The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-04
A NEW TENDER WANTED.
The Light House Board Urging a New
Vessel for This District.

Vessel for This District.
An effort is being made to get an appro-
priation by congress for light-draught
vessel for use in the Sixth light house dis
trlct, as an adjunct to the Wistoria. It is
not an easy thing to get special appropria-
ton passed, for the reason that.the light
| house board usually includes in its bill all
that is needed for the service. IL is very
seldom, also, that more than three tenders
are provided for each year, two icing the
average number. The lighthouse board
has, however, already recommended the
building of the additional tender for this
district, but there are five applications now
on file before the board. and one of these,
from Maine, will be vigorously pushed.
The reasons why congress should act
promptly are given fully in the report made
on the subject of the new vessel by Lieut..
Commander Hitchcock to the lighthouse
board. Commander Hitchcock says: ''There
is needed, IN addition TO the other tenders
in this district. light steamer with steel
hull, side wheels, double ends of feet
draught, not more than 100 feet in length,
and q feet beam, with a plle-driving con-
trivance at the bow. There are four COM
petely lighted rivers in the district, with
ll9 post-lghts that are constructed by
driving plies in cluster. or singly, viz:
CaDs Fear river, North Carolina, 10: Savan-
nah river, Georgia, g. st. Johns river,
Florida, II; Indian river, Florida, to be
completed this fall. 26.
The Cape Fear and Indian rivers are at
the extreme northern and southern limits of
the district, about 400 miles apart, with the
Savannah and ST. Johns rivers between.
Repairing and building these post-lights,
which is almost constantly required, owing
to natural deterioration or destruction,
makes the use of pile driver necessary.
and there is but one in the district, a fiat
bottomed scow, very crude. and without
propelling power. 1t is on the ST. Johns
river, and it is not practicable to take it out
of the river 1t is Of use, as the present
tender can tow it as far up as Palatka, but
above that towage must be hired. Each
time this scow or pile driver is used It is
specially fitted for the purpose, with donkey
boiler, engine, ETC.. all of which are kept
during the interval at Castle Pinckney,
Charleston harbor. But it is now about
used up, ald it would he waste of money
to give it any extensive repairs.
1T is not safe for the present tender to go
above Palatka. which is about one-third
the way between Jacksonville and the head
of navigation, as the ST. Johns river runs,
when the river is high, lest she should be
kept there by fall, and when the river is
low 1t is impossible for her to get up, there
not being sufficient water There are
twenty eight post lights and one light sta
ton, Volusia Bar, above Palatka, and the
tender cannot reach them.
"On the Indian river, Florida, there are
twenty-six lights which the present tender
cannot reach, but which one drawing four
feet, as proposed. will be able to get to
when certain contemplated improvements
now under way in the navigation of the
river are completed Fifty-four post-lights
and one light station cannot be visited by
the present tender. An inside passage ex-
tends from Bulls Bay, s. c., to
the st. Johns river, Fla, which is navi-
gable for vessel drawing from four to
four and half feet of water. South of
Charleston this inside passage leads through
eleven large sounds, which are all buoyed
The board has recommended the lighting
and marking with post-lights and day
marks of so much of this passage as extends
from savannah to Fernandina. All of tins
inside work, including the buoyage, re-
qulres tender Of light draught for its
proper performance
"rbe work in this lighthouse district hes
increased to such an extent that two steam
tenders are needed to do the duty required
and to properly attend to all the aids to
navigation. The present tender will be
fully aud actively employed in deep water,
supplying and inspecting the stations, tow
Ing hghtships. and in attending to the out
side buoys and Gids to navigation generally.
The proposed new lightdraught boat can
then 20 used exclusively in the rivers and
sounds, aud for the general inside work
The immediate necessity for this boat is
very pressing. 1t is therefore recommended
that an appropriation OF $4,000 be made
for this PURPOSE