Sir Robert Ball
Victorian astronomer and Lecturer
In the year 1882 Sir Robert Ball was
appointed Scientific Adviser to the
Irish Lights Board, in succession to the
late Professor Tyndall, who had
held the post for a number of years.
efficiency of the apparatus used in the
Irish light-houses, and to
investigate the claims of inventors who from|
time to time came forward
with new-fangled lenses and
illuminants.
Were the Commissioners undecided as to
whether a particular form of
lantern should be adopted, he was consulted!
Was it suggested that the
electric arc would better serve to penetrate
the mists which shroud the
Irish coast from the eyes of the passing
mariner, his opinion was
sought.
In 1884 he made a report to the
Commissioners on the results obtained
in
a series of experiments on lighthouse illuminants. The relative merits
of
gas, electricity, and oil had been put to a practical test at the South
Foreland. In the report he states his
conclusion on this important question:
"I am convinced of the truth that
for practical purposes a 108 jet gas
burner is substantially the same as the
seven-wick oil lamp, the gas
having perhaps a slight advantage in fixed
lenses and the oil in revolving
lenses. . . . The question as to the relative
powers of gas and electricity in
illuminating during fog seems to be still in a
condition of uncertainty.
It
seems to have been shown that in moderately thick or misty weather
the electric is much the best light, as
it is, of course, in fine weather.
It seems, however, from the important
observations on November 24th
that in a fog which extinguished all lights at
three and a half miles, the
oil and gas were found at a distance of two
and a half miles to be each
superior to the electricity. On the other
hand, on September 9th, when
full fog powers were used, all were
extinguished at
walking in, electricity appeared at
at
