On the Light-House System of the United States. 325 
That under a proper organization the officers of the light-house 
establishment would collect information from reliable sources, de- 
cide upon the doubtful points, and recommend to Congress all 
cases of sufficient importance to warrant appropriations. 
That the approaches to some of our principal and most im- 
portant harbors, bays, &c., are not sufficiently lighted and marked 
to render steam navigation as rapid, easy, and safe, as the wants 
of commerce demand, especially to New York, Delaware, and 
Chesapeake bays, and some of their tributaries. 
That the duty of lighting and marking with beacons, buoys, 
and sea-marks, our extended sea, lake, gulf, bay, sound, and river 
coast, efficiently and economically, can only be performed by 
persons of professional experience and undoubted ability upon a 
systematic plan, based upon the principles of the most approved 
light-house engineering. 
That there is no efficient system of inspection and superin- 
tendence of lights in the United States. 
_ That the light-keepers, in many cases, are not competent, and 
mM no instances have they been instructed in reference to their 
duties, nor examined to ascertain their ability to perform the du- 
tes faithfully. 
That the supplies of oil; chimneys, wicks, &c., are not tested and 
Selected with sufficient care, or by competent or faithful agents. 
_ That there is no proper system of distributing the supplies to 
light-keepers. 
_ That proper attention is not given to purchasing and distribu- 
ting supplies. : 
hat the cleaning powder used in our light-houses is injurious 
to the reflectors, and not such as is used in other light-house es- 
tablishments ; and other articles are equally defective. 
That there is no system in the management of the light-house 
establishment of the United States. 
at the instructions to light-keepers to light, trim, and extin- 
Suish the lights at certain specified’ times are not enforced, to the 
detriment of the service, and to the imminent risk of endanger- 
g vessels in their vicinity. ~ 
That such knowledge is not imparted to light-keepers, as a 
general rule, to enable them to keep their lamps, burners, reflect- 
ors, and lanterns in such order as to ensure the best lights from 
the existing apparatus. : 
That frequent and rigid inspection and superintendence by 
Competent persons are necessary to ensure an efficient and eco- 
Nomical light-house service. 
hat competent keepers, responsible to the government through 
Spectors, are indispensable to ensure good lights at all times. 
_ That supplies are not delivered at sufficiently short intervals of 
ume to the lights. 
. 
