LIGHT AT TERAWHITI.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 523, 2 June 1909, Page 4

LIGHT AT TERAWHITI.

. Sir,—l wrote yon a letter on February 18 on the above subject, and thank you for its publication. My constant moving round the Dominion has not given me the opportunity to refer to fliis matter- since the inquiry. However, I have been ablo to make sufficient time to refer further to this dangerous coast and to the question of its being lighted; and there .'has been much corrcsponde ice | published since my previous'letter^ However, I only wish to refer to some correspondence that has appeared in the paper since the 27th instant, where the remarks cf the Hon. Mr. Millar, Minister for Marine, has been published, as also a letter from Mr. bnaw, of Blenheim, a passenger by one illfated Penguin. The latter I do not think necessary, to comment on. any more than to say he seems'to be one of the few who holds the views of the Minister with reference to this light. In my opinion, he is equally incompetent to express an opinion. He lives on land, and has his being-on shore; but even shore'men hold different opinions to his. Take letter signed "One Who Knows lerawhiti" and published in your morning contomporary of Saturday, lattinstamt. DoeS not this correspondent, who has lived and Knows the coast from Island Bay to North Makara, speak with experience as a resident ?l?i!F I & What does he stato? He savs that Mr. Shaw, who states he climbed the mountain, would he onvoloped in fog; but if a light were put on -Tongue Point, at this low elevation, while the hills were covered with fog, the outlying reefs would be clear, ister? argument appeal to thp MinWith reference to the interview with the Minister, oan anything bo.more absurd than his remarks about a Tamp-post being placed outside every resident's who wanted light to take him home, to be compared to a light ou the most dangerous portion of the coast of ■flew Zealand, as admitted by every seafaring man. In reading his remarks, he states that on refornng to the records of his office it has never been suggested to light this portion of the coast, and that portion that has been suggested has been lighted; and he actually calls the light at Jackson's Head "a light, -this candlo of a beacon, which is not to bo seen on a foggy night till you reach it, is a disgrace to the country and to the man who but it there. It is in the fairway of every boat to Nelson, or vice versa, Md is as often out as alight, •r?"*. .reference, to the Miniater 1 * remark*.!,,

—that the Shi. Masters' Association has never solicited \ light f or l'erawhiti. 1 trust his remarks and challenge shall now be brought forward by a deputation from the Merchant Service Guild of Australasia, Z\J th i m Bes what shonld °o done with ligUtinc tho coast between Terawhiti and Barrett's Reef. Tho Minister states that MrJ™ S <f fo ? r ''Slits'coming "through tho btrarts. bo you can, on a clear night; but °k an 2 °, ther ma ?' to P ck u l> the W*Llt™ b ? nn , d iu f r° m Jl* Brothers to «U.r£T d ,- tb A s - ls the P° rtion of the coast that needs lighting. Did tho Minister fw! r N»™ rt"'"«'<wt Knox, of the Navy League? Ho stated that, in his SSSTru-'" S oints in tho. that needed hgbtmg, Terawhiti did. I would ask V^T i6 \£° E0 c back to tho !«• o" the on the reef north of, tho Bluff. This .W'-'t was suggested, should have been hehted years before the loss of this steamer; t ™V akeS J h ° fc" of Jife liko the Tararua to wake up the Government to its duty to those who go to sea. And I wonder if it rwJL 6 P** 38 "* f or a second Penguin dSSfkf K* ak8 iu u P this Minister tohis SL ! V KH T "oast-stubborn as "ho K£&« S - b \ awa f?,°f the fact that before the Penguin had disappeared a week, diSST St€ T r JoaTin S Wellington was tkn if tl-f an i OUT , or raore on that nortwn of tho coast whero tho poor old Peneu.nposs.bly lies at the present time? Just fancy a night hko that In which tha Peneum disaster occurred I There would have been two ships lost with heavy loss of life within a week. And, yet, our Minister for Marine Bays a light is not necessary. I will ask the Minister to turn up the Nautical Inquiries in his own office on the barque Gazelle strikisg Tom's Rock. The inquiry on this disaster was presided over bv the captain of the ship Nelson, as one of the Nautical Assessors; Let him read that inquiry, and see what.this man of exDenence states. And, after reading that inquiry, Jet him read another inquiry recorded in his own office the following year into the mishap to the ship Nelson, striking Tom's Rock. Here tho Nautical Assessor of tho previous year (admittedly a man of experience) takes his own ship on tho very same rock where ho dealt with the master's certificate but a year before, The Nelson was towed to Wellington by the steamer her condition, on arrival at the Queen's Wharf, I havo no doubt he can ascertain from anyone in. connection with the Harbour Board, Bhowing the difficulty there was to.keep her afloat till they were able to repair her bottom sufficiently to keep out tho water. Since the above mishaps have happened between Terawhiti . and. Wellington; the schooner John Bell was lost on her voyage from We burton to Nelson, but fortunately mhout. loss'of life. With such evidence : before him as this, will he still stick to his guns, and say there is no light required between Terawhiti and Barrels Reef, where whole of our homo, local and foreign shiDDimr Basses? Do not these mishaps Drovo the. dangerous nature of this portion , of our coasWino? and, forsooth, in his lettor, ■published-on tho 27th, ho compares this busy portion of our coast to Capo Maria , van Diemen where tho Elirigamite was lost , the traffic,there being possibly one steamer a. week. east, and, west. I should say heshould plead ignorance of the traffic of the two Dlaces. and not talk such mbbish. 1 trust, when Parliament meets,- that Mr ' Herdman and. Mr Fisher, who at alh times ha>e taken an interest in our shipping and ■ S?K , ? »'.°? aU ' n K, takes «,,,„, to sea, towther Witl, the other members of Parlin- ' ment, will bring up this question of a ligfff, ' botween lerawhiti and Barrett's Reef; and ' if the Minister will not agree to placing a ! icnt on this dangerous portion of tho coast, ! then let a potition begot up to' Parliament ! with reference to. same. At tho same time, ' w r ,v Ha i rbonr BoaT , d ' whose interests : lie ] in Wellington, use their influence as ' a ] °mT '" tl'o question of this light. ' pS 6 Mln ' Bte r ftatos that a lighten Tonquo Point or Terawhiti would only U confusing ' to masters going through the Strait. Can ! nr^? absnrdP on 6 can hardl y L™ 4w "' st ?S was evor a sea-faring mar,. What ™uld be easier than to put ', a light up Bhowing red over Tom's Rock R„y a w aS at the Brothers, over Cooks ! Rock: but. make.tho .light.a steady ..light instead of a' revolving light-, or put'a clear f , hS ; t*' tbre t/? d be 'ow * bneht leht. This would be a different li*ht to anything he has got.on the coast. :. This light, if placed on Tongue Point; could be seen in foggy where tho: land is a dear at. aU other times.- If. they, can put a detonator at, Pencarrow light.'for fo£gy weather wbat is to prevent them putting s a siren at Tongue Point, in connection wkthi! light, for. use m .foggy weather. could be heard from Sinclair's Head to Terawhiti -the dancerousportion of tho coast that should, bo lighted; and I have no doubt tha ' other ways, of lighting and signalling thin dangerous portion of the coast could bo sngcested by others with more, experience thai ? 1 have had.—l am, eto:, 1 May 29. 29YEARS ° N,liHER0Au - v