THE EVOLUTION OF THE LIGHTSHIP. 103 



tion, so that the vessel was not stationed until the summer of 1820. It was found 

 to be too small for wholly satisfactory service in the exposed waters of Willoughby 

 Spit, and was moved to a more protected station off Craney Island. A larger 

 vessel was built for the original station. 



The idea of the lightship, however, seems to have taken a positive hold upon 

 those in authority, and in 1820 three more were authorized for southern waters. 

 One of these was detailed to replace the first vessel on Willoughby Spit. In 1822 

 an appropriation was made for the first lightship off New York Harbor, at Sandy 

 Hook. In 1823 $25,000 was made available for the construction of a lightship of 

 not less than 250 tons to be stationed off Cape Hatteras. Thus the most dan- 

 gerous of American shoals, the Diamond, was first marked, as it is to-day, by the 

 lightship. 



Practically all of these vessels were most efficient aids to navigation and 

 fully demonstrated their worth. At one or two extremely exposed and trying 

 stations, moorings were frequently broken, and in 1827 the Diamond Shoal was 

 driven ashore; but the lightvessel continued to grow in favor, and in 1841 there 

 were thirty in service. Notwithstanding the number at this early date, there are 

 but few illustrations or drawings which can be truly associated with a particular 

 vessel of the time. These few, however, give a fair idea of the largest of these 

 vessels, and enable us to understand the report of the master of an early Sandy 

 Hook vessel, that it rolled so as to "heave the glass from the lanterns." 



The French Government lighted the Talais Bank with its first lightship in 

 March, 1845. It was of 80 tons, and carried a black day mark 14 meters and a 

 fixed light 10 meters above the water line. A bell was carried as a fog signal. 



A plan of a Trinity House vessel of 1845 is given in Alan Stevenson's "Ac- 

 count of Skerry vore Lighthouse," London, 1848. It was a vessel with bluff ends 

 and wide flaring sides, and fitted with two bilge keels on each side. The dimen- 

 sions were 80 feet in length on the water line, 21 feet in breadth at the deck, and 

 a burden of 158 tons. The lanterns were octagonal in form, 5 feet 6 inches in 

 diameter, and fitted with eight Argand lamps in the focus of parabolic reflectors. 

 The moorings consisted of i^-inch chain cable and a single mushroom anchor of 

 32 hundredweight. The crew numbered eleven men. 



Belgium's first lightship was established on the Daedemarkt Bank in 1848. 

 It was fitted with one lantern containing eight lamps having red lights. The lamps 

 were suspended on the cup and ball gimbal principle. The moorings consisted of 

 two anchors, of 17 quintals English weight, with 70 fathoms ground chain, and 

 120 fathoms chain to the ship from a swivel at the middle of the ground chain. 

 The vessel was also supplied with signals to communicate with the shore, a non- 

 sinkable lifeboat, and carried a crew of eight men. During the first twelve years 

 of its service, the ship remained on the station, except for absences for cleaning 

 and painting, when in i860 the cable parted in a storm and had to be renewed. 



An equally important early French vessel is the Ruytingen which was stationed 

 in the North Sea off Gavelines. The vessel was 82 feet length, 2134 feet beam. 



