Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-05

enced coastwise captain in Baltimore
hotel recently. that wrecks on our
coasts are rarer now than in previous
years? 1t is a fact, as statistics show,
and the reason is that the beams cast
by the lighthouses. lightships and
lighted buoys are much more brilliant
than in the past.
Where. only few years ago. thick
weather would completely obscure the
most powerful light then in use. even
a short distance off shore. the new
lights. especially the big electric at
Navesink. on the highlands, just south
OF New York harbor, and the more COM
monty used lights burning vaporized
through the thickest weather far
enough to give US safety. 1 am told
there is 25.00O,0O0 candle power behind
the Navesink lantern. On account Of
the curvature of the earth its beam.
even in fair weather. goes no farther
than twenty-five miles. but that beam
Is reported to have been seen in the sky
at distance of seventy miles"
beautiful lenses for lamps. more ef-
hcient illuminants and lamps, fog
horns and sirens, these are the things
That science has furnished to make
the lighthouse work more efficient
Ihat is why the bureau OF light
houses as now constituted has taken
branches of the government. with a
permanent personnel It is an engi-
neerins as well as a nautical force, for
engineering problems are Of great i'm
portance in this work, as are also the
purely nautical problems
And that also Is why the commits
sioner of lighthouses, at the head Of
the service, is a slender, student-like
engineer, who, however, during his
many years service in the government
coast survey had much association with
nautical problems and familiarity with
the needs of mariners.
Engineering and science. 1t may be
observed, have made good In this
service. They have operated not only
for efficiency. but have cut costs as
well. Uncle Sam has many more lights
than he ever had before, and at a much
less cost per light The simplification
Of methods and apparatus and auto
matte gas-lighted beacons and bnoys
that burn for months at a time quite
unattended, flashing on and off at in
tervals Of a few seconds to give dis
Effectiveness. have helped in this econ
omy.
the Atlantic coast All along its indent-
ed edges you will see arcs that over
lap, the whole giving the appearance
Of the scalloped edge of dainty fem
mine garment; These arcs mark the
radius of visibility OF the lights. From
the north coast Of Maine down to
Cape Hatteras they interlock, and then
occur a Few gaps on to the gulf coast
This lnterlocking and overlapping
means that one may cruise that en-
tire distance down to Hatteras-and
that is the distance over which is car
RED large part of the seaborne traf-
nee OF the country-without once get
ting out of sight Of a light
The same Is true of parts Of the Pa
cine coast. but all of 1t is not SO thickly
spotted with lights, for the coast is of
simpler outline. there are fewer har-
bors and the amount Of traffic is less
the Alaska coast. though many lights
have been installed there in recent
years. is still less marked
But the chief courses Of trade are we'll
and thoroughly marked. not only on the
coasts, but on the rivers and the great
lakes. Included in the far-hung field of
the bureau of lighthouses are the aids
TO navigation in Hawaii, Guam and