DUTIES OF THE TEINITY BOARD 239 



fleet out to sea. Its culminating recognition was by an Act of Parliament in 18-36. The 

 honorary members of this Court are men o distinction, including some of the members jf the 

 Eoyal Family. H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh became its Master in 1866. The duties of the 

 Corporation are described in their charter as follows : 



" To treat and conclude upon all and singular articles anywise concerning the science or 

 art of marines ; to maintain in perfect working order all the lighthouses, floating-lights, and 

 fog-signal stations on the coast of England, and to lay down, maintain, renew, and modify all 

 the buoys, beacons, and sea-signals ; to regulate the supply of stores, the appointment of 

 keepers, and constantly to inspect the stations ; to examine and license pilots for a large 

 portion of our coasts, and to investigate generally into all matters of pilotage ; to act as 

 nautical advisers with the judge of the High Court of Admiralty : to survey and inspect the 

 channels of the Thames and the shoals of the North Sea, and other points of the coast at 

 which shifting, scouring, growth, or waste of sand may affect the navigation, and require to 

 be watched and notified ; to supply shipping in the Thames with ballast. The Elder Brethren 

 have also to perform the duty of accompanying the Sovereign on sea voyages." 



The light-vessels of the Corporation are nearly fifty in number, while there are more 

 than eighty lighthouses. The buoys on our coasts must not be omitted. The number in 

 position can scarcely be approximated, while in addition in case of casualties there must be 

 kept in reserve fully one-half the number in position. There are also some sixty odd 

 beacons of different kinds. The working staff of the Trinity House is composed of district 

 superintendents, buoy-keepers, store-keepers, local agents, lighthouse-keepers, crews of floating- 

 lights, watchmen, fog-signal attendants,* crews of steam and sailing vessels, altogether 

 making a total of nearly a thousand men. 



In 1837 the Duke of Wellington was Master of the Trinity House; in 1852 Prince 

 Albert held that office, and Viscount Palmerston in 1862. Then came (1866), as already 

 mentioned, the Duke of Edinburgh, while the Prince of Wales headed the list of a long roll 

 of Brethren, to say nothing of the numerous dukes and earls who have gladly accepted the 

 same honour. The Trinity House Corporation has successfully withstood several most searching 

 Parliamentary investigations, only to come out with triumphantly flying colours, which 

 added to the confidence generally reposed in it. 



* The most powerful fog-horns introduced into this country are those known as the Siren signals, which arc 

 illustrated in our plate. This name is given to them on account of the sound being "produced "by means of a disc, 

 with twelve radial slits, being made to rotate in front of a fixed disc exactly similar. The moving disc revolves 

 2,800 times a minute, and in each revolution there are, of course, twelve coincidences between the two discs ; through 

 the openings thus made steam or air at high pressure is allowed to pass, so that there are actually twelve times 2, 800 

 (or 33,600) puffs of steam or compressed air every minute. This causes a sound of very great power, which the cast- 

 iron trumpet, twenty feet in length, compresses to a certain extent, and the blast goes out as a sort of sound-beam 

 in the direction required." The Siren, which was originally designed in New York, and was first adopted by the 

 American Lighthouse Board, can be heard in all kinds of weather at from two-and-a-half to three miles, and on. 

 favourable occasions at as many as sixteen miles out at sea. 



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