Lighthousekeeper: Rules and Regulations 2

Disaster near a lighthouse: engraving

The lamp shall be kept burning bright and clear every night from sunset to sunrise and in order that the greatest degree of light may be maintained throughout the night, the wicks must be trimmed as often as necessary to ensure steady maintenance of the light at its best. The keeper who has the first watch shall take care to trim the oil valves so as to let the oil flow into the burner a sufficient time before lighting.

The lightkeeper shall keep a constant and regular watch in the lightroom throughout the night. There are to be two night watches. The 1^st watch to begin at sunset and to continue until midnight. The 2^nd watch to be from midnight until the period of extinguishing the light. Before leaving the lightroom the keeper having the 2^nd watch shall extinguish the light, turn off the oil, and close the curtains of the lantern. The lightkeepers are to take alternate watches in such manner that he who has the 1^st watch one night shall have the 2^nd watch next night.

Daily duty shall be laid out in 2 shifts, taken alternately, he who has 1^st watch at night shall take 1^st shift and he who has 2^nd watch shall take the 2^nd shift.

Polishing a fourth order Fresnel lens

Both keepers shall be present in the lightroom for 5 minutes immediately before the light is extinguished in order to see that the flame is at its maximum brilliancy and that everything is right and in proper order when the lightkeeper going off duty leaves the light

Immediately after the morning watch, the lightkeeper taking the morning shift shall thoroughly cleanse the optical apparatus, lamps and revolving machinery and carefully dust the glass lenses and prisms, trim the wicks, and leave everything connected with the apparatus ready for lighting in the evening and shall carefully cover the optical apparatus before cleaning the lightroom. The duties included in this shift must be completed daily before 10 a.m.