

1 



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t.l.n Liiti! ^l.^«^f. «t!«f « M.di ' u'd .i »i> 



LIGIITIIOUSKS OF AXCII-:XT TIMKS, AS I'lCTUKi;]) ()\ ROMAN .MI'IDAI.S 



A lighthouse is mentioned as earl}- as 660 B. C. ; the Pharos, at Alexandria, built about 

 260 B. C. was one of the "seven wonders" of the world, and is estimated to have been about 

 400 feet high. 



The annual maintenance cost of the 

 entire service is close to $5,000,000, and 

 in addition in recent years there has been 

 ■expended about $1,000,000 a year on 

 new lighthouse works and vessels. This 

 service is supported by appropriations 

 •out of the general revenyes, and no spe- 

 cial light taxes are collected from ship- 

 ping, as is customary in other countries. 



At all important light stations there 

 are from two to five keepers, who main- 

 tain a continuous watch of the light at 

 night and of the approach of fog at all 

 times. At less important stations there 

 is but one keeper, or sometimes a single 

 keeper cares for several neighboring 

 lights. The average pay of keepers is 

 less than $600 per year, but they receive 

 also a ration allowance and usually quar- 

 ters and fuel. The maximum salary at 

 difficult offshore stations is $1,008. For 

 the care of a post light along the rivers 

 about $TO a month is paid, but this re- 

 quires only a small amount of work each 

 day. 



At the general lighthouse depot on 

 Staten Island, New York harbor, shops 

 are maintained for the repair and manu- 

 facture of special lighthouse a])paratus. 

 This is also a general supply station for 

 the service, supplies and equipment being 

 purchased and tested and experimental 

 and designing work being carried on. 

 IMany of the lighthouse vessels are over- 

 liauled or outfitted here. There are em- 



ployed in this depot and offices 253 per- 

 persons (see page 2). 



Light stations and vessels are insi)ected 

 four times a year, and the districts and 

 offices are themselves inspected from 

 time to time by a general inspector and a 

 tra\eling auditor. 



An accurate cost keeping system has 

 recently been introduced for the entire 

 lighthouse ser\ice, so that at the end of 

 the year the ])rincipal items of cost for 

 each feature can readily be ascertained 

 and compared. The following are aver- 

 age annual costs of operating various 

 features of the service : Large lighthouse 

 tender, $40,500; light vessel on exposed 

 station, $15,300: important light station, 

 with fog signal. $4.200 ; same without 

 fog signal, $3,000: river-post light, $90; 

 gas buoy. $100 to $300, according to size 

 and type. 



I'AITIlFUIv LIGIIT-KEKPKRS 



Although the pay is small and the life 

 often lonely, the work attracts as a rule 

 an excellent class of faithful men, willing 

 to take large risks in doing their duty 

 and also in helping those in distress. 

 There are many cases of faithful service 

 and bravery, of which the following arc 

 a few instances : 



The hurricane of September. 1906, did 

 serious damage to lighthouse property 

 along the Gulf coast and a number of 

 lives were lost at Sand Island anrl at 



