TUAHINE LIGHTHOUSE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12586, 17 October 1911, Page 5

TUAHINE LIGHTHOUSE.

The work- of installing the Tuahine lighthouse on a permanent basis was completed yesterday afternoon, and the light was set going. It will be remembered that the first lighthouse erected at Tuahine was destroyed by fire, and it was replaced by an iron structure of a" more substantial nature. At the time of the flood two years ago some big slips occurred m the vicinity of the lighthouse, and it appeared as if the whole side of the hill where the lighthouse war; situated was on the move. Consequently the tower was dismantled, ami a temporary light was placed on a higher level. ■■", After various ..sites had been suggested as suitably fof a permanent light, it was decidecT'^o erect it on z, rocky islet 'at^jr^e^bf Tuahine 1 Point, ~aritf •:TEhW-?ißj#ow' r %&r ac'dsmplished fact. The 4 :" Hglith^u'se/; \y);icH' "Ws the subject of a 4 pyevious ides<irTp I tiye t ,ia*rti*le m our c^luiflhs contains: "(tri -h' "acetone acetylene .' £«s vhght, ■Sv'hich : ha«' a -flash showing two seconds, followed by an eclipse for six seconds, and is capable^ of being seen from a distance of 13 miles. One of the features of this class of light is 'that it can run without attention for a couple of months. It would appear, however, to tlie amateur mind that there was a possibility of the burner becoming carbonated' within that penc-d, but it is pointed out that the gas is of sufficient pureness to prevent carbonating talcing 'place. . The gas conies m cylinders, something similar to the ammonia cylinders used at the freezi ing works. . The cylinder of gas is placed inside the; tower; which is surmounted op a solid concrete pedestfll, and the gas is qpijyeyed to the burner by a small tube. This; light will burn day and night,; consequently it will not require the same complicated clockwork apparatus which existed m connection with the former light, which avbh regulated to go out during the day and come on again at s dusk. * ( The work of erecting the new lighthouse has been an arduous undertaking, and m some respects a perilous one. Mr J. A. Xicol, who was the contractor \ for the concrete pedestal, Mas subjected to the heavy storms and gales during the winter, and it was a matter of congratulation that the work was - completed as expeditioualy as it was. During the past month Mr Fraser, of thy Marine Department, has been supervifiing the/ erection of the iron tower on" the pedestal. This alsoilias been a difficult task, and it was only accomplished by great care, 'and skill m handling the material. Whilst the Avork of erecting the lighthouse has been such a! difficult one on account- of the situation- ttnd weather conditions, the work of carting the material Tound to the site was nonej the less a meritorious feat. This work,' which was successfully carried out by Mr J. Brosnahan, necessitated a good deal of risk, and the fact that no serious mishap occurred when the drays were traversing big . rocks and through stormy waters reflects credit upon the, 1 careful handling of the horses. . Cfri'i some occasions trips were, made' when most people would have thought them impossible. " j Now- the light is reinstated, and o\though' it will not require attention for periods of two months, a certain amount of supervision is necessary, and m order that this might be accomplished, the authorities will have to' consider ih« necessity of doing some further work. 1 In the first place it is necessary that the ' lighthousekteeper (Captain 'Ware) should see the light from his- residence on Wai nu i beach, and m order that this can be done about four feet of a point of the hill will have to' be removed,, .a matter of about a day's work for a man with '«.' pick and shovel. Then some kind of reasonable approach to the lighthouse will have to. be made. At present it is only accessible by the beach at low tide, and should the occasion arise when the lighthouse has to be. visited at other times than low water, it con only be done by the descent of a steep face of rock with the • assistance of a rope and crossing the water between the mainland and the islet by means of a rickety wire bridge. It. can hardly be expected .that Captain Warp, who 'is now well up m years, can use thiß approach, which m wet weather would be dangerous, if not impossible, for him to utilise. Another matter that require* attention is the necessity for a railing on the outside of the stairway round the side of the concrete pedestal giving access to the light. At present there is a hand guard attached to the pedestal, but as tlie steps are narrow, and {here is little more thaii 'finger rodm between the rail and the concrete wall, something to assure* more safety to those mounting the steps is required.