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\ VOL. XXXV. CLEVELAND. FEBRUARY 28. 1907. ' NO. 9 REPORT OF THE LIGHT-HOUSE BOARD. The annual report of the light-house board, just published, gives the follow- ing information: There are under control of the light- house establishment the following named aids to navigation: Light-houses and beacon lights, 1,495; light-vessels in po- sition, 49; light-vessels for relief, 11; gas-lighted buoys in position, 142; fog- signals operated by steam, caloric or oil engines, about 208; fog-signals operated by machinery (clockwork), about 242; post lights, about 1,813; day or unlighted beacons, about 683; whistling buoys in position, about 95; bell buoys in position, about 139; other buoys in position, in- cluding pile buoys and stakes in fifth and eighth districts and buoys in Porto Rican, Hawaiian and Alaskan waters, 5,212. In the construction, care and mainten- ance of these aids to navigation there are employed: steam tenders, 42; steam launches, 3; sailing tenders, 1; light- keepers, about 1,569; officers and crews of light-vessels and tenders, about 1,372; laborers. in charge of post lights, about 1,600; laborers and mechanics under light-house engineers, about 1,800. As to new works, the act approved on Feb. 15, 1893, authorized the establish- ment of a number of light-stations at an aggregate cost of nearly half a million dollars, but made no appropriation at that time for their construction. Since then from time to time appropriation has been made for the erection of many of them. - The following is a list of the light-sta- tions remaining for which no appropria- tion has yet been made, with the maximum amount which each may cost: Bay State Shoal lights, New York, $800; Fairport harbor fog-signal, Ohio, $4,300; Lorain harbor (Black river) fog-signal, Ohio, $4,300; Sand Hills light-house, Michi- gan, $20,000; Bayfield light and fog-sig- nal, Wisconsin, $%,600; Pats (or Hat) Point light and fog-signal, Michigan, $20,000; Wilson harbor light, New York, $2,600; Big Oyster Bed Shoal light and fog-signal, New Jersey, $25,000; Deer Point, light, Florida, $1,000; New York Slough light and fog-signal, California, $10,000; Willamette river, Oregon, 25 beacon lights and buoys between Salem and Portland, $5,000. The board repeats the statement made in former annual reports that the limited appropriation made for fog-signals was insufficient to permit all needed renova- tion and improvements in this important class of aids to navigation. Improved apparatus has been installed at several stations, preserving the system of in- terchangeability between the various members of the duplicate sets of appa- ratus required in each case. The act approved on March 3, 10905, under the head of expenses of fog-sig- nals, provides for the establishment of submarine signals. It will be necessary to increase this yearly appropriation if much is done in this direction, as the amount heretofore appropriated has been found insufficient for the proper main- tenance of the fog-signal service. It is therefore estimated that $235,000 will be required during the coming year for all expenses connected with fog-signals and it is recommended that an appropriation of that amount be made therefor. The board made plans and _ specifica- tions for a new light vessel, No. 82, to be used asa relief light vessel on the great lakes, in the ninth and eleventh light-house districts, for which an ap- propriation of $30,000 was made by the act approved March 3, 1903. Bids for building this vessel were asked by ad- vertisement, but were rejected as exorbi- tant, each being for an amount greater than the appropriation for building the vessel. The plans and_ specifications, | which were made some time ago, when labor and material were not so high in cost as now, have been revised to meet the new condition of things, and bids for her construction will be asked at an early day. Light-vessel No. 89, to be placed off Martin's Reef, Lake Huron, Mich., will be built from 'the same plans "as will be light-vessel No. 82, to be used as a relief light-vessel in the ninth and eleventh light-house districts on the great lakes, Authorizations and appropriations having been made in part or in whole, the board has prepared plans and speci- fications for light-vessels Nos. 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88, respectively, to be stationed, four on the Atlantic coast and one on the Pacific, for the building of which bids have been asked. - The board has now under construction the tenders Tulip, Sunflower, Cypress, Anemone and Manzanita. Plans and specifications similar to the Tulip have been prepared, and bids therefor will be opened late in October. The board has asked an additional appropriation of $75,- 000 to satisfy this authorized contract. The Hawaiian light house establish; ment carries appropriations for range lights and post lights and the board has recommended the appropriation of about $350,000 for various lights, depots, tend- ers and reimbursement of the 'Hawaiian government for moneys expended in maintaining its light-house establishment since becoming American territory and prior to the taking over of its service by the light-house board. The act approved on March 3, 1905, provided, in the general appropriation for the expenses for fog-signals, for estab- lishing submarine signals, whereupon the board instituted experiments resulting in an arrangement by which, from June 1, to August I, 1906, a submarine signal bell was sounded from the light-vessels at Boston, Pollock Rip shoals, Nantucket shoals, Fire Island and Sandy Hook. Passing vessels fitted with apparatus for hearing submarine signals, were requested to note, when approaching any of those vessels, the distance and direction from which each submarine signal was first heard, how far it was carried, the direc- tion and force of the wind, the condition of the sea or any other fact that would aid in determining the value of that par- ticular signal as an aid to navigation.