: 



892 



REPORT — 1884. 



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In the United States no lij^ht dues are collected from shipping, but the wnr tax 

 of 30 cents a ton, piiyahle once a year, on forei;,'n vessels still continues, and last 

 year the amount collected on accomit of this impoist was ^^1,320,51)0. 



The lighthouse and fog-whistle at (Jape Race are maintained by the British 

 Government, and liglit dues are exacted from passing vessels, for the uiaiiitenancu 

 of this station ; Canada also contributes a share of the cost of its maintenance. 



Canada has built, and now maintains, tour important light stations, two of 

 them with steam fog-alarms, on the coasts of Newfoundland, which are free to the 

 shipping of all nat ions. 



Sable Island, in the Atlantic Ocean, is the principal light-station maintained by 

 Canada, It is a bank of white sand twenty-two miles long, and lias a light- 

 station at each end, one a powerful fixed white dioptric light, and the other a 

 powerful revolving white light. One or two wrecks generally occur on the slmres 

 or baidcs of this island nearly every year. A life-saving station is also maintained 

 here, the statl' of which along with the light-keepers numbers twenty persons. The 

 British Government contribtite annually the sum of four hundred pounds Bterling 

 towards the maintenance of the life-saving station, but nothing for the lights. 



The lighthouse service of Canada is managed by the 3Iinister of Marine, who 

 is a political officer and a member of the Cabinet, assisted by the Deputy Minister 

 of Marine, who is a permanent officer, and does not change with the Oovernraent, 

 Under these two chief officers is an engineer and a statl' of permanent officers and 

 clerks, as also an agent in each of the provinces to attend to the local business. 



The necessary funds for the construction of new lights and the maintenance of 

 those already established are voted annually by Parliament on the recommendation 

 of the Minister of Marine. 



Since 1867, when the Marine Department "was formed, up to December 31 last, 

 351 new light-stations have been established and thirty-two steam fog-whistles or 

 fog alarms, the cost of which was ,if 1,095,020, or an average of ,i?2,800 for eacii. 

 All these new lighthouses were built of wood, although many of the lighthouses 

 built previously to 1807 were built of stone or brick, and cost from ^^30,000 up 

 to ^^100,000. 



The extent of the Canadian sea-coast to be lightfd up and buoyed is 3,200 

 miles, and inland coast 2,6J0 miles, making altogether 5,800 miles. 



To light up this coast we have 308 sea-coast light-stations, 17 light-ships, and 

 224 inland light-stations. New lighthouses are built by contract, after tenders 

 have been invited publicly, and the lowest tenders have always been accepted. 



New light-stations are generally established on the recommendation of practical 

 nautical men, of boards of trade, of steamship owners, and of members of Parlia- 

 ment. The practical officers of the Department are also consulted as to the 

 necessity of any proposed new lighthouse. The steam fog-whistle in tise is com- 

 posed of a multitubular boiler, with a small engine attached for opening the valve 

 and regulating the blasts of steam, at stated intervals, as desired. The whistle is 

 usually 10 inches diameter, and 1 foot G inches high, and the cost of the machine 

 without the building is about ^2,000. The fog-horn in use is the champion 

 automatic fog-horn, which requires very little fuel and water, and costs about 

 ;^2,000 exclusive of buildings. The sound is produced by compressed air passing 

 through the horn instead of steam. 



This machine has been found to be the most economical an<l usefid. 



The Oourtenay automatic whistling buoy, of which we have eight, has been 

 found to be most useful at places where thei-e is usually a rolling sea, such as the 

 Atlantic coast. The sound produced is from compressed air, and is very like thi; 

 sound of the champion fog-horn. The cost of a 10-feet buoy is ;gl,575 without 

 the moorings. 



Two large-sized gas-buoys have been ordered for service in the lower St. Law- 

 rence. They will keep lighted day and night for ninety days. _ Their cost id 1 

 1^3,750 each in addition to the works to make the gas and t be moorings. 



The illuminating apparatus in use in Canada is catoptric and dioptric, the 

 former having been made either in Birmingham or Paris, and the latter in Montreal. 

 We have 483 lights on the catoptric principle and 60 dioptric lights. 



