204 ELECTRIC LIGHTING. 



machines, which occupy a small space and are not costly. It 

 was on board the transatlantic steamer EAmkrique, and 

 under the direction of Captain Pouzolz, that this new system 

 was first established ; and it appears to have succeeded per- 

 fectly. 



Fontaine gives the following details on this subject : 



" The lantern is placed in the upper part of a turret ascended 

 by internal steps, so it is not necessary to go on the bridge, for 

 this turret rises above one of the companion-ladders. This 

 arrangement is very advantageous, especially during heavy 

 weather, when the bow is with difficulty accessible from the 

 bridge. The turret was at first 7 metres high, but Pouzolz 

 had it lowered by 2 metres to increase its stability, and to lower 

 the level of the luminous beam ; so that this turret is now 5 

 metres above the bridge. Its diameter is i metre, and it is 

 placed in the fore part of the steamer at 1 5 metres from the stern. 



" The lantern properly so called has prismatic glasses ; it is 

 able to illuminate an arc of 225 while leaving the steamer almost 

 entirely in shade. The regulator, which is on Serrin's plan, is 

 hung to the cardan. A small seat in the upper part of the tower 

 allows the attendant to regulate the lamp. The luminous beam 

 is about 8 diameters wide. 



" The Gramme machine which supplies the luminous arc has 

 a power of 200 Carcel lamps, and is driven by a motor on the 

 Brotherhood system, which reduces the space occupied by the 

 two to i '20 metres by o'6o. These two machines are placed on 

 a false floor in the engine-room, 40 metres from the lantern. 



" All the wires pass through the captain's cabin, who has under 

 his control commutators by which he can at will turn the light 

 on or off in each of the two lamps without stopping the Gramme 

 machine. 



" The novelty of the arrangements on L'Ame'rique consists in 

 the automatic intermittance of the light in the lantern. This 

 intermittance is given by a very simple commutator attached to 

 the end of the axle of the Gramme machine, which has the effect 

 of alternately sending the current into the lamp, and into a closed 

 metallic bundle of the same resistance as the voltaic arc, which 

 bundle is heated and cooled alternately. This arrangement was 

 adopted in order to keep the Gramme machine, which makes 



