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The lightship service of the United States government, one of the oldest branches of fed- eral activity, is seldom before the public eye. The work of the crews of these floating lights is not often spectacular, but should any one man fail in the performance of his duty, the lives of thousands might be jeopardized. For weeks at a time these lightships are isolated from the mainland. At periodic intervals a supply ship calls on, its rounds, leaving food, new equipment, supplies of a varied nature, newspapers and mail. Save for these visits, always looked forward to by the crew, communication with the out- side world was, until the universal adoption of the wireless, entirely cut off. In the smaller illustrations on this and the opposite page, several of the lightships off the treach- erous New England coast are Copyright by Kadel & Herbert shown. Vineyard light, 90, in Vineyard sound, shows two fixed red lights of 300 candlepower, which are visible for 11 mules; the Pollock Rip Shoals lightship, im Nantucket sound, shows two fixed red lights of 100 candlepower, which are visible for vight miles. The lightship displaying _ the white panel with the word Relief in black letters, is an emergency ship, taking the position of a regular lightship which has been removed for re- pairs. Not only does the supply ship make regular rounds to the lightships, but she also maintains a rigid inspection of light buoys. In one of the accompanying illustra- tions the captain of the supply ship may be seen returning from an inspection of a _ distinctly intimate and personal nature. | ’ 96 een