The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-01-01
Light House Service Is
Accomplishing Good Work.

The annual report Of the commits
sioner Of lighthouses to the secretary
of commerce for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1915, has been published. A
review of the work accomplished DUR
ing the five years since the reorgani-
cation Of the lighthouse service which
took effect July I, 1910, shows that
there has been total net increase
during the fve-year period Of 1881,
or "a per cent, in the number of aids
to navigation maintained over the
corresponding number In 1910, while
the total general appropriations for
the support of the service during the
fiscal year 1916 are about SPOT 900
less than those for the fiscal year
1911. During the five years the num-
Der of gas buoys has been increased
from 225 to 479, the number of oil
vapor installations at light stations
from 80 to 286, fixed lights have been
changed to flashing or occulting lights
at 1859 stations, the total number of
fog signals, including sounding buoys,
has been increased from 844 to 1044,
and the number of lights in Alaska
from 81 to 112.
The United States Lighthouse ser
vice maintains aids to navigation on
all coasts under the jurisdiction of
the United States, except the Philip
pine islands and Panama, and also on
the principal interior rivers. This
service is charged with the main
tenance of aids to navigation along
47,192 statute miles of coast line and
river channel.
On June 80, 1915, there were 5,792
persons employed in the Lighthouse
Service, including 12s technical force,
145 clerical force, and 1874 employees
connected with depots, lighthouses
and vessels.
During the fiscal year there was a
net increase of $50 in the total num-
Der of aids maintained, the total at
the end of the year being 14,544. Of
these 5,155 are lights of all classes
and SIT are fog signals. The total
number of aids in Alaska, comprising
lights, fog signals, buoys and day
-. =. .S.,..,,. s--r.s,,, - 41.4 cJoen 80
the fiscal year was 338, including 112
lights.
improvements in aids to navigation
have been made during the year as
follows: Flashing or occulting lights
were installed in place of fixed lights
at 20 stations; incandescent oil-vapor
lights were substituted for oil-wick
lamps at 81 stations; acetylene or oil
gas lights were substituted for oil
lights at 81 stations. Two new light
vessels were completed during the
year. New light houses, with fog sig
nails, were established at Brandywine
Shoal; Delaware Bay, Delaware, and
Thi1nble Shoal, Chesapeake Bay, Vir-
ginia. Tt is believed that the sys-
tematic methods of improvement and
the use Of modern apparatus in in
creasing the number and brilliancy
of aids have been of value to the
safety Of commerce.
During the fiscal year 1915, ser
vices in saving life and property
were rendered and acts of heroism
performed by employees of the Light
house Service on lab occasions.
An exhibit of the work of the SER
vice was installed at the Panama Pa
cific International Exposition in San
Francisco, which received an award
of medal of honor by the exposition
authorities.
Recommendation is renewed for
legislation authorizing the retirement
Of employees of the lighthouse service
on account of age or disability in
cident to their work, which is the
practice of the lighthouse services
of many other countries. Reconlmen-
dation is also made for an increase of
salary for lighthouse inspectors, who /
are considered underpaid in view of
the important responsibilities borne
by them.
The appropriations for the main
tenance of the lighthouse service for
the fiscal wear 1916 are S5.164 030.