THE THREE KINGS LIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 58, 8 March 1913, Page 4

THE THREE KINGS LIGHT.

After a prolonged agitation and much desultory discussion in the public Press, it seems that there is now a good prospect that our coastal and intercolonial ships and sailors are to receive some ■protection from the perils of the deep that lie in wait for them at the northern extremity of Ne~w Zealand. Twelve years ago the wreck of the Elingamrte 'brought 'home to us all, with startling impreseivenese, the terrible risks to navigation in the vicinity of the North Cape, and ever since the shipmasters and sailors who have to take responsibility for the safety of property and life on these dangerous coasts have been clamouring for the erection of some sort of warning light or danger signal on the Three Kings. At last it seems that all difficulties have been overcome, and the Minister for Marine has definitely promised that these dangerous islands shall be lighted. Mr Fisher very wisely decided to take the opinion of local navigators on this question, and at his suggestion a representative meeting of shipmasters was called to consider the exact position the light should take. This meeting, including representatives of the coastal »and intercolonial and ocean services, 'was duly convened, and after discussing two alternative schemes put before them by the Minister, decided by 44 votes to 2—a practically unanimous yot favour of a firot-class light on the Big King, at an elevation of 900 feet. In any case, the Minister has promised to put up a fog signal on the islands, and the question is in what position and at what height the light shall be placed. The local shipmasters naturally expected that the Minister, having left this matter to them, would act upon their advice. But it appears that the Under Secretary of the Department holds other views, and he has expressed the opinion That the' light ought to be placed at a level of a.bout 350 feet above the sea. The objections to such a scheme are, it seems to us, obvious enough. The radius of the lower light would be only 23 miles as against 34 miles claimed for the light at the 900 ft. level. Moreover, a light on the very summit-of the island would be visible practically all round, and would light up the dangerous approaches on all sides at or.cc. That is to say, not only would such light serve the purposes of coastal and intercolonial shipping, but it would he of great value to Bteamers engaged in the American and Pacific trades going to Australia, as they can come well within the radius of the larger light. As Captains Ross and Hood pointed out in an interview which appeared in our yesterday's issue, the lower light, with 23 miles' radius, would cover only a small area of the approach to the Kings, and it would be of no use to the American and Australian shipping trade; whereas the Federal Government would very probably be prepared to give a subsidy towards the cost of a light on the summit of the Big King, which would materially assist their own shipping. We are glad to notice that there seems to be no longer any doubt that the Big King is accessible; in fact, Captain Barnes, representing the Auckland Coastal Masters' Association, stated, at the meeting to which we have referred, that he personally has found good landings and good anchorage there. The only question now to be decided is at what height the light should be placed; and it seems to us that the arguments in favour of the higher light with the wider radius arc overwhelmingly strong. In any case, this is a matter in which experts qualified by persona! knowledge to give an opinion should form the final court of appeal; and we do not see how the Minister for Marine, having referred the matter to o.ur local shipmasters and captains, can well ignore their practically unanimous decision.