LIGHTS IN COOK STRAIT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 15, 18 January 1905, Page 4

LIGHTS IN COOK STRAIT.

The wreck of another vessel near the entrance to Wellington Harbour may help to revive public interest in the necessity for 'the better lighting of Cook Strait. For years past sea-faring men have constantly urged the local authorities at Wellington "and the Marine Department to- put a light near the entrance to the harbour on a much level than the Pencarrow light. It is notorious that in stormy or foggy weather Pencarrow is quite invisible eye.il a. short distance away; and in the case of the Nambucca, which has just suffered shipwreck, the captain avers that he could not see Pencarrow light till after he had landed at Island Bay. The want of a low light to mark the entrance more clearly in bad weather is constantly felt by captains and passengers on our coastal boats; and the Nambucca makes the eighth or ninth vessel that has come to grief in just the same way, searching for the entrance when Pencarrow light could not be seen. About a year ago the Victoria, leaving Wellington, had to anchor all night in Worser Bay because Pencarrow was hidden by the fog. The Warrimoo and the Te Anau managed to creep out that night by hugging the eastern shore, but the captain of the Te Anau admitted that it was a terrible experience. "The antrance," said one of the Wellington papers, discussing this incident, ''is the worst in the colonies to pick up; crossing the Strait irregular currepts work on one broadside or the other, and in consequence neither compass course nor patent log can be relied upon. Soundings, too, except quite close in, cannot be had; and the direction of the guncotton signals is difficult to locate. Dozens and dozens of instances can be quoted of vessels missing the entrance, and many and many a Bkipper has stood on his bridge utterly without knowledge of his ship's position because the_ high light was obscured." Under such conditions the wonder is not that an occasional shipwreck occurs, but that some terrible disaster has not happened at Wellington Heads involving deplorable loss of life and doing irreparable damage to the commercial progpects of the portOne big liner lost at the entrance might make an immense difference tP the trade of Wellington for years tq come. It seems that the only reason why the much-desired low light has not been erected is that the Harbour Board and the Marine Department hold different opinions as to who should pay for it; but surely economy in such a matter js almost criminal. The Marine Department certainly does try to economise in a very reprehensible fashion out of our coastal light, service- ?pr ? xam P! e '>v * Southern paper chronicles the fact that at least half a dozen times within an. months this year the Department has notified that the eutpmatic light on Jackson's Head was extinguished and Wo uld be relighted "as soon as possible." Now Jackson's Head is the first land seen on the south of Cook Strait on the trip from Wellington to Picfon and it ia a notoriously dangerous spot Jear which several vessels have come to „ief To leave puch a headland without f beacon seems a very risky proceeding and it is clear that npt only is the Cook Strait "ferry." the busiest portion of our I_i _pa very inadequately lit, but S" the e„Sce to Wellington Hartoir w\ll remain a serious danger J9 naviaators until Pencarrow light IS sup XnSted by a beacon nearer the se% FevS and not SO liable to he Qbspured fey the fogs that constantly shroud the .ummite of the hiUs.