LIGHTING JACKSON'HEAD AND THE FRENCH PASS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6817, 22 September 1883, Page 5

LIGHTING JACKSON'HEAD AND THE FRENCH PASS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—PRK'-S ASSOCIATION.] Wi.LriNOTOv, Friday. Thk Stella returned to-day from an exper'i; tion to Jackson's Head aud the Ff'encli \"¥£s9p''~' i Her survey of the reef outlying the'former f point proved satisfactory, and theVtablelJsite '. for a beacon was BclecJed. The reef ■isweji v : known to captains of coasting steamers, but ' there is risk of a mistake in hazy weather. • It lies well outside of the spot where the s.B; .' Rangitoto was wrecked., that vessel 'luoaing ripht on land. There is not likely ttjbe any ; difficulty in erecting thq beacon. : sfixpori- .' at the French Pass were not so ; satis- ~ factory in their results. The object : ¥aimed at in t<l present eleir guiding marks or lights on both sides without incurring the excessive butlny of two separate has thought that by whitening the beacon on'the north (D'Urvillo Island) side of thc-passy and throwing Qα. li a > strong = illumination from the permanent lighthouse ■.» on the south (mainland) a sufficiently distinct guidance might thus be secured. This expectation proved fallacious.* A large white sheet was hung against the;beacon and a liglit was directed on. it, bljtsthis proved very fii.ntly distinguishable at'lα moderate distance. Another plan was suggested some time agOj but has not yet been tried, namely the erection of angular reflectors over the stone beacon ' on ; the north side, so disposed as to reflect in both directions thu beam from the fixtd light,on , the mainland. This eeerned to be more , feasible, and some further etpcriments will ~ probably be tried to test its thorough practi- i c.ibleness, but the plan which appears now , to be most in favour is to place a small light ou tho beacon, f dby compressed gas, which 1 could be repfeniaheel ilivily, p,nd which wouid ; need no farther alteration than daily light- 1 ing and replenishing, that work to bo per- ] formed by the keepers Of the lighthouse on ■ tho mainland pjde. There is also some j doubt as to tho best kind of light for the j latter. A rod One wonld he best, but would | ~ be subject to the risk of being mistaken for ; the sidelight of an approaching steamer, and 1 an ordiciary white li-jrht would also be apt at ; titnea to be mistaken. It is possible eome special type of white or whitish light may ultimately be devised to meet the requirements of tho case.