PERILS OF THE STRAIT.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12467, 17 February 1909, Page 2

PERILS OF THE STRAIT.

AN ILL-LIGHTED COAST. SUGGESTIONS BY AN EXPERT. (Special to "The Colonist.") Christchurch, Feb, 15. A special writer in "The Press," referring to the dangers, of navigation of Cook Straits,- says : — "Clear or thick, it may be stated that almost without exception every casualty in the vicinity of Cape Terawhiti has been due primarily to the swift running and uncertain tides of Cook Strait, "-which are at their worst in that locality, and secondly be- ■ cause it is-an important turning point to Port Nichojson, ; the : position of which has frequently to be very roughly assumed for want of more.satisfac- .. tory : means to, locate it.' The tides run fairly parallel to the line of the eoastj but their strength is such that a slight alteration. of the course bringing the stream to a very small extent on either bow will cause the .vessel to sheer rapidly out to sea, or into danger. In addition to this the irregular nature of the bottom, in combination witli the swift running tides mark it out as a. place where the use of the lead is almost an absurdity, and to adopt a slow speed and a rigid com- ] pliance with the . Board of ; Trade re--1 gulations -would be inviting .disaster. "When thick weather prevails cauP tion marks the guarded way only in [ one direction,— -viz: that of so wide a " course that neither a tidal wave. nor a convulsion, of nature could possibly j drive .the vessel -into this undesirable .- vicinity. ' ' Bui even-- this is attended with danger,, as it frequently causes [ an uncertainty of the ship's; position s ' and allows-, of only such a roughly ap- . proximate ; reckoning to be kept that much risk may, b,e incurred later on, when attempting to make the, land at r Pencarrow Heads. f Oi the tides inCook. Strait much has i to he learned. All seamen experienc- -. ed in Cook . . Strait-, {navigation : . ; . are i pretty well unanimous oil. the. point r that ; the. pubhshed tide tables or calr ; culatioris, deduced from the.', moon's meridian passage afford ,no guide : to i the tides and currents of the Strait. * A theory wliich is finding favour with ship masters using Cook Strait is that what' have- been hitherto considered * unusual tidal phenomena are in real- '' ity. surface currents, induced sonie- * times by local bad weather conditions, ■ and of,ten by gales and meteorological ' disturbances. The character and cause of these unusual tidal influences is, however,, of less importance than ' -the fact.that they do occur. The \ running of a flood tide for fully an ' hour and a half after its accredited 1 time and the absence of an ebb tide ■ through its being forced back by an opposing gale could he attested hy reliable and experienced riien, from observations taken in clear weather, and the experience - of . those who at various times have . been engaged in laying: and repairing telegraph cables . in Oook Strait would satisfactorily prove to the lay mind what has long been a truism among seameh-i-tliat Cook Strait tides are an. unknown quantity. "When all these uncertain influences and,the ; numerous outlying dangers are considered and Jt is remembered that the. locality is an important turning, point for a rapidly inCreasng steamsUip trade, the question arises whether in. the interests of the public saf ety and convenience the erection" of a powerful light on Tongue Point is not worthy of serious consideration. Lord Brassey, ..when visiting Port Nicholson a few years ago, described 1 that port as a splendid Jiarbour with most dangerous approaches, and in weather similar to that prevailing on the night of the Penguin disaster, the western approach- is by far the worst. "The seafarers of New Zealand have been frequently twitted with the ] criticism that, whenever a wreck occurs htey hysterically shriek for the erection of a lighthouse in the vicinity of the ..disaster. ,and by -those whose chief business in life is to opp'os» everything and consider how not to do it, it is stoutly asserted that no light is ariy good in a fog. ' However true this may be of some" localities it would rarely apply in the case 'of a powerful low level light erected on Tongue Point, only, one and a quar-' ; ter miles from the. danger. ."Coming from Picton, on making through the Straits, from the westward a vessel frequently, encounters tidal influences which vary corisiderably in their force and; direction; '" If . Cape Terawhiti, is sighted.it; is! of great advantage, but failing that the circling rouud the- outlying -dangers between the KarOri rock and Sinclair's Head r iriari attempt to pick up Pencarrow light, which, when it is most wanted is generally hiding its increased power four burner incandescent high light in the. encircling gloom, is one of the most unpleasant tasks, which fall to the lot of the Cook Strait navigator. yWellingtonians have always been singularly apathetic concerning the lighting of their harbour and its ; vicinity, but it is to be hoped that in view of the number of casualties that have occurred in the . neighbourhood' of Tom's' Rock, they will bestir themselves and insist on-j the provision" of a safeguard' to navigation which has been long, wanted."