New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-28
LIGHTHOUSES OUT on LONG ISLAND.
A CIRCUIT OF THEM GIVES AN INTERESTING
BICYCLE TOUR

A CIRCUIT OF THEM GIVES AN INTERESTING |
BICYCLE TOUR
new bicycle tour involves a visit to all the light
houses on Long Island outside of the Greater New
York Many persons find 1t much better to have
defnite aim in travelling awheel than to wander
aimlessly Nearly every lighthouse along the At
lantic coast has interesting history OF It's own
with which the keepers are more or less famiiiar
In fact the keepers themselves usually are most
interesting fellows being rule retired sailors.
whose capacity for spinning yarns Is limited only
by the patience Of their listeners Many OF these
men went through the War Of the Rebellion But
aside from this the lighthouses in themselves are
objects Of interest.
The Long Island lighthouses are easily accessible
nv wheel and the round trip brings one upon new
scenes constantly, there being no need to retrace
ones steps
Many Of the lighthouses most picturesquely
situated That at Old Field Point, which forms the
western shore of Port Jefferson Harbor. has most
lovely approach. 1t is built the extreme end Of
Old Field Point, which juts far out into Long
Island Sound at It's broadcast point With powerful
neidglass, on a clear day. the extreme eastern end
Of Long Island be seen from the tower or the
lighthouse. The tower is seventy-fve feet above
the level Of the water, and certainly commands a
view of surprising beauty. Houses on the Con-
necticut shore can be distinctly made out. Bridge
port is plainly visible, while NewHaven Harbor can
be family iiscerned by the naked eye.
The approach to this lighthouse Is one OF delight
for the bicyclist AS you strike into Old Field ROAD
from, the village of Setauket you skirt along the
borders Of Conscience Bay for several miles, the
road much of this distance running close beside
the waters edge. This bay Is beautiful sheet Of
u,a+er adjoining Port jefferson Harbor and seems
10 be entirely encirced by rich green woodland.
narrow channel leads into the larger harbor. After
pursuing Ibis road for several miles the tourist
reaches the beginning of the famous Old Field Lane.
20
Iria,ds, Of the Setauket tribe-hence the name "Od
Field" This lane for than $50 years has been
IN exactly its present condition. densely overarched
| with trees and vines. through which gmpses of
Conscience Bay and Port Jefferson Harbor are to
he had OH the right hand, and the broad, blue
waters OF the Sound and the distant hills OF Con-
necticut on the left. For mile more this lane
runs through this enchanting scenery, when 1t sud
denly opens out on the broad, cleared and we'll
kept grounds OF the lighthouse property.
Recently several New-Yorkers have bought tracts
Of land ana built summer homes here. The RoaG
commissioners OF the place offered open the
.1ane" as they called it, That meant the cutting
down of all the trees and the widening of the road
into ffty~foot highway. thereby destroying much
~ os i9 70 the proposed Improvement was immedi-
ately raised, and the opening has been indefinitely
postponed. ,,,,
Charles F. Jayne is the keeper Of the lighthouse
and veteran IN the serSe having seryee IN i.
eighty years old and although his hand trembles a
little with palsy, ne is as sprghtiy as most men OF
! forty-fve and only short time ago drove his
horse st a 'trot" and won the race. He Is forty
miner and tell some wonderful stories about his
| adventures in California in the early days.
! Next in point OF piciuresqueness of Long Island
lighthouses is that at Montauk Point. The keeper
OF fhis structure is Jolly Old Bill Scott" He has
been here Twelve years. and although he likes his
PSSi JAYNE me- Of od Field Point Bs plea being
/ that he was raised in them parts. and would
! kinder Ike to spend his last days there" But
Bills" frl"nds shrewdly suspect that his real rea-
son for desiring the change is the foghorn at Mon
tauk Point old Field is blessed with the absence OF
| any such nuisance while at BIZ SCOTS tre-
mendous steam foghorn iGWenyfouf feet Long
| Your hair and banshes all thoughts of sleep in
foggy weather.
boundary CT Huntington Harbor is also place OF
great natural beauty. Mr.. Ray was the genial
Keeper there for some time, but now he Is the
keeper of Middle Ground Light, in the Sound. half
Taking the lights in the following order makes a
most delightful excursion for party OF bcyclists
From New York the first lighthouse to be visited
! after shaking yourself clear OF the metropolitan
! district. Ia that at Sands Point. This the
| about which such fuss was stirred up year
| two ago when the light was discontinued being
unnecessary. Several vessels promptly went ashore
! after the Light was given up, and last year Ii
/ re-establisfed. From this point II Is delightful
ride 10 Eaton's Neck and thence 10 Old Field Point
the scenery becoming more ana more attractive.
The next lighthouse the north side Is at Hor-
tons Point some forty miles down the Sound Here
..Old Man Prince" has been doing the honors for
Yourself TO gether for a long to Montauk Point
wnere 'B' Scott will give you cordial welcome
| Then skrt.ng the south shore OF Long Island you
take In the only two lights on that side. namely.
those at Shinnecock and at Fire Island. The METRE
distance covered in such trip Is about two hun
dred and fifty miles
D!sclplnary.-"Ev this" exclaimed the per-
cpfrin 10 ta4p NJ