Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-10-22
EXECUTION ROCK LIGHT.
How Mariners Are Guided Along III,
sound TO Hell Gate.


after mp>slng between Throgg's Neck
aui Nlllet's point, the entrance ~
lGt,g Island sound, is Execution BDca
llg,.t, wlIch towers into the air from
the surrounding waste of waters.
Here II ha- stood, if the tales of the
Neil Gate pilots are 10 be believed,
Cigh onto naif a century, warning tho
mariner At nightofthe dangers OF Ex
wIlIun rock. and guiding him on his
true course W the long stretch Of
".slrrS The rock on which the light
guuSc l. erected derives It's name, 50
the Story runs, from the fact that dur
80 TIE Revolution a vessel Of which
the crow had mutinied ran ashore
there through bad management of the
muiIuncra, when they were overcome
by their righ'ful officers and hanged
OH the rock.
The rocky iulet lies about iour
MiIra below Larchmont. and south
east at New Rochelle aEi Glen lsl
and 1t IS also about two miles
uorthcas: OF Sands point. on the L"pg
island shore. The tower. which
bah Of white stone, is circular ia
.urH, and /, foity-seven feet high. 1t
has an iron top which ispaintcd black
The ground iioor is used for tie st1r
age OF the mineral oil used in feeding
the lamps aud various odds ANA cnds
On the second floor is the double boil
er, which supplies the fog horn will
hot air. aud also the machinery foI
forcing the air into the horn. Ths
horn is situated on the floor above
aud Is OF brass. the c:al projecting
about SIN feet beyond the building
Ii sounds blasts OF seven seconds du.
nt,on, with intervals OF rorty-threc
seconds IA case OF I'M accident to
the signal, the lighthouse is sUpplief
with al Anderson fog horn, which is
Siuu sounded.
The hight is situated in the upper
storv, The wall Of this floor IS f0sip
I'd Of plate, of glass of Ia out four feet
square. The light is white and iiXeu
Gnd Is visible at a distance of thirteen
miles 4 large, brass circular lamp
Nth a foot aud half glass chimney
about three inches in diameter, fur
nlsh"s the necessary illumination.
The IIght is surrounded by a glass
globe d foot IN diameter.
On th" west side, adjoining the tow
er, III twO story granite dwelling in
which the keeper. his family agd as
s,,llri reside. The house i, neatly
FURNISHED Ii Is built on u foundation
Of concrete aud rock. The comnupi
cation with the shore is by IA whale
beat and a small rowboat. The kecT
ers lake turns in watching, each he
nc ON duty alternate days FROM la
m, till ! "A m "a period Of tNenty-foui
hours.
\ small library has beer furnished
by tic lighthouse department Dur.
ing the summcr months there are
many visitors, but during the winter
tie only persons ccn are the Hell
Gate pilots. who make tins then
boarding station. Supplies ore 90
tanned from this city and the light
house tug. The keepers residence
according TO the date under the caves,
was built in 1867. Previous 10 that
time the second aNd third floors e
.he tower we're us d as a dwelling,
tut this place being needed for the
fog horn, the house was erected.
About a quarter Of IA century ago il
VAS necessary TO clter the station by
Crawling through a window on the
cast side, up 10 which the roWboats
were hulsted.
The nearest ligh;to Execution rock 10
at the extreme END Of Sands point, ]. A.
This is "A flashing white light. visible
thirteen miles, Thu interval between
its flashes is thirty secouGs. The tow
er, which is for:y-six ieet high, il
built of white stone and is AT the II
trance TO Cow bay. Adjoining the
house is n dwelling OF free stone occu-
pied by the keeper. A short distance
up the beach on the bag is the Sands
Point pavilion, and back Of this, on
the high ground, it the Sands Point
motel. On the edge Of the salt meadow
Is the old Sands house. Ii wusa place
Of some importance during the Revo.
luton in the secret service Of passing
money and news from Long Island C
the American army on the mainland
The place rendered another inpor
lant service, more closely RELAXED t.
the present day. Capt. john Sanus
bought the estate in 1896. but be con
Timed 10 follow the sea and ran u
trading schooner between New York
and Virginia. On one Of these trips
he brought bone a quantity Of yougg
locus. trees aud planted them along
THIS shore. They grew 50 well. and
the timber was recognized as 50 valu
able, that other people soon planted
them from his stock. Thus Long Isl.
and New England derived their supply
Of this wood from Sands point.
Among the other lights 10 be seen
on the way from this city 10 Newport
by boat are Blackwell's Island, North
Brothers. Eaton's, Bridgeport, Old
Fields, Horton Point, Coru.icld, Say.
brick, Plum Island, Falkners Island,
Jul, New Haven. New London, Race
Rock, Long Beach, Point Judith,
Beaver Tail, Bartlett's Reef, Little
Gull, Gardeners Island, Dutch Island,
Polar Point, Prudence, Warwick,
Newport Head. North Dumping,
Montauk, Stonington, Watch Hill
and Block Island, north and SOUTH
~ W