Lost Sounds: The Story of Fog Signals

by Alan Renton

Overview

An intriguing history and one not to be missed. The book visits a number of lighthouses at different times over the last 130 years to reveal the philanthropic, scientific and romantic story of the fog signal - how it came about, how the machinery worked and, for the mariner and the keeper, what it sounded like! The development of fog signals complemented the expansion of lighthouse construction worldwide from the last quarter of the 19th century and represented the attempt to provide a navigation aid to mariners when the beam of light from the lighthouse lens was obscured by fog. This aim, despite the best efforts of the available technology, was frustrated by the medium of air with its effect on sound propagation, but the attempt to overcome the difficulties encouraged many eminent Victorian scientists and engineers to help shape the story of fog signals - the development of powerful machinery specifically designed to send loud noises out to sea! This story of fog signals is drawn from visits and site surveys at specific lighthouses with wide research of original documents held by the lighthouse authorities, private companies, museums and archives. Lost Sounds reveals the practical developments of sound signals from the early percussion instruments to the later succession of compressed air sirens and diaphones through to the last remaining electric emitters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849952491
Publisher:	Whittles Publishing
Publication date:	04/19/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	8 MB

Table of Contents

	Foreword	viii
	Map showing the location of lighthouses and lightvessels	x
	Introduction	xiii
1	Trywn Du and the fog bell	1
2	Dungeness and the early fog horns	15
3	South Foreland and the fog signal trials	31
4	The Lizard and the development of the siren	45
5	Mull of Kintyre and the early Scottish sirens	66
6	Beachy Head and the explosive fog signal	78
7	St Catherine's and the 1901 fog signal trials	91
8	Lundy: Refurbishment and new plant	107
9	St Abbs Head: The Scottish siren and the radio beacon	121
10	The Seven Stones Lightvessels, a survey of lightvessel fog signals	135
11	Portland Bill and the diaphone	154
12	Hyskeir and the last generation of air signals	170
13	South Stack and the electric fog signals	179
Appendix I	Starting the fog signal	197
Appendix II	Approximate sounds of fog signals	199
	Bibliography	201
	Index	205