NEW ZEALAND COAST LIGHTS

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIX, Issue 4072, 7 April 1874, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND COAST LIGHTS

[by our special reporter.] FOVEATTX STEAIT. There are several sites in Foveaux Strait that might well answer for a lighthouse, and onle will not be decided upou without great consideration. Those visited by the officials in the Luna were Centre Island, Rugged Island, Green Islets (sometimes called Green Islands), Cape Windsor, and Cape Puysegur, all of which have some points to recommend them. Hugged Island, on the north west side of Stewart's Island, has serious drawbacks. The light-keepers would live on what is merely a large rock cut off from access to the shore in bad weather ; and the summit of the island, being 550 feet above the sea, would be too high. In order to get a sito lower down on the faco of the cliff it would be necessary to make cuttings in the rook for room for the tower, and a tunnel through a point of the rock would have to be hewn. This would all cause the work to be very expensive, aad the coat of maintenance would be serious. A light here would be of great value, but on the other hand it would mark the position of a high ooaab close to which there is deep water. Centre Island, near the other side of the Strait, has many advantages. It is several hundred acres in extent, the keepers would have good quarters, the cost of maintenance would not be large, a cite 220 feet high — the most elevated point in the island — could be obtained, and, what is of tho greatest importance, it would be situated right among the worst dangers of the Strait. Fish Reef and Escapo Reef lie east and west of Centre Island, and these and other rocks are the dangers most dreaded by sailors navigating the Strait. A light on Centre Island would, excepting when obscured by thick weather, plainly chow mariners the position of the localities they most desire to avoid, and would stand sufficiently far to the westward to be scon by vessels entering the narrower and more dangerous part of the Strait. Sailing ehipa that have to run through from tho east, or the western entrance, with a fair wind, often find a change hereabouts, and when beating in the dark great difficulty is, of course, experienced in ascertaining their position. A light at Cape Puysegur, Cape Windsor, or Green Islets would be much sooner found by vessels from the westward, but they would lose it long before getting to the more dangerous part of the Strait. The Solander, standing like a gigantic pillar of rock 1100 feet out of the water, is a splendid beacon to ships in the offing, and the high land near the coast from West Cape for a long distance to the east is readily discerned in clear weather. The coast near Centre Island is much lower and more difficult to make out. Putting a lighthouse on that Island would be following out the principle of "lighting the dangers of a coast," and vessels before losing Dog Island light would pick up that at Centre Island and vice versa. No doubt some day a light at or near Capo Windsor will bo held to be absolutely necessary. After leaving Dog Island for tho west and going north along the West Coast no light is seen until Farewell Spit is reached, but at CAPE FOtTtWIKB it has been determined to erect one. There is a capital site, and with a low tower the lantern will be 250 feet abbve the sea. This will warn vessels of the danger caused by the rocks known as the Steeples, and will also lead tho way to shelter formed by the Steeples and the cape. This work may be pronounced to be absolutely necessary, because the bost and almost the only shelter for hundreds of miles along the coast from south-westers is obtainable here. The apparatus has been ordered from England. On the long, low point of sand called TAREWELL SPIT, at the south-west of the entrance to Cook Strait, the light is a second order dioptric, white, attaining its greatest brilliancy o/ice a minute, but over tho end of the Spit the light shows red, as a warning of the danger. It is fixed on an open wooden tower, 113 feet high, and is only 120 feet above the sea. The tower is painted in bands of red and white. This light is of greater power than the low site can make available wibhout much more elevation, and it has been proposed to remove it and in its place put a light of the fourth order, when a first order light has been erected on Cape Farewell, as contemplated. The Spit apparatus will then be available for some other site. Tho higher land of Cape Farewell would enable ships at a considerably greater distance to be warned of their approach to the Spit from the south, and taken in conjunction with the proposed light at Cape Foulwind, would make this much frequented part of the coast well lighted. At Mana Island, in COOK STEAIT, there is a fixed white light, at a height of over 500 feet above the sea, and the elevation has proved a serious drawback to its usefulness by causing it to.be hidden by fogs. It has been suggested that it should be moved lower down, if a suitable site could be found ; but in that case, it would not be visible from so many points as at present, though on the other hand the light would be more often plainly seen in the Strait in the direction in which it is most needed. This apparatus boing of the same character as that at Pencarrow Head, has often caused mariners to mistake one for the other — and tho case of the Cyrus is an instance of the lobs of a vessel through the Pencarrow light having been supposed to be that at Mana. When there is a red light at Tory Channel, it will enable captains to determine whether they see the Pencarrow or Mana light, that is provided they can make out the red light ; but it would be conducive to safety wore these two made to differ, bo that one would never be mistaken for the other. There is no doubt that two lights so close together, with no other near as a check, ought not to bo exactly similar. With reference to the Pencarrow light, it may be remarked that its position tells against its value, for if it were on Baring Head, it would be seen over a much larger arc. At present, a portion of its value as a coastal-light is sacrificed, for the sake, apparently, of using it in some degree as a harbor-light ; but that at Somes Island is quite a sufficient guide to any vessel entering the Heads at night. Before erecting any new lighthouse in Cook Strait, it might be well to consider whether alterations should not be made in the existing plan, by removing ! that at Mana. A view held by many captains who frequently pass through the Strait is, that there should bo a light on the Brothers rooks, which could also be made available for indicating the exact position of Cook's rock by having a red sector in that direction, and to the south a colored sector might indicate the position of a number of dangerous rocks four miles distant, off Wellington Head. This, is certainly tho part of the Strait where there is the greatest risk, and Mana light being on the opposite Bide does not give a sufficiently clear indication of the position of these dreaded rocks. The erection of a light at Tory Channel has been objected to as not being so good a site as the Brothers, and it is thought that nothing should be done which would induce masters to enter thero at night, aa it is not safe to do so. The summit of the Brothers rocks, 250 feet, is juat the right height, and, moreover, the fogs aro not nearly bo dense on that eido of the Strait as on the shores of the North Island. It is possible that by removing the light from Mana to the Brothers, the erection of one at the entrance of Tory Channel would not be necessary, and tho approaches and navigation of Cook Strait would be well guarded by the Hghtß at Cape Campboll, Baring Head (now Pencarrow light), The Brothers, Farewell Spit, and the proposed light at Capo Egmont. The official report of Captain Johnson will be anxiously looked for by seafaring men, and it will no doubt prove a highly interesting document. While thanking Captain Johnson for his kindness and courtesy in furnishing me with information,

it is but fair to remark that ho very properly declined to express an opinion that would give an indication as to the contents of his official report, and consequently what has been written must not be taken to bo that officer's decisions. I huve freely availed myself of the contents of the joint report of Captain Johnson and Captain Edwin made in March, 1873, a paper which treats of the whole question of lighting the New Zealand coast in an able and practical manner.