FOG SIGNALS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 146, 14 March 1908, Page 2

FOG SIGNALS.

. (FBOII OUB SrECIAL correspondent.) * , \ Christchurch, March 13. . Five men ; from tho Public Works Departraent aro at. present busily engaged in blast-; ... ing rock- from; tho cliff at Godley Head, to-'' • leavo: a. path to the,. platfdrm .-for.\tuo fogsignal that; the..Marino. - Department, is. .in- > - stalling. , Tho; work is ;progressing' slowly,.;. ; .and "it .will, probably bo fully two, months, says /tho! "Star,". ,lwfore" the automatic ploding signal coiuinoncos its : duties. The , exploding signal is'not now to the Now Zealand coast, but the one' to be erected at Godley Head'is said to be a great improvement on any of. tho same kind now in uso in tho Dominion. The platform will bo situated about: 150 yards, from the Godley Headlight-. house, but tho path te.jt follows a circuitous routo, and.it will ; really..bo about a mile from tho lighthouse station. • The signal itself con-., ; sists-of'a clockwork apparatus which', drives y , an endless chain -upon which: aro a series of double hooks. .. As tho chain revolves. it . 'passes through a magazine, and.the hooks en- . gage in wire loops on two bunco packages of guncotton, which contain_ detonators. As each hook rises the. cartridge is drawn up until it reaches t.lio contact plate'where an : electric current. fires' tho chargo. ■ Explos- . ions aro timed to occur every.'fivo nurtutos.' , ' Under favourablo conditions' they' should be ■ •: heard oight' or nino miles , away,- but' with -'a; Vstfong wind blowing from the sea the sphere of : inluianco 'will: bo .'considerably lessened;' Though tho signal has tho - honour ofi-boing called "automatic" it cannot bo left , alone, • and during its working hours, an attendant' -1 is necessary. ' This means ' that ill-'all pro- > lability "tho pro.>cnt staff of two men at tho ■ lighthouso will be augmonted by another man in order that one mombor of tho staff may: alivaya be ready to look after tho fog signals.