REPORT OF THE MEETINGS FOR 1899 73 



The illuminant is parafi&n oil, which is stored in tants at 

 the bottom of the tower, and thence pumped up into the 

 cisterns in the service room ; from there the oil is forced 

 through the burner by means of two hydraulic pumps, the 

 object being to maintain a constant flow of oil. When the 

 light is burning at full power the quantity of oil passing 

 through the lamp is about 20 gallons per hour, three- 

 quarters of a gallon only being consumed. The burners 

 are perforated about li inches below the burning level of 

 the oil, through which percolates the surplus oil, returning 

 to the cisterns in the service room, thus keeping the burner 

 and oil perfectly cool, as well as the wicks thoroughly and 

 regularly supplied with oil. 



This description of light is of recent introduction into this 

 country. Several lighthouses, however, on the French coast 

 are illuminated on this principle. The duration of the flash 

 is exceedingly short ; but from the intensity of its power, 

 owing to the size of the lenses, it can be readily '* picked 

 up " at sea, and seen at a greater distance than the slower 

 revolving lights which have hitherto been in use. 



It may not be uninteresting to mention that the lighthouse 

 is built on the site of an old chapel attached to Tynemouth 

 Priory, from which, it is stated, the monks exhibited a light 

 to guide mariners navigating this dangerous portion of the 

 coast. What a contrast is there between this powerful light 

 and the feeble effort of the monks, who are, however, to be 

 admired for using what their limited means and knowledge 

 allowed ! 



Although this is neither the time nor the place to enter 

 into a description of lighthouse illumination, it is not possible 

 to leave the subject without making a few observatious. 

 There is a continuous history of lighthouses from the time 

 when the Pharos was built at Alexandria, about 300 years 

 before the Christian era, a description of which is given by 

 Pliny. That tower was about 500 feet high, and is stated 

 to have cost in our money about £180,000, a sum which 

 would stagger the public authorities of to-day, if expended 

 upon any siuijle lighthouse. Yet. magnificent as that building 

 must have been, it was only lighted by means of a wood 

 fire, and in clear weather could be seen for about 30 miles. 

 K 



