TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION G. 809 



8. A new Method of Burning Oil for Lighthouse Illumination. 

 By John R. Wigham. 



The author, with a view to avoid the breakage of glass chimneys, and the 

 obstruction of light caused by their use, has adopted for oil lamps an arrangement 

 analogous to that he previously applied to gas burners, the ordinary glass chimney 

 being in both cases dispensed with. In the oil lamp described and exhibited a 

 current of air is brought through orifices in the burner, and deflectors are so 

 arranged as to oxidise the smoky oil flame, using an overhanging flue as in the gas 

 burner. The flame is thus surrounded with a cylindrical wall of air in place of 

 glass. The author referred to a somewhat similar lamp designed by Mr. Ross, of 

 Dublin. 



9. A new Form of Light for Lighthouses. By John R. Wigham. 



This paper described a special form of group-flashing light. Instead of the 

 lenses revolving round the central hght two or more lights are caused to revolve 

 ■with the lenses. It is claimed that by such arrangement, while tlie full power of 

 ■each light is taken advantage of, the cost of the optical apparatus is materially 

 Teduced. The author uses two instead of six or eight lenses, and by intermitting 

 the lights obtains a combination of a novel and striking character. 



10. A new Uluminant for Lighthouses. By John R. Wigham. 



After discussing the relative advantages of gas and electricity as a means of 

 illuminating lighthouses, the author described the arrangement he has adopted for 

 securing, when occasion requires it, a light having an intensity of illumination 

 comparable with that of the electric light, but of much larger size. This consists 

 in using, in connection with his multiple-jet gas burner, a solid carbonaceous body 

 ■converted into vapour and made to produce intensely white light by compressed 

 oxygen. It is claimed that the naked light of a triform on this principle would 

 have an illuminating power quite equal to that of a powerful electric light, in. 

 •addition to certain advantages arising from its larger size, wMle the cost would 

 be little in excess of that of an ordinary gas light. 



11. A new Method of Arranging the Annular Lenses used for Revolving 

 Lights at Lighthouses. By John R. Wigham. 



The object in view in devising this new arrangement was to render the rotation 

 of the lenses unnecessary, as by doing so the apparatus would be simplified and 

 ■certain other advantages secured. Instead of superposing the burners and lenses 

 in the same vertical plane, as in the ordinary triform aud quadriform lights, the 

 author proposed to place the lenses obliquely to each other, but in their focal 

 position with regard to the illuminant ; the beams of light emerging from each tier 

 of lenses will thus overlap, illuminating the whole horizon, so that there will be 

 no occasion for the lenses to revolve, while the increased amount of light trans- 

 mitted by the annular lens compared with that by the refractiag belt of the or- 

 dinary fixed light apparatus will be secured. 



The paper further points out how, by automatically cutting ofl" the gas at 

 stated intervals, intermittent or flashing lights could be secured and a considerable 

 •economy of gas at the same time eSected. A further advantage is claimed for the 

 •system in the fact that the full power of the Hght is available at any given point 

 <of the horizon instead of waxing and waning as in the revolving system. 



