| Sirens. | Diaphone. | Horns, Trumpets, &c. | Whistles. | Explosive Signals (tonite, &c.). | Guns. | Bells. | Gongs. | Submarine Bells. | Totals. | ||
| Power. | Manual. | ||||||||||
| England and Channel Islands | 44 | .. | 27 | 31 | 2 | 15 | .. | 48 | 10 | 16 | 193 |
| Scotland and Isle of Man | 35 | .. | 6 | 2 | .. | 5 | .. | 16 | 3 | .. | 67 |
| Ireland | 12 | .. | 2 | 6 | .. | 11 | 3 | 11 | .. | 3 | 48 |
| France | 12 | .. | 7 | 1 | .. | 1 | .. | 25 | .. | 2 | 48 |
| United States (excluding inland | |||||||||||
| lakes and rivers) | 43 | .. | 35 | 15 | 59 | .. | .. | 218 | 1 | 36 | 407 |
| British North America (excluding | |||||||||||
| inland lakes and rivers) | 6 | 66 | 5 | 79 | 16 | 8 | .. | 24 | .. | 11 | 215 |
When two kinds of signal are employed at any one station, one being subsidiary, the latter is omitted from the enumeration. Buoy and unattended beacon bells and whistles are also omitted, but local port and harbour signals not under the immediate jurisdiction of the various lighthouse boards are included, more especially in Great Britain.
11. Lighthouse Administration. The principal countries of the world possess organized and central authorities responsible for the installation and maintenance of coast lights and fog signals, buoys and beacons.
United Kingdom.—In England the corporation of Trinity House, or according to its original charter, “The Master Wardens, and Assistants of the Guild Fraternity or Brotherhood of the most glorious and undivided Trinity and of St Clement, in the Parish of Deptford Strond, in the county of Kent,” existed in the reign of Henry VII. as a religious house with certain duties connected with pilotage, and was incorporated during the reign of Henry VIII. In 1565 it was given certain rights to maintain beacons, &c., but not until 1680 did it own any lighthouses. Since that date it has gradually purchased most of the ancient privately owned lighthouses and has erected many new ones. The act of 1836 gave the corporation control of English coast lights with certain supervisory powers over the numerous local lighting authorities, including the Irish and Scottish Boards. The corporation now consists of a Master, Deputy-master, and 22 Elder Brethren (10 of whom are honorary), together with an unlimited number of Younger Brethren, who, however, perform no executive duties. In Scotland and the Isle of Man the lights are under the control of the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses constituted in 1786 and incorporated in 1798. The lighting of the Irish coast is in the hands of the Commissioners of Irish Lights formed in 1867 in succession to the old Dublin Ballast Board. The principal local light boards in the United Kingdom are the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, and the Clyde Lighthouse Trustees. The three general lighthouse boards of the United Kingdom, by the provision of the Mercantile Marine Act of 1854, are subordinate to the Board of Trade, which controls all finances.
On the 1st of January 1910 the lights, fog signals and submarine bells in service under the control of the several authorities in the United Kingdom were as follows:
| Light- houses. | Light- vessels. | Fog Signals. | Submarine Bells. | |
| Trinity House | 116 | 51 | 97 | 12 |
| Northern Lighthouse Commissioners | 138 | 5 | 44 | .. |
| Irish Lights Commissioners | 93 | 11 | 35 | 3 |
| Mersey Docks and Harbour Board | 16 | 6 | 13 | 2 |
| Admiralty | 31 | 2 | 6 | .. |
| Clyde Lighthouse Trustees | 14 | 1 | 5 | .. |
| Other local lighting authorities | 809 | 11 | 89 | 2 |
| Totals | 1217 | 87 | 289 | 19 |
Some small harbour and river lights of subsidiary character are not included in the above total.
United States.—The United States Lighthouse Board was constituted by act of Congress in 1852. The Secretary of Commerce and Labor is the ex-officio president. The board consists of two officers of the navy, two engineer officers of the army, and two civilian scientific members, with two secretaries, one a naval officer, the other an officer of engineers in the army. The members are appointed by the president of the United States. The coast-line of the states, with the lakes and rivers and Porto Rico, is divided into 16 executive districts for purposes of administration.
The following table shows the distribution of lighthouses, light-vessels, &c., maintained by the lighthouse board in the United States in June 1909. In addition there are a few small lights and buoys privately maintained.
| Lighthouses and beacon lights | 1333 |
| Light-vessels in position | 53 |
| Light-vessels for relief | 13 |
| Gas lighted buoys in position | 94 |
| Fog signals operated by steam or oil engines | 228 |
| Fog signals operated by clockwork, &c. | 205 |
| Submarine signals | 43 |
| Post lights | 2333 |
| Day or unlighted beacons | 1157 |
| Bell buoys in position | 169 |
| Whistling buoys in position | 94 |
| Other buoys | 5760 |
| Steam tenders | 51 |
| Constructional Staff | 318 |
| Light keepers; and light attendants | 3137 |
| Officers and crews of light-vessels and tenders | 1693 |