EMERGENCY LIGHTS FOR SHIPS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7864, 20 May 1886, Page 6

EMERGENCY LIGHTS FOR SHIPS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —If a light, strong enough to show clearly the. nature of the beach, had been burned on the Taiaroa, at the time of the accident, it.seems as if there might have been no loss of life whatever; for in lee of the steamer the breakers were insignificant,. if there was any break at all, and the boulders, had they been seen, might have been avoided by the boats. The glare from marine lights, especially coloured ones, is strong and inconvenient, while objects at some distance are not clearly shown. A useful supply of Magnesium ribbon, some six or ten inches long, and quarter inch wide, may be had for less than jBI ; it will keep good for one or two years, in a well-corked phial, and under oil will beep good for any length of time. The light from such ribbon shows distant objects as clearly as a. good electric light. Magnesium is as free from danger as anything that burns .with .intense heat can be. It gives off no offensive fumes j can be moved about with no trouble, and may be lighted at a fire, a candle flame, &c. When burning, it may be held with any sort of pincers, or between two coins. Magnesium ribbon has been in common use for years, for the purpose of experiments, and, if not already utilised for emergency light aboard-ship, the sooner the better, we think. A.G.