PATENT BUOY FOR THE HEADS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14987, 6 June 1914, Page 13

PATENT BUOY FOR THE HEADS.

The "Aga" light and whistlo-buoy, which waa ordered by the Lytte'ton Harbour Board to be placed at the entranco of tho'harbour, haw arrived by tho s.s. Taimii. The r«rt» will be assembled on Monday next, and when the buoy is in complete wo: king'order it will be placed in position and moored.. Tho weight of the buoy, without the mooring, 'a 21,1001b, the draught of wnter 22ft, and t ->'». are 22001b of anchor chain r«*nu.red to secure it. The height of the focal plane is 16ft Sin, and the area oi the tube for opening the whistle is 7 square feet. The flasher light is supplied from two gas accur-ulatcrs, containing together 2120 cubic feet of acetyfrn-. An important feature is that attendance need bi- given only ones a ye3r. th# *ccu_aulat-:s having the capacity to the burners for this period. The installation of eucb a bcoy will prove of great advantage to mariners in times of fogs, which, lying in banks aboco tho water, often obscure the lighthouse at Godley Head, eituated about 450 feet obcrs eea-!ovel, while just beneath the air is quite clear. The benefit of th© buoy at night, -xder the circumstances mentioned, will- bo easily understood, and, a* the rays' of tin lamp will have a radius of about seven miles. . tha entrance to Lyttelton abouM be picked up without much difScu'- - 'i is tasa that present fog signalling '- ttus ia- cos-, junction with the lishthoui •■ <dley He*: is often ineffective :n cert •■ , and thai on occaeiorvs it cannot be bu- .t aIL Con-H-oucnt'v tho whistling cf tha a/parstus oe the buoy, being shriller anil, probably moi* T-enelrat'inj',. should mat*rj*ilj- aid mariner* in locating the Heads. At a later date it it also ir.tenotd to equip the buoy with, i submarine eigaa-lkcg apparatus.