Extreme, Outrageous, and (Un)reliable: Navigating Uncertainty in the Development of Sound-Based Fog Signals in Scotland, 1860–1900

This case study demonstrates how an analysis grounded in sound studies, rather than visual studies, reveals a different technological outcome in the development of coastal navigation systems. In the late nineteenth century, engineers at Scotland's Northern Lighthouse Board developed and managed a growing network of sound-based fog signals, primarily using steam-powered sirens. Despite the prevailing perception that sound signaling was more unreliable and risky than lighthouses for coastal navigation, engineers focused on maximizing the loudness of these devices to address the uncertainty of sound transmission. By prioritizing the siren and narrowing the system's goals to warning sailors about imminent danger, the engineers created a system with fundamentally different aims, implementation methods, and design priorities than those of visually-based lighthouse technology. This sound-based analysis uncovers how sensory hierarchies shaped technological decisions, leading to a unique and distinct approach to coastal navigation.