272 FRESNEL. 



There exist at present on the ocean and on the Medi- 

 terranean twelve light-houses, more or less powerful, con- 

 structed on the principles of Fresnel. To complete the 

 general system of lighting our coasts, thirty new light- 

 houses appear still necessary. Every thing induces us 

 to hope that these important works will be promptly 

 executed, and that we shall deviate in the least possible 

 degree from the happy direction given to this branch of 

 the public service by our colleague. Routine and preju- 

 dice will here be without power, since the parties inter- 

 ested who are the true judges, the mariners of all 

 nations, have unanimously proclaimed the superiority of 

 the new system. No one can allege pretexts of economy, 

 for to produce equal effect, the lenticular light-houses do 

 not require so much oil as those of the old construction ; 

 are of a much less expensive kind to keep up, and pro- 

 cure definitively to the state an annual economy of about 

 half a million. This beautiful invention, then, ought to 

 prosper at least, if since the death of Fresnel it did not 

 fall into the hands of those persons, strangers to the sub- 

 ject, who think themselves fit for all employments, 

 although, under different states of public affairs, they 

 have had no other places of study than the antechambers 

 of ministers. Candidates, if I am rightly informed, were 

 not wanting ; but happily, this time, intrigue yielded to 

 merit, and the chief superintendence of the light-houses 

 was intrusted to the younger brother of Fresnel, like 

 himself a former pupil of the Ecole Polytechnique, like 

 himself an engineer of the " ponts et chausees," skilful, 

 zealous, and conscientious. 



Under his inspection, the construction and the dispo- 

 sition of great lenses " in steps " has received important 

 improvements, and the public will not have to fear that 



