144 



LIGHTHOUSES. 



On Saturday, the 18th of April, the chairman and 

 members of the Committee of the House of Com- 

 mons, on Lighthouses, inspected, at the Trinity- 

 House, the results of the experiments made by Mr. 

 Gurney, at their request, since last session, for pro- 

 ducing artificial hght for beacons. It appeared that 

 Mr. Gurney had not only removed the difficulties 

 hitherto connected with the oxy-hydrogen lime- 

 lights, discovered by him in 1816, and reported by 

 the Lighthouse Committee, in 1823 ; but he has 

 discovered another light, of considerable beauty, 

 simplicity, and intensity, of 140 times greater power 

 than the present standard lights; this, in compli- 

 ment to the discoverer, has been termed the Bude 

 light, from his place of residence. The more intense 

 light, however, it appeared, was obtained from egg- 

 shells ; for this was found on measurement, to be 

 293 times greater than the argand burner now em- 

 ployed. The radiated light from it was made to 

 light a candle and ignite paper, at the distance of 

 forty-five feet. Mr. Gurney stated his belief, that 

 it would be possible to make this light, by certain 

 management, point out the precise situation of a 

 coast-beacon to a ship three or four miles at sea, 

 under circumstances of a fog so dense, that no other 

 light, not even that of the sun, could penetrate it to 

 any distance. 



PRINTED BY G. P. HEARDER, PLYMOUTH. 



