CASTLEPOINT LIGHTHOUSE.

Grey River Argus, 18 January 1912, Page 8

CASTLEPOINT LIGHTHOUSE.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER.

WELLINGTON, Jan. 14. Objections were recently put forward by the Shipmasters' Guild to the site selected for the new lighthouse at Castlepoint. On behalf of the Guild it was urged that a lighthouse erected at any one of a number of other places would be more useful than the one at Castlepoint. The Hon. J. A. Millar (Minister for Marine) stated yesterday that a sufficient elevation for the light could not be obtained on the suggested alternative site at .Flat Point. Most of the local shipmasters. were in favour of Flat Point, but when an examination was made by Captain Blackburn and Captain Bollons, as well as Mr. Allport (Secretary of the Marine Department) and Mr. Holmes (Engineer) it 'was found impossible to place thelight, high, enough to give it sufficient range. The most serious thing is that off Flat Point, a distance of about three to five miles, there are sunken rocks. "It is a well-recogni§ed principle among light-house authorities all over the world," saya Mr. Millar," that you must never put a light at tho back of",, a danger, because shipping, when the weather is thick, knowing the light is there, will be tempted to yo closer to the danger until it is trapped. On the other hand, at Castlepointj there is a splendid site for the tower 100 feet above high water, enabling a light .to be shown at a height of 170 ft, giving it a range of about twenty miles in thick weather."