1885.] 
Bell Buoys , and Buoy Signalling . 
141 
III. BELL BUOYS, AND BUOY SIGNALLING, 
By Rev. Samuel Barber. 
NYONE who knows the history of the wrecks which 
have occurred on the Cumberland coast, especially 
between Seascale and Whitehaven, and thence to 
Maryport must be impressed with the want of sufficient 
warning to vessels, at night, and in the case of fogs occur- 
W g ’nff The U R Se ° f a llghtsh l p by way of dil 'edIion is obvious, 
but often when most needed these are invisible, and the 
only apparent alternative is a Sound Signal. The Bell Buov 
at the entrance to the Mersey has long suggested an evten. 
sion of this useful method of indicating position, but^ this 
has unfortunately been too little adopted by those who regu- 
ate matters on our coasts. The want of two or three such 
buoys near the rocks at prominent parts of the coast above- 
mentioned has probably resulted in the loss of many vessels 
and of some human lives. y 
I therefore venture to draw attention, again, to this 
matter. There can be little doubt that mechanical science 
is equal to constructing and placing these useful signals in 
he positions indicated. The use of a lighthouse is one 
thing, that of a bell signal another. And although it is 
necessary that lightships be provided with fog-horns, and 
thus partially answer the purpose of a bell buoy, the expense 
of multiplying such ships will always preclude their doing 
duty for such buoys. & 
It may perhaps be objected that there would be a danger 
of confusion resulting from any large increase in the number 
of such bell-signals. My reply is that of course it is possible 
to needlessly multiply them, but the purpose here advocated 
is the indicating by sound-warnings the more dangerous 
points of rocks, sunken rocks, banks, and currents, especially 
wherever experience has shown that disaster is most likely 
to happen. J 
Now, in a fog, a single bell can give but little indication 
oi the direction in which a vessel is moving. Some indica- 
tion will indeed ensue from noting whether the sound 
increases in loudness or dies away, and to a ship approachin- 
land this would be of great value; but the main use of a 
single bell would simply be to warn cff from the point where 
it was placed. 
