of the United
States and you see the hickering of
distant lights. or hear the deep,
rhythmical tones of a bell, or the loud
warning roar of a foghorn. or the shrill
snriek of a siren. remember they are
there as part of one of Uncle Sans
most perfect systems for the protection
OF life and property. and that the be-
ginning of this system of lights was
provided for before the formation of
the United States government
The government maintains lights all
the way from ordinary lanterns on
some parts of the Mississippi river to
5000, 0,000-candlepower light south of
New York. the most powerful in the
United States. If not in the world,
These beacons and warnings of the
sea and painted buoys are indispensa-
ble to navigation both by night and
day, and they are watched and attend
ed with never-ceasinS care. Human
eyes are open and alert wherever there
is a lighthouse and in the case of other
lights they burn as the result of me-
chanical adjustment that is marvellous
o. by daily care
For New York harbor and Immediate
approaches alone 26s aids to naVlga-
tion are required. including 40 shore
lights. light vessels and 80 lshteo
hnoys: there are 1872 buoys of all
classes and 81 fog signals. including
sounding buoys. A chart of New YORK
harbor in 1881 shows not single ara
to navigation there at that time. one
nay imagine the difficulties of Hendrix
Hudson when, In 1903, he sailed into
New York bay in the Half Moon.
There are 5.0oi lighted aids TO nAviga-
,ion in the United States. OF these 800
are either lighthouses or major lights
What are known as minor lights number
z7si: light vessels number o2; gas
btloys, 453. and float lights. IFS.
Tnlighted aids TO navigation are main
tained as carefully as the iishted ones.
There are SIG fog signals. ~ submarine
signals, Sc whisthug buoys. 233 bell
buoys, $3.50 other buoys and 1878 day
beacons In all. the United States main
tains 14Iss aids to navigation
There are 1862 employees in the light
house service under Commissioner George
x Putnam, and only IS Of these are in
Washington. The lighthouse service Is
) part of the Department Of Commerce
Lighting dangerous waters 1T which
abound reefs. rocks ard shoals has pro-
Eressed from wood fires and candles TO
oil vapor and electric lamps The early
lighthouses were lighted by wood or coal
fires burned in open brazcrs, and later
by candles inclosed in lanterns. The re-
suiting light was necessarily weak and
f1tful and d large part WAS lost by being
dinused in directions of use TO mari
ners. coal hre was burned at the Isle
Of May light. on the coast of Scotland.
up to 1916. and the famous Eddystone
light was lighted with twenty-four wax
candles up to 1911
Oh lamps were early used in this coun-
try, II not from the first lighting of Bos-
ron light. Fish oil. sperm OIL coza oil
lard oil and mineral oil were in turn
burned. increasing expense in each case
compelling change. Circular wick
lamps, with central current Of air were
invented b. Argand in Izs: At the pres
ent time lamps with from one to fiye con
entric wi,'ka and burning hieh-yrad OF
hcroseie o!l are used III a majority OF