The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-06-21
Washington City.
Correspondence OF the Herald
WASHINGTON CITY, June, 1913.
JAS. GORDON BENNETT ESQ


SIR
In the New York Express of The 18th of May,
there is denunca'ory attack op This pl ce, on
the management of The liz h, houses OF The United
States, for ioag time under the superne ndence
of the Fifth Auditor Of The Treasury, which deem
it but just to thai oiiic tce.
Some years since, the Fifth Auditor employ ed Mr.
Isaiah William Penn Lewis, of Boston, TO retit Sc
veral Of the light houses, which was performed in
SO unsatisfactory manner, that his services were
dispensed with, which 80 exisperated him that the
establishment, under It's present superintendent, has
been the object Of his ceaseess abuse ever since
One OF the l.h houses RENTED by him consumed
more than seventy gallons Of oil 10 the lar,p annu-
ally, whilst our best light houses the lights of which
can be seen much further. consume thiIty.hve gal
Ions to the Lamp or less than half consumed in the
one refitted by in And the Fifty Auditor conceiv
ed that hs du'y the public required him to have
it rehtted on better and more economical plan,
which was done. Mr.. Lewis was also sent to the
ton of light house there Gave the location, plan,
foundation, &c Nc. TO the contractors, Messrs
Hammond S Co from Massachusetts, and after he
had superln'ended at least one story high had ii
taken down, 10y which the government lost about
$4,000, aud the contractors bitterly complained
that they were compelled thereby to submit to great
injustice In short, The Fifth Auditor thought he
could discera that il he employed &C Mr.. l. w. P
Lewis, cy eng ineer, from Boston, in erecting and
fitting up many Of the light houses, after his magn-
fcept pans. We might have the houses, but they
would be dark, for the Treasury would be INSULT
cirnt, after spending millions for their erection, to
buy oil to light them He, however, was placed at
the head OF survey OF the light house establish
Inent about year since, and after being engaged
in 1t some time. quarelled with and discharged the
captain and crew OF the vessel engaged in it, and
the survey was for the time suspended What it
cost the government am unable to say, but rumor
states that he received $6 per day from the time
the survey was suspended, some time in Au-
gust think, till within few days of the close OF
the late session of Congress, to make up his report
OF the survey What value the survey will be to
the government, you may Judge, when you learn
that the report of it is tissue OF Misrepresentation
throughout, AS you will find by reading the accom-
panylng testimony, furnished by the very men on
whom he relies to sustain him. The writer in the
Express, for aught know, may state truly that the
Presldent was opposed to the employment of II. W.
P Lewis, civil engineer, from Boston," TO conduct
hlssurvey In opposition TO the judgment OF Mr. For
ward and tso, clearly discovered his sagaciy; for
has proved "stae and unproftable" affair, should
opine, to the government The SO per diem, and the
'run of the Kitchen" is not bad job Tor Mr. Lewis
From the foregoing, no one can he at loss TO di.
vine the origin OF the hostility # W. p. Lewis,
civil engineer, OF Boston, to the present manage
meDt OF the lighthouse establishment, which will
probably be continued so long there is a hope
that II the present superintendent could b. supplant-
ed in the management Of it, Mr.. l. w p. Lewis
civil engineer of Boston, would be necessary to
conduct it.
But allow me TO enquire why it is, that all who
are really interested in having an efficient light
house system, in the opinion that ours as at
present managed is equal, if superior to any in
the world Compared with either the English or
French system, II is decidedly superior, and admi
nstered at greatly less expense as by reference to
page &c of the enclosed House document, No
Sll, 9Th Congress, I'd session, will appear the ave-
rage annual cost Of the English lights being So 49,
whilst ours 10 $9ll; and If the testimony Of the
best practical navigators Is to be relied on,
be seen the create distance. But so farfrom there
being any complaints of the inefiiciency Of the
lights our coast, there IS an overwhelming mass
OF testimony, from practica seamen and Others who
know what they say, that our lights are equal TO any
IN the world. An accurate comparison OF the cost
of maintenance of the French lights with ours can
not be so readily made, from the mode of keeping
their accounts but OF the efficiency al the two
systems, the Official evidence in doc 81 will de-
monstrate; majority OF theirs being but harbor
lights, and cannon be seen more than miles, re
quenty but 8, and none more than q M ts; whilst
we have ample and copclu.ive testimony mat our
best lights, IN favorable weather, are seen 10 miles
, Asa sample OF the correctness OF the wn'er tor
the Express, before allud. Ia, is stated that the
lighthouses at Monopoly point and Nantucket, are
but IL miles distant from each other, aad that semi
distant, no lish from eliher is visible. Doc ST.
page =, vii, show you what reliance Is to te pa ceG
on that statement. Tue writer Of that coinlnupica.
ton Is either utterly ignorant abO what he writes,
or has wil'uly ml7r-p-eseat.d the ruth, there IL
official evld.n nee here, hat in Gear weather, one
10 miles, and which yeu viii find in doe. sll
The writer also sneenngy doubts the ruth of
the Five Auditors statement, that Cape Henopen
light can be sen % miles Oae of the many sour
ces whence that si2ierl-pt is derived you will find
in the letter OF MIR. Virden, VIII Oh follows Mr. V.
hasnot noy,nor ever had any iIicia relation to the
Fifth Audior-was eaiiroly uhknewn to him, and
volunteered the lerrer. and whose testimony when
known, is u8impeacbablc. As the ability Of Mr. l.
VIM. r. Lewis Civil Engineer from Boston," in
his remarks about The Cope Henlopen hight house
will be canvsssed at another time, will pass that
branch OF The con muIlcaton with quoting the let
teri
LEWIS June asi 1910.
SR-BairG on my wsy down the Bay. the pilot OF
tn packet ship Shenc ndoah when abreast OF the Ledge
made lisb ~rh prove TO be the light on Cape Hen
lopen at he dssuce OF So iles although the night
not favorable for seeing the at the greatest distance
Since thu liant, has been put on it has been the
greatest light have ever seen.
I'm respectfully, sir,
Your obedent servant
Signed HENRY vIRDEN,
Branch Pilot,
will notice no more of the communication to the
Express, it is all wide OF the truth, the fore
going specimens, excepting, perhaps, that portion OF
II which informs us that the President was opposed
to the employment OF Mr. l. w. p Lewis Civil
Engineer, OF Boston, in the survey OF the ligh,
houses, and which, IL is very probable, quite true
and for which the President cannot be too highly
commended.
But, after all, the assaults on the management OF
the system have elected the admirable order. eff.
ciS"IIy' anu ccv"oniy which prevail throughout tne
whole, and made them familiar to thousands who
never, probably, would have heard of the ligh
houses; and the closest scrutiny is invited into all It's
operations, by those really interested in an efficient
system, and competent to Judge.
You know how rIgdy the Committees of Con-
gress examine all estimates for appropriations for
the public service, and yetit is fact, that of the ap
Priations made for the erection OF light houses and
light boats, amounting to 81, Cos 3OS, based upol
estimates previously made, the sum of $3.50 337 has
beenreturned to the surplus iund-a fact which has
no parallel in the psoc service. And this arise
probably from the necessity under the law OF Con
gress OF having all the houses aud boats erected and
bu'lt under contract, which gives tree scope TO Ian
competition. Indeed, there can be no collision |
among the agents, as all accounts in relation to
are settled and adjusted by officers, having no Other
connection with it, the agency OF the Filth Audiioi
being merely ministerial No committee OF either |
House of Congress who has ever carefully exa-
mined, but has highly commended it, as have al |
those really interested in an efficient system oil |