LIGHTHOUSE ESTABLISHMENT, THE UNITED STATES. 



445 



way to fish-oil, burned in spider-lamps, with 

 solid wicks, suspended by iron chains from the 

 dome of Sandy Hook lighthouse as late as 

 1760 ; and this was in turn succeeded in 1812 

 by sperm-oil, burned in a sort of argand lamp 

 in Winslovv's " patent magnifying and reflect- 

 ing lanterns " ; and this illuminant was contin- 

 ued until the beginning of the latter half of the 

 present century, when the reflector system, 

 ranch as it was improved, was itself superseded 

 by the Fresnel lenticular apparatus, now in use. 



When the Lighthouse Board came into 

 power, one of the first subjects which received 

 its hest attention was that of obtaining a new 

 illuminant of less cost than sperm-oil. The 

 yearly diminution of the whale catch and the 

 increased use of sperm-oil as a lubricant made 

 it more and more expensive. The board, there- 

 fore, called in the aid of such scientists as Pro- 

 fessors Morfit and Alexander, of the University 

 of Maryland. Their analyses, quantitative and 

 qualitative, chemical, photometric, etc., of 

 sperm, whale, shark, fish, seal, colza, olive, 

 lard, and mineral oils, of various grades and 

 combinations, were published by the board in 

 1855, and these are still regarded by the trades 

 as high authority on those subjects. 



It was found from these examinations that 

 colza, the oil expressed from the seed of several 

 plants, but especially from that of the wild cab- 

 bage (brassica oleracea) was largely used in 

 France, and would comply with all the required 

 conditions except that of being of home pro- 

 duction. This difficulty the board overcame 

 by stimulating the cultivation of the plant 

 and the manufacture of the oil from its seed 

 as a private industry. 



In 1861 the board purchased and used over 

 5,000 gallons of colza-oil at $1.10 per gallon ; in 

 1862, 2,000 gallons at $1 per gallon, and 10,000 

 more at $1.10 per gallon, and that, too, while 

 sperm-oil was selling at $1.64 per gallon ; 

 and it speedily became evident that the coun- 

 try would soon supply all the colza-oil wanted 

 for lighthouse consumption at $1 per gallon as 

 a maximum price. 



Meantime the board had experimented with 

 lard-oil, and with such success that it appeared 

 that this oil of a certain grade was a more de- 

 sirable illuminant than colza, and it gave equal- 

 ly good results, was more certain in quantity 

 and production, and was economical in price. 



The principal manufacturer, who, after sev- 

 eral attempts, had succeeded in making colza- 

 oil, and who to do so had put up expensive ma- 

 chinery at the board's instance, finally in- 

 formed it that the result of its experiments 

 had convinced him that the Government could 

 not afford to use colza-oil in preference to lard- 

 oil, and that he would abandon its further man- 

 ufacture for lighthouse purposes, though he 

 had demonstrated its success in all respects 

 except competition with lard-oil, if the board 

 would purchase from him the colza he then 

 had on hand. This was done, and lard-oil be- 

 came the established illuminant. 



Oil for the year is usually purchased by con- 

 tract in the autumn, after advertisements for 

 proposals, and is made deliverable in large lots 

 at different times and places, to suit the con- 

 venience of the establishment. When delivered, 

 it is subjected to careful and exact test, to ascer- 

 tain its purity; and its light-giving power, in 

 lighthouse lamps, is ascertained by photome- 

 tric measurement. The best oil of commerce is 

 not always the best for lighthouse lamps, and 

 the dealers have much difficulty in meeting the 

 precise wants of the establishment ; hence it is 

 not unusual that some oil is rejected. Taking 

 the oil purchased in open market, to meet sud- 

 den demands, which it is cheaper to meet by 

 purchase than by transportation, together with 

 that purchased by contract, the establishment 

 bought on an average about 100,000 gallons of 

 oil yearly. The highest price it has paid for 

 sperm-oil was $2.43| per gallon, the lowest 

 $1.09 ; the highest that it has paid for lard-oil 

 was $2.27, and lowest 48 cents per gallon. 



The lard-oil used by the lighthouse establishment 

 from 1867 to 1880, both inclusive. 



The lighthouse establishment from its incep- 

 tion had a tendency to the use of petroleum. 

 As early as 1807 there was a correspondence 

 between Mr. Gallatin, then Secretary of the 

 Treasury, and the owners of the good ship 

 Oorlomande, from Rangoon, in the kingdom 

 of Ava, relative to five thousand gallons of 

 earth-oil, which is commended as the " best 

 article known for burning in lighthouses, mak- 

 ing a very strong, clear, and bright flame, 

 emitting at the same time a great volume of 

 smoak." It may be that then, as often since, 

 the " great volume of smoak " prevented the 

 use of the earth-oil. In 1855 the board made 

 some unsuccessful experiments with the vari- 

 ous forms of petroleum. Meantime the price 

 of lard-oil had so far increased that a cheaper 

 illuminant became a necessity. It was only 

 necessary, however, as a matter of economy, 

 since lard-oil had proved itself acceptable in 

 every other respect. The matter was ap- 

 proached with much caution, as the volatile, in- 

 flammable, explosive nature of mineral-oil was 

 well known. The keeper of one of the lights 

 on Lake Michigan had, in 1864, on his own 

 motion, substituted for the usual lard-oil lamp 

 one burning kerosene. Soon after commenc- 



