The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-11-26
4 HARBOR TIA SHOULD DE IMPROVED
Stripping the Rocks or Coknsset Of their
Dnnger-The GREAT Work In tho Hnrbor
or scituRte-A Talk with Mr. George I.unt.

- .'--
Stripping the Rocks or Cohns.et Of their
Dmnger-Tke Great Work In the Hnrbor
orscitunte-A Talk with Mr. George Luat.
BosToN, Nov. 1s.-Scituatc is one OF the
oldest OF New England settlements. 1t was
originally established by emigrants who had
arrived ut Plymouth. from England. n few
years aftor tho landing OF the Pilgrims In 1920
lts territory. at and long after that period. was
worry extensive. Many distinguished New Eng
land families -Otises. Tildens. Ticknors. Cush-
ings. Bryants. Lowclls. vassalls. Winstons.
Curtiscs. and olhors-have descended from those
early settlers The place eventually became
remarkable for maritime enterprise. but In the
course OF time business Of thnt sort was mainly
absorbed by Boston. or late years. n consider
ab|e portion Of its population. chiefly OF Irish
extraction. are engaged during the summer. in
curing moss gathered from rocks In the near
ncghborhood Of tho sea. IN industry the in
come of which sometimes amounts to $4,000
or 100000 II year.
Understanding that the ancient town is
giving visible signs OF improvement. and
that large tracts on the four remarkable cliffs
which bound it by the sea. had been recently
purchased by capitalists from the city. and in
some instances from even the distant West.
with the intention Of building cottages and
probably hotels. and that everything indicated
the advancement Of the town to the condition
of n popular summer resort. for which Its repu-
taton for health giving air afforded warrant.
| called upon Mr.. George Lunt. the formerly
wcll-known lawyer and citizen Of Boston. who
has taken great interest in tho projected i'm
provemcnt OF the harbor. knew that he had
resided there for some years. Mr. Iunt took
me to see, the first breakwater. which has
Ss in the G q stanss
tn hp hun1rpH-
Quincy auarfiss. or blasted in the pastures
mass by derricks,, The breakwater already
zoo feet toward the channel. One hundred feet
are to be added to it: There Is to be second
an esSh Of mile higher up the IS shore Of 7a6
feet in length the two thus PARTIAL y overlapping
each other; Both, when completed. are to be four
up toward the bar by the sea after the Anal OK
eavation OF the bed of the harbor shall have,
sgccessfn! in producing the needfu result else;
convenient and accessible harbor, at a point
half way between Boston and Cape Cod; to the
Of Vessels Sss entering ,has Msssaehusets
! There can be no doubt that Scituatc will then
! for tugboats ut plnce commanding an open
view Of the sea for great DISTANCE and that
! eating with Boston. twenty-six miles distant.
in cases Of distress will be oLviated.
wears past at scitu tn w was merely accidental
He had beer, induced TO resort thither for his
health and becoming famiar with the aspec;;
business in the place, ana with numbers OF its
inhnbitanis the idea GRADUALLY unfolded
far more useful than it had, ever
been, The lack Of suitable access to the con:
IA oint SO convenient for the purpose. had been
| n subject Of complaint from time immcmoria
familiar with the shore. but with ali those en-
| gagged in maritime occupations; whether do
S Of wh2 hsa Bar f SaSSor
was surveyed under the direction Of the late
Gen. Barnard. afterward Chairman Of the Board
jet, he declared the Improvement Of Sctuatc
Germ" Such has been the uniform judgment
OF successive m en- q that Board VINO a have
" of the Board itself. in its recommendation of
f3oMD additional appropriation. dated Sept.
g. hv the ca. I'll
Of War, under date Of March q. 1881 confirmed
by the SECRETARY on April I. lSsl:
to the Committee on Commerce. the cnpme-
ration OF vessels wrecked Or stranded on
scitnat@ and the number Of lives OF those lost
by drowning through these disasters, within
i m' Various sources. The period Of thirty
iv" years was fixed upon 1t appeared that tho
the sou share sny " Which waas to,
tai losses. though many Others were hont"d by
the exercise OF skin and energy within the
term above specified. amounted to l6O and
that the losses of life between Cape Cod and
Scitnnte AT Scitnatc; and at Cohasset ncredi-
Der includes the drowning Of 100 OF the crew
and passengers of an "migrant shin which went
/ ashore AZ night on the reefs near Cohasset
These statistics already referred to were
spread heiore 'ho-. who would understand the
b"for,e the,pabic at large Thereupon the Bos-
| ton Board of Trade sent down a numerous
Iommttn," o, It's msmheTs' inriudinG II, r rs
Of the corps of United States Engineers Their
impression, after careful view Of the harbor
and It's surroundings. was unanimously favor
able. rs eyinccd 10y their formal memorial soon
nft"rward transmitted to Congress. Other sim,
Sct,aie. r from ON the Bnston B"ar I'd Of Under.
writers. from the, Board of underwri,crs OF
from the two Marine Societies of Salem, and
from THAT Of Newburyport: and there We're
petition, # merchants and shipmasters. from
Portland. Me-. and II a simil ar class of citizens
from various ports along the south shore. rs
far rs it's extreme, point at Proyincctown
whom no men could be more familiar with
thu navigation If the bay. The Boston Branch
lion earnestly rndng the object. the
interests of which nearly affected each one OF
sa a ,hrIr ana sir3n sr It,
Fortified with this testimony, MIR. Lunt pro-
cccglcd To Washington ~ great Inconvenience.
in the winter Of lsSO-l, duly obtained an in
tcrvi.w with the Committee on Commerce. pre-
scented the case, and obtained n report for
s5uno as Il preliminary APPROXIMATION for the
harb,r. which WIS increased by 81 800 in con-
sequence Of a wreck near by At the following
session Slu.uDu more was granted, and another
amount Of sl0ooOa the session of ISL max
ing the whole appropriation thus far s21 500.
found Mr. Lunt inclined 10 be rctcent in re-
gard To me ha'ternt COMPENSATION Tor ms own
services in promoting great public object in
which Massachusetts will one day take pride.
and Of which the whole commercial marine will
eventually reap the benefit
! inquired whether he could form any judg-
ment To- when the work in question was
likely to br competed That depends" said
ne, upon the Wow which Congress may take
Of il, and especially upon the support it may
receive from the people of Massachusetts. The
work is still in state of forwardness and has
already mad" such progress that no apology
could be found for it abandonment. were il