BEACON, in maritime affairs, is a signal for warning against dangers, or for indicat ing the proper entrance into a channel, harbor, or river. Generally speaking, a B. is fixed; whereas a buoy floats. The power of constructing these beacons rested at one time in the sovereign; but in 1565 an act of parliament empowered the Trinity house corporation to erect them on such parts of the sea-coast and forelands as appeared to be most in want of tha'e safeguards; and tolls were levied on the maritime counties for their maintenance. In recent times, the construction of floating beacons has occupied a good deal of attention, as it is conceived that they might in many cases supply the place of much inure costly light-houses. Messrs. Brown and Lenox have constructed for the Trinity board a B. for the Goodwin Sands—comprising a hollow wrought-iron floating vessel, with 6 water-tight compartments; a tower 28 ft. high, tapering in diameter front 7 to 31 ft.; and a ball at the top of 31 ft. diameter. This 13 was visible from a consid erable distance; but some leakage frustrated its continued use. Mr. Herbert, in 1854, introduced a new B., intended to float upright in all states of the winds, tides, and cur rents; and others of similar character have since been invented. Many beacons are now
made in which a bell is sounded instead of a light shown, as a warning. One by Messrs. Brown and Lenox is so constructed as to yield a continuous bell-ringing,-so long as tide or current is flowing. There is a keel at the bottom, to make the B. turn with tie tide. There are channels below the line of flotation, through which the tide-water or current flows; the water causes two undershot wheels to revolve; and this revolution, by meaos of axes, cranks, rods, guides, and levers, is made to bring the force of a hammer to bear on a bell. Some beacons on this principle have a bell of 2 cwt. Nearly allied with beacons, although not strictly such, are gong-beacons, of which about 40 have been sup plied to light-vessels on the English and Welsh coasts. Fog sirens. fog whistles, and fog horns, are similarly employed; and a parliamentary paper, published in 1873, gives interesting details on this subject; but these audible signals are connected with light houses or light-ships, and are only beacons in an indirect sense. See BUOY and LIGHT DOUSE.