New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4194, 29 August 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1874.

The report of the Marine Department for the year ending June 30th has been looked forward to with interest for several reasons, prominent amongst which is that we are becoming more and more conscious of the fact that New Zealand is destined, as was the mother country, to become the home of a great maritime nation. Half a dozen years ago, to have forecasted what the Colony would rise to would have been difficult. It might have been said that the miners, after they had exhausted the riches of the goldfields, would bo attracted by a new rush elsewhere, as diggers very often are. Agriculture was not making great progress. The sheep farmers were not receiving the good prices for their wool which they have lately pocketed—prices which have so greatly increased the value of their runs. Now, there is the very reverse of what we have been describing. The men who abandon mining, do so tempted by the high rate of wages that obtains. We know that agriculture has a great future before it in the Colony. ■ The runholders are anxious to develops to as great an extent as possible the carrying capacity of their runs. And there is a profound conviction making its way amongst all reflective persons that in this country manufactures will flourish, commerce find for itself a home, and maritime enterprise abound, making it the Greater Britain of the South. We do not look to any department of the Government service to initiate or foster this maritime enterprise, a beginning of which is to be observed in the fleet of steamers trading to all the ports of the Coloriy, to Melbourne, in the many coasters employed, and in the expansion of the intercolonial, foreign, and Home trade that is noticeable. But the Marine Department can and does do much towards removing obstacles to the successful development of our shipping trade, and its skilful officers are capable of and do render important service to all those who “go to the sea in ships—who do business in great waters.” Another reason why this report has been looked forward to is the occurrence of the casualties by which three largo vessels have been wrecked within the past few months, almost at our very doors. If these had been considered the result of accident, and could not have been avoided by any forethought or prudence, the public would have been content to have hoped that such disasters would not again happen, and would have abided the result with all possible patience. But there was a very strong feeling that the lighting of Cook Strait was deficient and of a wrong character. The Government, wo are sure wisely, did not yield to the impulse of the moment, which was, undoubtedly, that something ought to bo done at once towards remedying existing dangers, and preserving the reputation of the port. For taking this course there woredivers andwoightyreasons. The alteration of a light involves danger to many mariners, who, uninformed of the change, continue to rely upon their charts most religiously. Also, it was advisable that before any change should bo proceeded with, tlio reports, after observations made, should be received of the officers of the department. In the case of the Mana and Pencarrow lights, these were recommended by Master Warden, Mr. 0. Sharp, and Warden Captain Johnson, after ■ inspecting the various sites proposed for lighthouses, in August and September, 1863. They then reported against a light on the Brothers, because of the difficulty of access to the islet which would render the establishment upon it a costly one, because it would cost more to erect than the Marino Board had at its disposal, and because two lights —one on Mana and the other on Wellington Heads —would not bo more costly, would light the south entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound, and render the navigation of the dangerous part of the Strait more easy than if only one light were used. Wo arc aware that experience has shown how utterly wrong this conclusion was, but there is to be remembered that eleven years ago iow people had any idea what the trade of Wellington would be, and what character it would take. At

that time, too, the resources of the Colony wore vex-y different to what they are: now. Certainly, we. do not attach much weight to the expense part of’the argument upon which the conclusion is founded, as the admission that the Board was not in funds to erect'the light on the Brothers, was followed by the curious recommendation to erect two lights that would cost as much money as the one objected to.

The report of the Marine Board should be read with that of Captain Johnson, after his voyage round the coasts of both islands, which took place in the early part of the present year. The second paragraph of this is calculated to strengthen the conviction, not only that the Premier acted wisely in proposing to abolish Provincialism in the North Island, but also that the institution is not sans peur et sans reproche in the Middle Island. Accompanying the report of the Marine Board is an admirably delineated New Zealand wreck chart, lithographed at the Government Printing Office, and after the manner of that which may be seen in Mr. Plimsoll’s well-known book. In this Oamaru and the vicinity appear with the disagreeablenumberof seventotal wrecks against them, and two collisions, from which partial loss occurred, during the year. Timaru, again, has three partial wrecks and a total one recorded against it. Of Oamaru, Captain Johnson says, there is no necessity for a coastal light at it. The neighboring coast is remarkably free from danger, and the soundings are regular. Of Timaru he said also, that there was no need of a coastal light. “Even should a vessel, when working to windward, stand close in before tacking, the soundings are so regular, and the water shoals so gradually, that by a reasonable and careful use of the lead, there should be no difficulty in ascertaining the distance from shore.” Captain Johnson, therefore, recommended that a light of small power as a harbor light ought to be erected at each place. This, as he said,- would be a work for the Provincial', authorities. This work, however, does not seem to have been even thought about by these autho rities, and the consequence of the neglect has been a loss of ten vessels, and the collision of two. The Manukau Lighthouse, we observe, is to be lighted on the first of next month. At the Moeraki River, Captain Johnson strongly recommended that a coastal light should be erected, and that the Taiaroa light should be changed to white instead of red, if his first recommendation should be adopted. To light the entrance to Foveaux Strait, he recommended a light on Centre Island, or on Rugged Island—the latter for preference. The other entrance he thought should be lighted from Puysegur Point, as it is there vessels for Otago or Canterbury first make the land. The light on Dog Island, he thought, should be removed to Ruapuke Island. The report of the Board recommends the purchase of a small steamer for attending to the lighthouses, the Luna not always being available when requix-ed. During the year the amount of dues collected had been £BBll lls. Id., being £1990 in excess of the sum received last yoax-. The cost of maintenance had been £4852 9s. 7d. ; but when the xxexv lights are erected this will be increased. Most persons, however, will agree with Mr. Seed that “in. a maritime Colony, such as this is, any expenditure for the maintenance of lights that may have to be provided for out of the general revenxxe, will be repaid to the public indirectly, over and over again, by reductions in the rates of freight and insurance which xvill certainly follow the increased safety afforded to shipping by the establishment of well-placed and effective lighthoxxsos.” The number of persons examined for competence as masters, mates, or ongiixeers, Ixad been xxinely-two, of wlxiclx fifty-seven obtained certificates. The largest number of examinations had been held in Auckland. The number of the wrecks axxd casualties had been fifty-eight, of which twenty-seven were total, and thirty-one partial—thirty-foxxr more than during the previous year. The total loss of lives was twenty.

Immediately after the wreck of the Wellington and the Cyrus, we strongly insisted that the lighting of Cook Strait was defective. Whilst we were careful not to anticipate the finding of the various Courts of Inquiry, [we pointed out that a landsman looking over a chart, and having regard to the circumstances attending the navigation of a vessel from the harbor through the Strait, would be able to decide that the light ought to have been placed on the Brothers in the first instance, that Cook’s Rock ought to be blown up, and that if the Mana Light should not be removed after one had been placed on the Brothers, it ought to have its color altered. We now find that Captain Johnson was requested to report upon the matter, and lie entirely concurred in the conclusion wo arrived at. He said that after having considered the whole question he was of the opinion “ that one of two things should be done, viz.—-1. Either a now flash white light, with a red arc over Cook’s Rook, be erected on the northern Brother, and, if possible, tivcntyfivo feet blasted oil’ top of Cook’s Rock ; or, 2. A new flash white light bo substituted for the one on Mana, with lower altitude, and the present light removed to the North Cape, where the altitude of site is less and more suitable, and where it cannot bo mistaken for a neighboring light.” From the report of the Board we gather that the Mana Light, besides being in a wrong position, is unsuitable to that it now occupies. , It is stated that the “ iron tower that was sent out was fortyeight feet high, when one less than half that height would have been move suitable ; and the illuminating apparatus was made to show all round,, when one with an apparatus to illuminate the arc to seaward of about 250° was all that was required.” Whether public attention being forcibly directed to the subject, has done good or not, we cannot say, but the intention to light Tory Channel, so that the light from thence with that on the Mana should bo considered to light that part of the Strait, has been abandoned. The report says that the opinion of shipmasters who trade through the Strait is now entirely in favor of the light on the Brothers ; and those best acquainted with the entrance to Tory Channel strongly condemn the project of placing a light there, as they say that, “ owing to the strong tide and very narrow entrance, it would not be safe to enter at night, even with the assistance of a light; and that such alight would probably have the effect of luring vessels’ to destruction, rather than of assisting them to avoid dangers by which the navigation of that locality is beset in dark and stormy weather. They maintain that on no account should the entrance be attempted except in the daylight. With a light on the Brothers, there would be no necessity either for the Tory Channel light or the one on Mana ; both could bo placed on other parts of the coast. The one ordered for Tory Channel would probably answer very well for Capo Egmont, where a light is urgently required, and

the Mana light could be placed on whichever of the sites ,for new lights it would be found best suited for.. If, from any cause, it should be found impracticable to place a light on the Brothers, then the character of the Mana light should at once be altered, to distinguish it from the fixed light at Pencarrow Head, which it is liable to be mistaken for, as was shown in the evidence given on the inquiry into the wreck of the City of Newcastle in November, 1872, and again in the repent case of the wreck of the Cyrus.” The report also contains some interesting information respecting the Weather Department -which lias been placed in the charge of Commander Edwin. The information collected will bo carefully recorded and studied, with a view of eventually establishing a system of storm signals such as are in use in the United Kingdom and other maritime countries. Mistakes had occurred in consequence of aneroids being used, and to prevent these mercurial barometers had been ordered from England. The Commander reported that “the duties of forecasting the weather were commenced during the second week in May, and although the instrumental errors are in some instances large, and are by no means accurately known, the experimental warnings forwarded have been in many instances correct.” Both the report of the Marine Board and that of Captain Johnson, are worthy of the attention of all nautical men interested in navigation on the coast of New Zealand.