Dubay copied many accounts of how lighthouses are visible from much further than they should be on a spherical Earth from Samuel Rowbotham's Zetetic Astronomy and Thomas Winship's Zetetic Cosmogeny. See
Proofs 81 - 93
These accounts are completely unverifiable.
However there are contemporary accounts of lighthouse visibility that are not hearsay. These "Sailing Directions" were official documents published by the Admiralty of Great Britain, the greatest sea power in the world at that time, and used by ship's captains globally.
In the two Sailing Direction documents that I have access to online there is NOT A SINGLE ACCOUNT of a lighthouse or light that is visible from further than it should be on a spherical Earth. There is even an account of the Poolbeg Light being visible from 12 miles out to sea rather than the 30 miles claimed in
proof 93 .
If I were to research other Sailing Directions on archive I have no doubt that all of the accounts worldwide would also be consistent with a spherical Earth.
The accuracy of these publications cannot be doubted. The following is a quote from the Wikipedia entry on "Sailing Directions"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_Directions
"Many nations publish Sailing Directions for their home waters, where they are the International Hydrographic Organization's (IHO) primary charting authority. However, the most widely used Sailing Directions product is the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office's, 'Admiralty Sailing directions'"
Whist this quote refers to modern sailing directions I believe we can assume that they were also the most trusted source of coastal information at a time when Great Britain's sea power was unrivalled in the world.
The only possible conclusion is that all these flat Earth proving accounts are bogus. The may be deliberate lies or maybe Rowbotham and Winship were just willing to give credit to any tall story as long as it supported their belief in a flat Earth, but I think that there are too many similar examples for these to have been innocent mistakes. Dubay as usual just repeats any old nonsense without question.
As an aside, you might also like to consider that the very existence of lighthouses strongly suggests that the Earth is a sphere. If the Earth were flat, the elevation of the light would make absolutely no difference to the visibility of the light from a distant ship. The only reason to go to the trouble and expense of building a tower for the light is because the higher the light the further it will be visible over the horizon of a spherical Earth.
In addition take note from the Sailing instructions below that the higher the elevation of the lighthouse, the further the distance from which it can be seen. I'd love to see an explanation for that if the Earth were flat.
The following details of lighthouse/light visibility are from "Sailing directions for the west coast of England" published in 1884 by the Hydrographic department of the Admiralty.
See:
https://archive.org/details/sailingdirectio01englgoog
WALNEY LIGHTS. "Near the south-east point of Walney island, is a stone tower 60 feet in height. The light shown from it, at 70 feet above high-water, is a revolving white light, which attains its greatest brilliancy every minute and in clear weather should be visible from a distance of 13 miles."
BATTERY PIER. "A breakwater, named Battery pier, formed of large blocks of concrete, extends from Little head …. At the outer end of the breakwater is a concrete light tower, from which is exhibited, fixed red light, 40 feet above high water, and visible from the distance of 6 miles."
VICTORIA PIER. "From a buff-coloured lighthouse with black roof, on the head of the harbour pier, a fixed white light is shown, 38 feet above high-water, while there is a depth of 9 feet on the bar at the pier-head. By day, a red ball indicates the same depth. The light is visible at the distance of 6 miles."
CROSBY LIGHTHOUSE. "Crosby Lighthouse, on the eastern or Lancashire side, is built of wood and painted white ; the light, white and fixed, is 95 feet above high-water, and may be seen at the distance of 12 miles in clear weather ..."
FORMBY LIGHT-VESSEL. "She is painted black, with "Formby" on her stem, has two masts with a black ball at the foremast head, and exhibits a revolving red light at an elevation of 30 feet, visible at the distance of 11 miles in clear weather."
STANNER POINT. "At Stanner point, close to the beach, is a stone tower, from the lantern of which, elevated 81 feet, an intermittent white light is exhibited, showing for three and half minutes, and eclipsed half a minute; it is visible at a distance of 12 miles."
WHITEHAVEN. "The white light, on the west pier-head, is 52 feet above high- water, revolves every two minutes and is exhibited all night ; it is visible at the distance of 11 miles in clear weather."
MARYPORT. "Another light of the same description, is shown from a lighthouse on the stone pier-head farther in, at 55 feet above high-water, while there is a depth of 8 feet into the harbour ; it is visible at the distance of 12 miles."
LITTLE ROSS. "Off the point of Great Ross, which is elevated 272 feet, at the western part of the bay, is Little Ross island, a narrow passage 2 cables across and encumbered by Richardson rock, separating it from the main. The island, which is nearly an oval in form, is one-quarter of a mile in length north-east and south-west. A white lighthouse, 65 feet high, stands on the summit of the island ; its white light flashes every five seconds at a height of 175 feet above high-water, and may be seen at the distance of 18 miles in clear weather."
DOUGLAS HARBOUR. "At the outer end of the breakwater is a concrete light tower, from which is exhibited, fixed red light, 40 feet above high water, and visible from the distance of 6 miles."
The following details of lighthouse/light visibility are from "Sailing directions for the coast of Ireland. Part I." published in 1877 by the Hydrographic department of the Admiralty.
See:
https://archive.org/details/sailingdirectio01deptgoog
ROCHE POINT LIGHTHOUSE. "Roche Point Lighthouse on the east side of the entrance to Cork harbour, is a circular white tower enclosed within long white walls, and exhibits, at an elevation of 98 feet, an intermittent white light which shows bright for fifteen seconds, and is then suddenly eclipsed for five seconds : it is visible in clear weather at the distance of about 10 miles."
YOUGHAL HARBOUR. "On the west side of the entrance to Youghal harbour a fixed white light is exhibited from a circular stone tower at an elevation of 78 feet, visible up the harbour, and round seaward to the bearing N.E. by N., at a distance of 6 miles."
HOOK LIGHTHOUSE. "... near the extreme point of the Hook, is circular tower 115 feet high, painted white, with three horizontal red … exhibits a fixed white light, at an elevation of 152 feet, visible in clear weather at the distance of 16 miles.
DUNCANNON LIGHTS. "The high lighthouse, on the high land north of Duncannon fort N.N.E. \ E., 5 cables distant from the low lighthouse, shows a fixed white light, at an elevation of 128 feet, visible 16 miles."
ARKLOW BANK SOUTH LIGHT-VESSEL. "... exhibits a white light revolving every half minute, at 39 feet above the sea, and visible at the distance of 10 miles.
KINGSTOWN. "From the lighthouse on the east pier head is exhibited, at an elevation of 41 feet, a light revolving every half minute, white and red alternately, visible at the distance of 9 miles."
POOLBEG LIGHT. "A white tower on the east end of the south wall at the entrance ^of the river Liffey, exhibits one fixed white light at an elevation of 68 feet above high water, visible 12 miles."
IRON LIGHTHOUSE. "A circular iron lighthouse, of a gray stone colour near the eastern extreme of the North wall, or quay, which is now in course of extension, and 2½ miles N.W. by W. ½ W. from Poolbeg lighthouse, shows a fixed white light at an elevation of 29 feet, visible in clear weather at the distance of 10 miles."
HAULBOWLINE LIGHTHOUSE. "... on a rock, which covers at first quarter flood, at the west side of the entrance to lough Carlingford, 111 feet from base to vane, and painted white, exhibits at 104 feet above high water, fixed white light, visible at the distance of 15 miles"
GREENORE LIGHTHOUSE. "... on the south side of the point exhibits at 29 feet above high water a revolving white light every forty-five seconds, visible 9 miles …"
GREENORE PIER LIGHT. "... N. ½ E., 100 yards from Greenore light, is a red gas light, 33 feet above high water, and should be visible 5 miles."
DUNAGREE POINT. "Two lighthouses, on Dunagree point, half a mile south-west of Inishowen head, exhibit each a fixed white light, the east light at an elevation of 67 feet, the west light at 92 feet, and they are visible in clear weather at the distances of 13 and 15 miles.
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