Arizona weekly citizen., 1890-02-15
EXECUTION ROCK LIGHT.
How Mariners Are Guided Along tn
 Sound to He'll Ghke,

How Mariners Are Guided Along the Sound to Hell Gste.
 About the first thing a traveller sees after passing between Throgg's Neck and Willets point the entrance to Long Island sound, is Execution Rock light which towers into the air frol1 the surrounding waste of waters Here 1t has stood, If the tales of tho He'll Gate pilots are to be believed, nigh onto half 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 fact that dur ing the Revolution a vessel of which the crew had mutinied ran ashore there through bad management of Che nITtineers, 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. It 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. It 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 CT, which supplies the fog horn with hot air, and also the machinery foa 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. It sounds blasts of seven 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 distance of thirteen miles. A large, brass circular lamp, with foot and half glass chimney about threo inches in diameter. fur nishes the necessary illumination. The light is surrounded by a glass globe foot in diameter.
 On the west side, adjoining the tow. er, Is two story granite dwelling in which the keeper, his family and as yistant reside. The house is neatly furnished It is built on foundation of concrete and rock. The communi cation with the shore is by a whale boat and small rowboat The keep CTS take turns in watching, each be ing on duty alternate days from a. m- till a. m., period of twenty-fou 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 Hell Gate pilots, who make this their boarding station. Supplies are ob tained from this city and the light house tug. The keepers residence, according to the date under the caves, was 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 century ago it vas necessary to enter the station by crawling through a window on tht east side, up to which the rowboats were hoiSted-
 The nearest light to Execution rock is at the extreme end of Sands point, L. 1 This is flashing white light, visible thirteen miles. The interval between its flashes is thirty seconds. The tow CT, which Is forty-six feet high, is built of white stone and is at tie en trance to Cow bay. Adjoining the house is a 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, oI the high ground, it the Sands Point hotel. On the edge of the salt meadow is the old Sands house. It was place of some importance during the Revo lution in the secret service of passing money and news from Long Island tc the American army on the mainland
 The place rendered another impor tant service, more closely related tc the present day. Capt. John Sands bought the estate in 1895, but he con tinued to follow the sea and ran trading schooner between New York and Virginia. On one of these trips he brought home a quantity of young locust trses and planted them along this shore. They grew so we'll, 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 5y boat are Blackwell's Island, North Brothers, Eaton's, Bridgeport Old Fields, Horton Point, Cornfield, Say brick, Plum Island, Falkners Island, Iull, New Haven, New London, Race Rock, Long Beach, Point Judith, Beaver Tail, Bartlett's Reef, Little Gull, Gardiner's Island, Dutch Island, Polar Point, Prudence, Warwick, Newport Head. North Dumpling Montauk, Stonington, Watch HiD and Block Island, north and soutb.~ " M