5()0 LIGHT-HOUSES. 



ing light-houses by wans of lamps and reflectors, instead of coal. 

 lir. ^, without, knowing that something of the same kind had beerf 

 long used in France ; he has therefore all the merit of an inventor, 

 and what he invented, he has carried to a high degree of per- 

 fection." 



The writer of this article has certainly been misinformed, for 

 reflectors, such as he describes, were invented by Mr. Ezekiel 

 Walker, of Lynn Regis, they were also made, and fixed up, under 

 his direction, in a light.hou*e on the coast of Norfolk, in the year 

 1782. and in the year 1787, at the request of the trustees appointed 

 by act of parliament for erecting four light.honses on the northern 

 parts of Great Britain, he instructed the above-mentioned Mr. 

 Thomas Smith, in this method of constructing lighthouses. 



The parabolic moulds used by Mr. Walker and Mr. Smith, are 

 from three to five or six feet in diameter ; and in the centre or 

 apex of each is placed a long shallow lamp of tin plate, filled with 

 white oil. In each lamp are six cotton wicks, almost contiguous 

 to each other, which are so disposed as to burn without trimming, 

 for about six hours. The light of these is reflected from each mir- 

 ror spread over the concave surface, and is thus multiplied, as it 

 were, by the number of mirrors. The stucco moulding is covered 

 on the back with tin plate, from which a tube, immediately over the 

 lamp proceeds to the roof of the light room, and serves as a funnel, 

 through which the smoke escapes without sullying the faces of the 

 mirrors. The light.room is a cupola or lantern of from eight to 

 twelve sides, composed entirely of glass, fixed in cast iron frames 

 or sashes, and roofed with copper. On circular benches passing 

 round the inside of this lantern, at about eighteen inches from the 

 glass frames, arc placed the reflector with their lamps, so as that 

 the concave surfaces of two or three of the reflectors front every 

 point of the compass, and throw a blaze of light in all directions. 

 In the roof immediately over the centre of the roam is a hole, 

 through which pass all (he funnels alrc-ady mentioned, and which 

 serves likewise to admit fresh air to the lamps. This light-room is 

 firmly fixed on the top of a round tower, so as lo be immoveable 

 by the weather ; and the number of th<- reflectors, and the height of 

 the tower, are less or greater according as it is the inti ntion that 

 the light should be seen at a less or a greater distance. 



A man judging from mere theory would b very apt to condemn 

 li^ht.houses of this kind ; because the firmest building shakes in a 

 violent storm, and because such shaking, he may think, would 



