The Portland daily press., 1882-11-09
THE TWO LIGHTS.
A Reply from Cart. Deering.

PORTLAND, Nov. sth, 1857.
To the Editor Of the Press:
Your paper of yesterday contains commu-
nication regarding the Two Lights, signed
Beacon" in which he uses, with much sar-
casm, garbled extracts from a communication
printed in the Argus of Nov. I'd. Not desiring
aly controversy with this new description OF
light house beacon, L will thank you to insert
in your valuable columns the communication
itself, as printed in the Argus. / will, If you
VIII allow me, merely remark that it is unnec
es ary TO defend what "Beacon styles 'the un-
Just reflections cast upon worthy and intelli-
gent class of men," For no mariner, engage
IA either coastwise or forega trade, who is ac-
customed to the use of sextant and chart would
ever dream of applying " portion of TIE
quotation to himself. but, on the contrary, full
y understands that reflection was made
nor intended. have yet to meet the first sea-
man understanding the proposed change at
Matinicus aud Cape Elizabeth, to extinguish
one light at each point, who does not denounce
the same in unmeasured terms. The nforma-
tion and recommendations SO freely proffersd
by Beacon, are duly appreciated, as proba bly,
used them before he ever was sprinkled with
salt water. Very respectfully yours,
j. W. DEERNG.
PoRTLA ND, Nov. /, 1882.
To the Editor OF the Argus:
Admiral Wymans letter says: ''In this age
OF characteristic distinctions of several differ
ent lights, two lights to mark points or head
londs are unnecessary; and two lights were
adopted in early days, when it was one and
tive lights only to mark distinction In head
lands Also, that in private business new
methods are adopted when equally good, and a
saving can be eFected, and the Light House
Board is actuated in the matter of discontinu-
ing the lights upon Cape Elizabeth and Matin-
ieus, simply in the interest of economy. Now
let as look abroad at the French lighthouse
service In particular. and the French govern
ment is noted for economy, as well az being the
hrst to adopt anything new that will add secur-
ity to the mariner upon its coast line; and as
parallel matter to Cape Elizabeth two lights,
we will name the two lights on the headland
OF La Have, the entrance o the port OF Havre
lights that now exist and have existed for
years. Also the we'll known Casquets three
lights, middle flashing red, if remember COR
rectiy. The Csssuets, once seen, cannot be
mistaken, and the dangerous coasts of the
Jersey islands are thereby approached with
confidence. Then, in the Irish Channel the
TWO lights on the Smalls, opposite side from
The Euskar, exist as they have for many years
No English officer would extnguish one of the
lights upon he Smalls as a matter If economy,
and II 1t was done the English marine would
not be content with simply expressing indigna-
ton. Ii the Light House Board desires to
exercise economy in any direction, and are de-
termined to extinguish two lights upon the
coast Of Maine, simply in the interest of econ
omy, would respectfully suggest there pose
oily TWO lights on the coast of Maine that are
lights of convenierce, and not of necessity
that could te extingnished without one-teuth
part OF the danger that must occur if the lights
NVlE N .kAkk.
gushed.
The Admiral also says all persons interested
In this day of rapid mail communication, can
have the requisite information of such change
Was the Admiral aware when he wrote this
that many coasters never see ne ewspaper: thai
many OF them, the best pilots on our coast,
never have chart on board their vessels; that
their knowledge has been gained in the nsrd
school OF experience and that the coast from
Quoddy to Cape Cod is familiar to them from
their experience and knowledge of what escn
light and headlight is, as the harbor is from
which they SAIL Still many of these men
would never know OF change of the utmost
importance TO them unless someone told them,
or they had wrecked their vessels in con-
sequence of the lights being mis- aken These
men navigate from light to light, and have
scarce any other method, and some one of
them is sure to meet with loss of vessel, ii
not his life, before he obtains knowledge of
the economy of the light house board. These
mcu IL uioWu OIL uISub ulStdk6 even
gan for Cape Elizabeth. and while agreeing
with Admiral Wyman that few would be
liable to an error OF 40 miles in making the
land that understood the science of nav cation,
still it is very easy for such error to be made
with poor sights and still poorer chronometers,
and such being the case adds another reason to
those existing why the lights should remain
undisturbed. But the great danger of mis-
taking Half Way for Cape Eiz abeth, or vice
versa, to the Admiral does not seem worth noti-
cling. But all navigators who have for hours
perhaps watched with intense anxiety for
glimpse Of light, remembers with how much
uncertainty he has many times found the light.
But it was when found very indistinct he
could not tell which light it was. How easy Then,
IN the glim, to mistake a red fash for white j
flash among color bind men under similar
circumstances
The Admiral refers to Moose Peak and Petit
A6nan flashing lights. / will venture the
assertion when one vessel runs for either of
those lights upon making land, a Thousand run
for the important lights upon Cape Elizabeth.
Yours, j. W.D.