The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-30
THE TWO LIGHTS.
THE LETTERS SENT TO CONGRESS-
MAN REED.
Vigorous Opinions of the Committee of
the Board of Trade.
The follawing letters have been forwarded to
Congressman Reed:

The follawing letters have been forwarded to
Congressman Reed
CAPT. RYAN's LRTTER.
PORTLAND, Oct. %, 'S2.
Hon. Thomas B. Reed, N. c., from the First
Maine District.
Dear Sir Having, in connection with Capts.
J. s. Winslow and J. W. Deering, been APP
pointed at meeting of shipowners and citi-
zens, held at the Board of Trade rooms East
INST, to confer with you on the subject OF re-
moving one of the Cape Elizabeth lights, 1
herewith hand you the views OF each OF the
committee.
The Cape Elizabeth Two Lights, the High
Land Light of Cape Cod, and the two lights at
Thatcher's Island, Cape Ann, are the three
most important head land lights, from Cape
Cod to Eastport, and among the Oldest can
remember the Cape Elizabeth Lights fifty-fve
years. On the English charts, and the charts
IN use by every maretime nation, there are taoo
light houses at Cape Elizabeth. A years
notice OF change would not reach every
navigator who might come towards Portland
or Boston, and no change could be made that
would not impair the usefulness of those ttco
lights, in pointing out to the mariner his true
position; not only to the coaster, but to those
approaching Boston or Portland from foreign
parts.
1t is often the case that vessels get in to the
north of Georges Banks and for days,
days, and sometimes weeks, are in fogs and
thick weather. having no observations of the
sun; and, on the whole coast OF Maine, no
navigator, under these circumstances, can as
certain his true position by the soundings.
Steamers from Europe and the British Proyin-
ces, bound to Boston, sometimes, by errors in
cOmpasses or steering, or in the Judgment of
the officers, approach the coast near Cape
Elizabeth, and, seeing the ttco lights. know at
once where they are.
No si7agIe light flashing or revolving, can
serve the purpose of taco lights. In dark,
stormy night no navigator who comes sudden
ly upon such flashing light, has chance to
take out his watch and count off seconds cor
rectly--his mind is on his vessel and her safety,
as she may strike the rocks ere the seconds are
counted.
If the proposed change be made, how long
before some passenger steamer, or other vessel,
is lost in consequence thereof, with hundreds
of lives, and then the excavations OF the whole
nation upon the penny wisdom and pound fol-
ly, the imbecility, of the Light House Board,
and the powers that be! For it is reported that
the Light House Board assign as the reason for
the contemplated change, that the appropria-
ton for lights is Insufficient to maintain all Can
it be possible that any body of men of praeti-
cal common sense in this matter of coast lights
should discontinue or change a light (and that
light head land light of the first Importance
for such reasonl
will say nothing here of the river and har-
Dor bill of the late Congress-the thoughts of
every practical common sense man, Instructive
~ turn to that bin in connection with this
subject
When or where are changes in our light
houses to end, if this change be consummated?
Are they to depend upon lolitics, and the ca
prices of majnrities in Congress-, in voting or
Withholding the necessary appropriations? If
SO, the marine insurance companies will soon
be compelled to insert Udr clause in every
policy, something like the acar clause of the
times Of the rebellion, viz: Warranted by
the assured free from all loss or damage caused
by the changes of lights by the q. s. Light
House Board"
Finally we are at loss to conceive the real
motives of the Light House Board. Can it be
q stab at the shipping interest," already strug
Cling for life under the mal-administration of
our OWE government? Oh for department of
navigation and commerce, which our suffer-
ing shipping interests may look for redress and
protectioni
Respectfully submitted,
WASHINGTON RYAN.