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AX ENDORSEMENT BY PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, IN HIS OWN HANDWRITING, ON A 



LIGHTHOUSE DOCUMENT 



Showing the caution exercised hy the first President in approving a contract for making a 



chain for a buoy (see page lo) 



committee reported to the General Court 

 on "the most convenient Place for Erect- 

 ing a Light House, which will be of 

 great Use not only for the Preservation 

 of the Lives and Estates of Persons de- 

 signing for the Harbour of Boston and 

 Charlestown but of any other Place 

 within the Massachusetts Bay," and the 

 court resolved "that the Projection will 

 be of general publick Benefit and Service 

 and is worthy to be encouraged," and 

 that the want of such a lighthouse "hath 

 been a great Discouragement to Naviga- 

 tion by the loss of the lives and Estates 

 of several of His Majesties Subjects." 



In 1719 the keeper petitioned the Gen- 

 eral Court ''that a great Gun be placed 

 on Said Island to answer Ships in a 

 Fog." The court voted the gun, and it 

 was probably the earliest fog signal es- 

 tablished in "this country (see page 4). 



The light was supported by light dues 

 of one penny per ton, levied by the re- 

 ceiver of impost at l^oston on all incom- 

 ing and outgoing vessels except coasters. 

 This lighthouse was an object of attack 

 during the early part of the Revolu- 

 tionary War, and was burned by the 

 Americans and finally blown up by the 

 British in 1776. A new lighthouse on 

 the same site was built in 1783 by ]\Iassa- 

 chusetts, and this, with various altera- 

 tions, is the present Boston light. 



Although candles and even coal fires 

 appear to have been used in lighthouse 



illumination in England to a much later 

 date, Boston light was probably illumi- 

 nated from the first by oil lamps. In 

 1789 the light was produced by 16 lamps 

 in groups of 4. Crude lenses and re- 

 flectors were fitted in 1811, and also re- 

 volving mechanism, it having previously 

 been a fixed light. In 1838 Boston light 

 is described as "a revolving light, con- 

 sisting of 14 Argand lamps, with parabolic 

 reflectors," the lamps being "of about 

 the volume of similar lamps in family 

 use." In 1839 large reflectors 21 inches 

 in diameter were fitted to this light. 

 Boston light was provided with a Fresnel 

 lens in 1859. 



Apparently the gun was the only fog 

 signal at this station until about 1852, 

 when a fog-bell was installed. A me- 

 chanical striking bell was installed in 

 1869, in 1872 a fog trumpet, and in 1887 

 an air siren. 



THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR LIGHT- 

 HOUSE SERVICE WAS ONE OF THE 

 FIRST ACTS OF THE FEDERAL 

 GOVERNMENT 



Several other lighthouses were built 

 and maintained by the colonial govern- 

 ments. On the organization of the na- 

 tional government, at the first session of 

 Congress, an act was passed, approved 

 on August 7, 1789, providing that all 

 expenses "in the necessary support, main- 

 tenance and repairs of all lighthouses. 



