, 1889-09-12
EXECUTION RocK LIGHT.
How Mariners Are Guided Along the
Sound to Hell Gate, =

SOuhn 70 men ShteT
About the first thing a traveller sees
after passing between Throgg's Neck
and Willet's point the entrance TO
Long Island sound, is Execution Rock
light which towers into the air from
the surrounding waste of waters.
Here it has stood, if the tales of the
He'll Gate pilots are to be believed,
nigh onto half a century, warning the
mariner at night of the dangers Of Ex-
ecution rock, and guiding him on his
true course over the long stretch of
waters. The rock on which the light
house is erected derives its name, so
the story runs, from the TACT that dur
ing the Revolution a vessel OF which
the crew had mutinied ran ashore
there through bad management of the
mutineers, when they were overcome
by their rightful officers and hanged
on the rock.
The rocky inlet lies about four
miles below Larchmont, and south
east Of New Rochelle and Glen ISL
and. II is also about two miles
northeast Of Sands point, on the Long
Island shore. The tower, which is
built Of white stone, is circular in
form, and is forty-seven feet high. 1t
has an iron top which is painted black.
The ground floor is used for the stor-
age OF the mineral oil used in feeding
the lamps and various odds and ends.
On the second floor is the double boil
err, which supplies the fog horn with
hot air, and also the machinery for
forcing the air into the horn. The
horn is situated on the floor above,
and is of brass, the end projecting
about six feet beyond the building.
Ii sounds blasts OF even seconds du-
ration, with intervals of forty-three
seconds. In case Of an accident to
the signal, the lighthouse is supplied
with an Anderson fog horn, which is
then sounded.
The light is situated in the upper
story. The wall of this floor is form
ed of plates of glass of about four feet
square. The light is white and fixed
and is visible at a distance of thirteen
miles. A large, brass circular lamp,
with a foot and half glass chimney
about three inches in diameter, fur
nishes the necessary illumination.
The light is surrounded by a glass
globe a foot in diameter.
On the west side, adjoining the tow
err, is u two story granite dwelling in
which the keeper, his family and as
sistant reside. The house is neatly
furnished. 1t is built on a foundation
of concrete and rock. The communi-
cation with the shore is by a whale
boat and n small rowboat. The keep
ers take turns in watching, each be-
ing on duty alternate days from / a.
III. Till / a. M, a period of twenty-four
hours.
A small library has been furnished
by the lighthouse department. Dur
ing the summer months there are
many visitors, but during the winter
the only persons seen are the He'll
Gate pilots, who make this their
boarding station. Supplies are OBJ
tanned from this city and the light
house tug. The keepers residence,
according to the date under the caves,
vas built in 1867. Previous TO that
time the second and third floors of
the tower were used as a dwelling,
but this place being needed for the
fog horn, the house was erected.
About a quarter of n century ago it
was necessary TO enter the station by
crawling through a window on the
east side, up to which the rowboats
were hoisted.
The nearest light Execution rock is
at the extreme end of Sands point. l. |.
This is a flashing white light, visible
thirteen miles. The interval between
its flashes is thirty seconds. The tow
or, which is forty-six feet high, is
built OF white stone and is at the en-
trance TO Cow bay. Adjoining the
house is IA dwelling of free stone occu-
pied by the keeper. A short distance
up the beach on the bay is the Sands
Point pavilion, and back of this, on
the high ground, it the Sands Point
hotel. On the edge of the salt meadow
is the old Sands house. 1t was a place
of some importance during the Revo-
luton in the secret service of passing
money and news from Long Island to
the American army on the mainland.
The place rendered another impor-
an service, more closely related to
the present day. Capt. John Sands
bought the estate in 1895, but he con
tinued 10 follow the sea and rain a
trading schooner between New York
and Virginia. On one of these trips
he brought home a quantity of young
locust trees and planted them along
this shore. They grew 30 well, and
the timber was recognized as SO 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 to be seen
on the way from this city to Newport
by boat are Blackwell's Island, North
Brothers, Eaton's, Bridgeport, Old
Fields, Horton Point, Cornield, Say
brick, Plum Island, Falkners Island,
Gull, 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, S~tonington, Watch Hill
and Block Island, north and south
New York Telegram