LIGHTHOUSE ESTABLISHMENT, THE UNITED STATES. 



433 



iishmcnt, the multiplicity of its details, and the large 

 number of agents necessarily in its service, it seems to 

 the committee that it merits no little commendation. 

 In the opinion of the committee, a transfer of the du- 

 ties of the Treasury Department, imposed by law in 

 regard to our lighthouse establishment, is not called 

 for by the public good. 



. . . The appointment of inspectors, whose duty it 

 should be to devote their entire time, under the direc- 

 tion of the general superintendent, to frequent exam- 

 inations of the lighthouses, light-boats, buoys, etc., 

 would be attended with no great increase of expense. 

 The amount now paid to the collectors acting as super- 

 intendents is about eleven thousand dollars. There 

 is already attached to the establishment a small ves- 

 sel. That, with the addition of another, and the sal- 

 aries of two inspectors for the two districts on the 

 Atlantic coast, bays, etc., if two should be deemed 

 necessary, the increase of expense will be inconsider- 

 able. The frequent reports of these inspectors to the 

 general superintendent; would enable him at all times 

 to know the precise condition and order of the estab- 

 lishment, ana to increase its efficiency, usefulness, and 

 economy. 



As Congress coincided with its committee, 

 no further legislative action waa then taken on 

 the subject. 



On the day that the Committee on Com- 

 merce reported to the House of Representa- 

 tives, Mr. Forward, then Secretary of the Treas- 

 ury, appointed Mr. I. W. P. Lewis, a civil 

 engineer of high repute, as agent to visit cer- 

 tain lighthouses, and to make an examination 

 of their positions, and of the floating lights, 

 beacons, and buoys, and to report generally, 

 and in particular on specified points which 

 covered a large range, including mooted points, 

 as to the management of the lights. 



On January 31, 1843, Mr. Lewis made his 

 report, which was soon submitted to Congress 

 by Secretary Forward, with recommendations. 

 The agent had inspected seventy lighthouses 

 in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, 

 or one third of all in the establishment. He 

 reported as to the condition of each with such 

 a reckless vigor that Mr. Pleasanton, in his 

 reply, made after Mr. Spencer had succeeded 

 Mr. Forward as Secretary of the Treasury, 

 characterized Mr. Lewis's report as "these 

 calumnies," and spoke of himself as "having 

 been grossly misrepresented by him." 



Relative to this controversy, a prominent 

 Boston journal said : 



The report that resulted from this partial survey 

 was a severe blow to the defenders of the old system ; 

 and, if the Government had possessed the proper 

 energy and vigilance, such an array of facts could not 

 have been passed over unnoticed. A most important 

 benefit, however, resulted to the public from the de- 

 tail of the defective condition of the lighthouses, and 

 particularly as to the illuminating apparatus contained 

 m this report of Mr. I. W. P. Lewis ; for it compelled 

 the General Superintendent of lighthouses to bestir 

 himself, and get things a little more to rights. All 

 the prominent coast lights received new lanterns and 

 apparatus, as fast as the contractor could supply them, 

 and many of the minor lights were similarly reno- 

 vated. The public mind was also directed to the sub- 

 ject, in consequence of the attacks brought upon Mr. 

 Lewis by his temerity in exposing the "actual condi- 

 tion of things ; and the subject has by slow degrees 

 begun to assume that importance which so properly 

 belongs to it. 



VOL. xx. 28 A 



But Secretary Forward, on February 24, 

 1843, in transmitting Mr. Lewis's report to Con- 

 gress, accompanied it with recommendations, 

 indicating on his part, at least, a comprehen- 

 sion of the fact that the system in vogue was 

 not equal to the requirements made upon it by 

 the country's commerce. Among other things, 

 he suggested " that no appropriation be made 

 thereafter for the erection of a new light- 

 house until the necessity for such a light shall 

 have been ascertained by a competent engineer, 

 who shall report on its necessity, on the site to 

 be selected, and shall submit a suitable plan, 

 estimate, and specification, for the required 

 buildings ; also detailing the magnitude of the 

 light required, and its distinctive character, 

 with a view to render it intelligible to seamen, 

 if established all of which shall be submitted 

 to Congress for such action as may be then 

 deemed proper; that, whenever the repairs of 

 lighthouse buildings or floating lights called 

 for exceed five hundred dollars, the nature and 

 extent of such repairs, and their probable cost, 

 shall be carefully estimated and reported be- 

 fore they shall be authorized; and that con- 

 tracts shall be made where the expenditure for 

 the construction or repairs of land and floating 

 lights exceed five hundred dollars, which con- 

 tracts shall be filed in the Treasury ; that the 

 system of illumination, and whatever is con- 

 nected with the lighting apparatus, shall be 

 placed under the supervision of the engineer, 

 who shall report the alterations or improve- 

 ments, if any, which may be required, such re- 

 port to be approved before the work is author- 

 ized ; that, for the attainment of these pur- 

 poses, the Secretary of the Treasury be em- 

 powered to appoint a competent scientific and 

 practical engineer, with a salary of three thou- 

 sand dollars, whose whole time shall be devoted 

 to the regulation of the details of the lighthouse 

 system, and who shall annually report the con- 

 dition of the lighthouse establishment, and its 

 wants for the coming year, with detailed esti- 

 mates, and such other information as comes 

 within the scope of his duties, for the informa- 

 tion of the Treasury and of Congress." 



Congress adjourned before action was had, 

 and the matter went over with many others to 

 the next session. 



On June 19, 1845, the then Secretary of the 

 Treasury, Hon. R. J. Walker, had Lieutenants 

 Thornton A. Jenkins and Richard Bache de- 

 tailed for that purpose from the navy, and sent 

 abroad "to procure information which may tend 

 to the improvement of the lighthouse system of 

 the United States ; and, as it is alleged that im- 

 portant improvements have been made in the 

 lighthouses of Europe, especially in those of 

 France and Great Britain, the Department 

 wishes to understand fully what those im- 

 provements are, and if they are adapted to 

 introduction into our country." They were 

 especially directed to procure information as 

 to the organization of lighthouse systems ; the 

 construction of lighthouses ; the lighting ap- 



