Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-08
LIGHT HOUSES NOW
ANBU|LT FOR INLAND
tfNavigation Markers Placed
Ion Air Route as Well as
SeaCoaSt.
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERToN,

-
/. Light houses have been so long asso-
i, ciated with foam-crested seas and
storm battered coasts that even today
1t comes as a shock to many laymen
to learn that there are in the United
States hundreds of light houses that
never saw any Sea-light houses in the
middle of peaceful farms or forested
Il hills.
IS The Bureau of Light Houses, Depart
ment of Commerce, up to the past
2 decade was engaged with matters
nautical almost exclusively Today it
dsends its engineers into the deserts,
plains and mountains to plant their
bescons and navigational aids.
The Government is charting and
establishing guide posts along the coasts
of the seas of the air, and these coasts
include every square mile of land and
water in the country. Until you have
flown cross country on a dark and
cloudy night you can't begin to appre-
ciate the comfort that comes from an
ordinary airways beacon light, set down
perhaps in the corner of a pasture lot.
When the earth is blotted out by
darkness, these beacons. located at
intervals Of 10 miles along the airways
beekon the pilot along his proper
course with long, friendly fingers of
light. In addition to the beacons.
course lights point out the way to the
next beacon site and red lights, flashing
in code. tell the pilot the number of the
beacon and so inform him of his exact
location on the airway
Assistance Demonstrated.
The manner in which these latest
aids to navigation, the light houses of
the air, assist the night pilot was
demonstrated to the writer Friday night
by William T. Miller, principal airways
extension superintendent of the Bureau
Of Light Houses, Department of Com
merce. and Frederick r. Nicely, chief of
the information division, aeronautics
branch, Department of Commerce.
The take-of time was set for 7:4S
O'Clock at the Department of Com
merce hangar, Boiling Field It had
been raining and there still were oc-
casional light showers up to a few min
utes before the scheduled time Pools
OF water stood around the hangers and
on the line. Low clouds trailed long
streamerS in the night air as they hur-
ried up the Atlantic coast to keep some
aerial appointment probably of the
Newfoundland banks
The Department of Commerce Fair
child cabin mOnoplane stood out on the
line with red, green and white raviga-
ton lights showing. There was a DIVING
glow under the clouds to the West but
darkness was falling fast Miller
waved to a mechanic to wind her up"
and the big Wasp motor coughed and
settled into steady drone
Let's get going" Miller said and
% We did.
Miller took his place at the stick
waved the mechanic away, TAXED out
across the soggy field and took of Just
as the last pale ghosts of the day
pulled In their heads over the Western
horizon. Only moment and the plane
vas up at cloud level, less than 1000
feet. The lights of the National Cap
ltal cleaned and washed the low clouds
With lemon-colored glow Sheet
lightning Lit rudy fire in a cavern
of the clouds of under the left wing
We headed of toward Baltimore.
First 10 Miles Ont.
Immediately the first beacon north
Of Washington, 10 miles from Boiling
Field appeared Its red marker light
olinked "dash-dot-das the code Tor
Us numbered place on the airwav
1neSe oeacons on the coastal route are
numbered north from Atlanta. Ga
They are 10 miles apart and are num-
Oereo from to 10. starting over again
each 100 miles. The red blinker con-
tlnued to flash its code message over
ana over, steady little beam of light
pointed steady finger salong the airWay
ana above all the beam of the rotating
beacon swung a ceaseless treadmiil
march under the clouds Though sew
era million candle lights are concen-
trateo in that narrow beam il offer is
impossible to see the beam itself oni,
the direct flash of the light as it swings
olfectIy toward the nlane This 70