LIGHTHOUSE Ti:XDlCR CROCUS JUST IN FROM WINTRY WORK ON LAKIC KKHi NEAR THE 

 END OE THE SEASON OF NAVIGATION 



Most of the lighthouses on the Great Lakes are closed cluring the winter months, when 

 general navigation ceases on those waters. There is "risk to men and vessels in taking off 

 the keepers in the winter gales at the close of navigation" (see page 29). 



LIGHTS THAT ]JURN Ft)K MONTHS 

 WITHOUT A KEEPKR 



There has in recent years been a greatly 

 increased use of gas as an illuminant for 

 minor Hghts, such as unattended lighted 

 beacons and lighted buoys ; this is due to 

 the facility with which gas may be stored 

 or generated, the light burning for con- 

 siderable intervals without attention. 

 There are also a few coal or oil gas har- 

 bor lights, supplied from local sources. 



There are in use a large number of 

 acetylene gas-lighted beacons, sui)plied by 

 tanks of gas of sufficient cai)acity to 

 maintain a (|uick flashing light for five 

 months without attention. In (^ther 

 acetylene lights the gas is generated from 

 carbide at the station or in the buoy. 

 Oil gas under compression is also ex- 

 tensively used for lighted buoys, having 

 been first employed for this purpose in 



1878. Some of the acetylene beacons 

 are provided with a sun valve, which 

 saves gas by automatically cutting off the 

 gas supply during the time the sun shines. 



A gas beacon has recently been estab- 

 lished on Richardsons Rock, a wave- 

 swe])t rock west of the Santa liarbara 

 Islands, California. It would have been 

 very expensive to build a lighthouse with 

 keepers' quarters on this rock, .so this 

 flashing beacon was established to give 

 ])resent i)rotection to vessels from the 

 danger. This beacon, without atten- 

 dance, will Hash its warnings everv 3 

 .seconds for 7 months (or over 6 million 

 flashes) before it requires another charge 

 of gas (see page 36). 



Ten years ago the first light in .\laska 

 was established : now there are 95 in that 

 territory, and the rapid increase of recent 

 years has been due largely to the facility 



35 



