The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-13
TASK OF LIGHTING
 THE MISSISSIPPI

Lewis R. Freeman, in the Popular Mechanics
 Magazine
 Mark Twain, in his Life on the Mississippi" devotes a number of pages to an almost inter the old days had to remember in order to stand a chance of avoiding disaster in the 1,200-me run between St. Louis and New Orleans. So slight were the shades of differentiation be- tween the marks that spelt danger safety, that is surprised, not to learn that the lower Mississippi is paved with an average of half dozen wrecks to the mile, but that it was ever possible to carry on navigation at all.
 The almost prohibitive difficulties in the way. of lighting and marking a channel that was here today and there tomorrow, made progress slow in the matter of safeguarding navigation on the lower Mississippi and no comprehensive system was worked out and put into operation until number of years after the crest of traf- fife was past. Then, over a long interval during which river trade dwindled year by year, the lights were maintained with the characteristic thoroughness of the United States lighthouse service.
 I think am we'll within the truth in stating that none of the great navigabe rivers of the world offers so baffling lighting problem as does the Father of Waters" in it's twisting, turning, caving banked reaches from the mouth of the Missouri to the gulf.
 The lights on the lower Mississippi are off cially referred to as "aids to navigation" The type of aid that is uniformly used on the Mis- ssspp and Ohio (and on>the lower Missouri in the event navigation is ever opened up regularly there) consists of heavy post about 12 feet in height, deeply set in the ground and fur nished with props, crossarms, stairway, and bracket to receive the lamp. All parts of the structure are painted white. The lamps hold enough oil to keep them burning continuously for 72 hours
 The lighthouse tender for the lower Missis- sppi is the "0eander." It has been command ed from the day it was commissioned by Capt. Thomas Good, who has spent long lifetime as pilot and master the river. The duty of the "Oleander" is to cruise back and forth between St. Louis and New Orleans as fast as the exigencies of water, weather and coalng per init, sounding out the channel, shifting repair ing, replacing lights, and replenishing the supplies of the keepers. Under favorable con ditions it may average 100 miles day on downstream run, and perhaps 75 going up. A keeper may tend from one to ten lights, though only recall one man with so many as the lat ter number If he has more than three or four lights, he will need motorboat of some kind to get around to them. As all of the river fishermen have powefboats, it is only to be ex- pected that they should make up the bulk of the keepers.
 The duties of keeper are to keep the brush trimmed away in front of his light. so that it will always be in clear view from the channel; to replenish the oil and keep the wick trimmed and the light burning day and night; to set back the light in case the bank below it IS cavng and in such way as to maintain ap- proximately its former bearing from the chan mel; to report to St. Louis his needs far enough in advance to allow the "Oleander' to be pre- pared to bring, or do what is necessary on its next trip. If light is carried away entirely, it is the duty of the keeper to set up a spare lantern post or tree, and keep it burning until the "Oleander' comes along with the ma terials for new installation.