LIGHTING THE COAST-LINE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12817, 17 July 1912, Page 2

LIGHTING THE COAST-LINE.

(l'er Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, last night

According to a report presented by the Secretary for Marine to Parliament last week, the lantern and lighting apparatus for the second-order incandescent flash light has already been ordered for tihe lighthouse at North Cape, and a vote will be sought this year for the necessary material for building a lighthouse. From the absence of any inference m the report to the Three Kings, it is clear that for the time being at all events, the Department has dropped the Three Kings out of calculation. In view of the strong opin-' ion which was manifested among the shipping people of . the necessity for a, light on one of the Kings, when the question was being ventilated some months ago, a reporter made some inquiries on the subject of the new lighthouse for. North ,Cap«, jand of its value to mariners. The. first" one approached was... a well known skipper of; a, barque trading between Australia ;and -N;ew Zealand. ' ' . ' ... '.'",.

"It is rjght enough putting a light on: the North Cape, but tliat i»s not the danger point," . said he. .. "What .Is, {•he use of a light at the North Cape, for instance, to a .vessel coming east? Once you have picked up ."the Kings you gan always pick up the mainland without any trouble, but with the numerous and uncertain, currents and the frequency of; fog, one is never free froni anxiety! as to the Kings until they are actually located."

Captain Hood, for .many, a, master, m, the Huddart-Parker, fleet, was very emphatic on the same point. "What; is. the.tise oi ;a light on North Cape for vessels passing west?" he asked. "As a matter of fact, vessels bound from, Australia, to the west coast of America, make . a point- of striking the Three Kings m order to correct their chronometers, and it is impossible to say how many vessels thus passing westward have left their bones on the ocean floor round those islands."

Mr Bradney, M.P., who is presenting ,a largely-signed petition to Parliament this session on the subject, informed the - pressman that he had received a letter from Captain Lloyd, surveyor . to Lloyd's, informing him (Mr Bradney) that he had spent 10 days on the Kings, as fi, , result •pf, which lie." found that there,, ay&ra *-\ya landingsr^nej available for westerly winds', and the other for nortli-jeasterly .winds,;, At one,\ or/ the other of, these two landings materialcould', .be landed, at any time, stated the captain. ■ '