The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-21
DISASTERS ON OUR COAST.
c.ty THE PREyENTTyE OCNtE RE Any
UUERE WELL dPPLILDY
An old puot Suggesting ~ Reward for slow
Passage. Hunt on Lighthouses and Fog
Horns starry Of the Amc,iauc's fhot
Striking on the Beach at Senbright.

r...aur. Hunt on Lighthouses and Fog
Horns starry Of the Amcriauc's Pilot
Striking on the Beach at Senbright'
"a certain number Of accidents must hap
pom and you can't prevent Them Piot Com
missioner Blunt said. while enjoying an inter-
view yesterday with n reporter ior THE Sun.
Tn, reportnr having vcnturcl to hint that some
effort ought t. bc made TO prevent the possibil-
ity Of future sastcr. the cyclopcdia Of harbor
lore rctortrd You're 80 smart. young man.
you'd better get upa plan yourself Then the
reporter mildly suggested that lighthouses
might bc erected along the Jcrscy Shore
lighthouses Why. you'd have to have
string Of lighthouses from here to Texas.
BESIDES they don't shine through heavy snow
storms and foes and that IL Just when they
would bc needed. First. they're too oXpcnsivc
for you would want "A good many. and when
you'd 70, EN- they wouldn't help anybody"
"Thcn fox horns the venturcsomc reporter
added.
"Poohl with the wind blowing on shore do
you think u fog horn could be heard half mile
away2 No. SRI"
The way to prevent such accidents" and
this was a voice from an adjacent room. ia to
oflcr premium TO the captain who will got last
into port There's "a premium given now 10y the
company to the captrin who arrives first. and in
his hurry to get his money. he tries to run
across the land for it,"
yes yes; Fskc has got 1t: hal hal hal" the
veteran Blunt shouted in glec. and he rollickcd
in his chair az ike u boy vi seventeen. He CON
unucd:
"The captains were too confident. Commo-
dorc Cooper who is at the head Of the Light
house Department along the coast. from Goose
berry point Mis- to SIuam inlet. y. j ., thinks
That no st"rs n preventing such accidents can
be taken until the cause OF the disaster cspe /
ally 10 the Amcrigue. has been arc"rthincd.
Lighthouses would be- of no service because,
the captains or pilots would not know what
They meant Surprising that lrht was the one
~ Sandy Hook. the steamer might push on and
find herself aground ON the NV Jcrss y shore.
Fog horns are ourn 10 tho same objection. So
Is almost amy warming. Given the locatio and
the sailor Knows what 10 do: hut the location in
this ease Is Just what hc wants. There wore
lights visible IN ordinary weather from the
place where the steamers strandcd-the SANDY
house and the West and East bcacOns-hut the
binding snow shut out the light There Is a
taken in by the rise aud fall OF tho mechanism
on the waves, whistles so that 1t can be- heard
Three mis- ana chain OF these might es an
sivrly. 50 that on hearing them. sailors would
know where they were. AZ 70 the late accidents
II seems IA though the lead must have been re-
ported enormously or else not often enough. OF
ths compass must have been out OF order"
the statement Of Pilot Viewer. OF the Amcriquc
WIS read. II is substantially rs follows:
At noon on Jan. g. when in latitude 4O' 3r, in
forty-two fathoms Of water boarded steamer
Ameriquc. The Captain asked me the latitude
depth Of water. and distan - from Sandy Hook
Light. | told him lat 40 30 with torty-twO faith
9ms muddy bottom And from llO TO- llo mil,s
Az - and the distance $50 miles. or or Nam
tu'krt. lie sounded before the steamer went
ahead. and found forty-two iathoms. II" sad
he WIS making u due west course. lett The
bridge. and kept walking about tn" main deck
ne rrSl OF th4 AFTERNOON a. 7, ,Wipd was iEnt
If WAS required To- remain on dock. lie said
no. that there was nothing for 'u" To- DO until ",
roa he'd the lghtship. | went below and turne,
m" AT / 30 7. W., and | went INTO the char
room. H. said he had stopped Oh" eng ne. un'
had got a east of the lead which showed seven
teen fathonS with fine sand bottom with hla
sp-cks H. had altered the course to tn south
ard In order 10 avoid the suuken vessel or hn0
on Fire Island. The wind was southeast, rain
Ing very dark, and blowing a moderate gale
lnr Captain -nli ne lHi passed a steamer M
J. VI. three miles south of him. ana he though
his course was correct While speaking h
stopped the engine. took n Gust Of the lend nn'
lttlr too far to the south. We looked AZ IN chart
and he hauled the ship up hnlf point t. M
north. and said We ought To have thirteen iatn
pms with gravel bottom \ sounding BEN.
taken II was found NJ hr said.
-" won't on the Drid-G and looked at T.
compass we w'fe hndihS II ~
We met pilot boat and prop @ed 70 speak he
and ask where We were. 10 this. however, %
would not consent. A short whu" att r tbs IN
Captain exclaimed, Pilot what IL, that z
II it moment AMI told him il was the NJ
r-"y beach. Ia stop ana back hnr iuil spec
H. said it was. lmpoS- pie" that it must be- som
fishermen. Viewer" tArn going back, hopked
on. huf II WIS no u.s.. She struck on n" h"a
at Albright. head on; she swung right unn
in' beach IA shore. a half sea running a III
AZ O'clock last evening the steamer rculainc
in about the same position as at noon.