§ MAJOR JAMESON (Clare, W.)To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state what instructions, if any, have been given to the lightship keepers by the three General Lighthouse Boards as to whether they are to show their station lights and signals if they should be driven out of their chartered positions, and the dates these instructions were issued; also if proper means of checking their proper positions daily are at the disposal of the keepers.
(Answered by Mr. Gerald Balfour.) By the courtesy of the three General Lighthouse Boards I am able to furnish the following information:—The instructions issued by the Trinity House and the Commissioners of Irish Lights to their lightship keepers on the above subject are as follows:—By night the usual lights will not be exhibited, but a fixed red light will be exhibited at each end of the vessel, and a red flare shown every quarter of an hour. By day the balls or other distinguishing masthead marks will be struck. The instructions issued by the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses are to the same effect, with the exception that they have not hitherto included the exhibition of a 1025 red flare at night. The contingency contemplated has, however, never arisen in the case of the only lightship belonging to this Board, and they have expressed readiness to adopt the practice of the other Boards as regards the flare. The dates of issue of the instructions are as follows:—Trinity House, 1852; Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses, 1837; Commissioners of Irish Lights, 1874. Where no land or other marks are available for checking the proper position of the lightships a special watch buoy is moored in the immediate vicinity, and the deep sea sounding lead is constantly used.