The Meeker herald., 1916-04-22
OUR COAST LIGHTS
These Beacons Are Invaluable as
Aids to Navigation.
THE SERVICE NEVER SLEEPS.
Night and Day at All Seasons of the
Year the Flash Of the Lamp or the
Song Of the Fog Siren Welcomes or
Warns the Watehfui Mariner.

Song Of the Fog Siren Welcomes or
Warn, the Watehfui Mariner.
The work of safeguarding navigation
on the coasts of the United States is II
far greater and more complex problem
than most people appreciate. for there
Is multitude Of complex conditions to
be met. each one varying with the pc
culiarities Of its location. The terri
tory to he covere is also unusually
great, as 1t includes not only the entire
ocean fronts Of the country, both OH
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. but OF
Alaska. the Hawaiian Islands, portions
OF the West Indies and the great lakes
as well. and the service never ends
either by night or day. summer or win
| ter
| The lighthouse service comprises II
force Of 5000 men, on whom devolves
| the duty of maintaining over li.GOO
aids to navigation of various kinds. in.
GLIDING lighthouses. Iightshfps. light
beacons and buoys OF various descrlp
lions. together with many fog signals
and an important incidental duty is
| that of protecting the shores in the
neigliborhood OF stations from damage
by erosion that might endanger the
| structures.
| The desirable distribution of lights
and other aids along coast depends
on its maritime development and Its
physical characteristics and Is influ-
enced by the prevailing meteorological
conditions. Thus the north Atlantic
coast has a large foreign and coastins
trade. and the shores are intricate and
in part rugged. and along this coast
the main lights are. with few excep-
lions. placed at such intervals that
their arcs Of visibility overlap. On
portions of the coast of simple cor
tour. and with smaller traffic. there
arc unlighted stretches between the
lights which stand on the projecting
rupes. The design and construction
of lighthouses vary with their loca-
ton and the surrounding conditiQns.
no two being exactly alike.
Next to the lighthouse. the Iightship
Is one OF the most picturesque objects
seen along our coasts. This vessel is
ninety-two feet on the water line.
twenty-five feet beam and has
draft Of eleven feet four inches 1t Is
built Of steel and incombustible ma
ierinls throughout and has five water
tight bulkheads. 1t Is self propelled.
being provided with an Internal COM
bustion oil burning engine of 200
horsepower. and has all oil vnpOr or
gas light ffty feet above the water.
located on a tubular mast. through
which access to the light can be safely
. hnI tn, Th<, fN.~ sir mi
is siren using compressed air. AMI
| n submarine bell is also fitted. Fifty
two light vessels are maintained, and
I that there may be no interruption of
the service there are fourteen relief
ships. SO that II anything happens to
u ship or station another can be quick
, ly sent TO take its place. All OF these
vessels are very strongly built to en-
able them to withstand the severe
service they are required to perform
and have flush decks for increased
safety.
Only one light. that at Nnvesink.
N. j.. IL equipped with electric light for
which current is generated at the sta
tion. but there are thirty minor stations
where electric lights. either incandes.
|
rent from outside sources. In most OF
the coast lights oil vapor lamps are
used having NANTES OF either thirty.
five or fifty-ive millimeters diameter
and arranged either singly or in groups
giving light intensities Of from 600 tc
$3.50 candles. These lamps are not
only very powerful and reliable, but
are much more economical than the old
oil wick lamps. us they require but
from O.6 to O.SS gallon per candle pow
err per year us against 4.S to 76 gallons
for the old oil lights. The Increased
Illuminating efficiency Is about eight
times
Bencons. both fixed and floating, are
numerous and depend on either gas or
electricity for their lights. aud these
are especially valuable In inaccessible
| places where attendance Is difficult.
, These. however, are only put In sta.
, lions Of subordinate Importance. The
majority of such beacons use gas md
are provided with tanks of sufficient
capacity for storing supply of accty.
lene gas for about five months.
Fog signals are of particular value In
many places. and these are distributed
along the coast. according to conditions
prevailing. Thus on the coast Of Maine
there is an average Of 1867 hours OF
fog during the year, while on the south
, Atlantic and gulf coasts the average Is
only $50 hours. There are 32S fog sig
,als from Cape Lookout northward out
: " total of 5G7 maintained by the
service. There are 127 fog signals on
the American shores Of the great lakes
and eighty-three on the northern Pa
life and Alaska shores. while In Porto
! Rico and Hawaii. where fog is rare, no
signals of this kind are required.
The principal fog signals used are mir
, sirens. steam whistles. reed horns. bells
, controlled by clockwork and submarine