The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-04
The Danger Spots in Mar
raganSett Bay.
They May Be Marked in the
Near Future.
Along Petition Sent TO Light EOuse
Commissioners.


that you cannot see your hand before
you face; and not few have often said
their prayers at the thought OF rocks
ahead, which the pilot may not see. Ii
is bad enough in the day time, but IT Is
ten times verse at night, and the escapes
OF even the craft on our Providence river
and Narrsgansett Bay have been rs mir
acuIous as they have been numerous,
while in several instances within the
memory of all of US the results have been
most disastrous. The hope has often bsen
expressed that some additional safe
guards might be employed in the bay and
sower barDor to render navigation preeti-
caily perfectly safe on all occasions aud
at last decisive movement in that di-
rection is announced in the form of petit
tion sent on New Years day to the light
house board al Washington, ID. c., signed
by many OF the principal owners, officers
and agents OF the various steamship and
sailing vessel lines in this vicinity. as
we'll as owners of valuable pleasure craft.
The petition prsys for the establishment
OF Pintsch lighted buoys, or some other
points known TO the subscribers TO be
constant mensces to passenger AID gen.
eral commerce service. These points are:
Horseshoe Shosl, marked by the first can
buoy south of Comm cut Point light;
Psppoose Squaw point, Onio ledge, Plum
Beach point. Despair Island, Halfway
Rock and Old Bull Rock, Seaconne,
- IL f,s IN aIr hv n,,r
il an appropriation OF s25, 900 for the
founda. ions for a lighthouse at Plum
Beach, but the petition requests a lighied
buoy until that shall have been COM
pleted, which VIII not be for a long
time, probably.
The exposures to these "me e1aces" may
be better understood when 1t is remem-
bered that the estimated average annual
passages by these points both ways, is:
Vessels, 25o0; barges, 1900; New York
steamers, not including ireighters, $40,
or more; Baltimore boats, 2Os; fishermen,
$50. Then there are any quantity Of steam
and sail yachts going backward and
forth ali the time, besides the Continental
and Seaconaet lines of steamboats,.
That the petition shouio have some
weight nobody will deny after look ing at
the names OF the following siguers:
Hon. Charles Warren Lppitt and
George II. 'KAtop, of the wiusor line; J.
w. McCloskey, Baltimore line; Y. Will
lam, New York line; 4. II. Brownell,
Fall River line; Benjamin Buffum, Con-
tinental line; the Seaconnot Steam boat
Company; 5. N. Lewis of the Frances;
the Providence Tow Boat Company; Pom
roy Coal Company; Providence Coal
Company; John X. White 4 company;
4. +. Shepard & Company; Harvey T..
WeIlman, Henry l.. Aldrich, Providence
Dry Dock Company, :. ID. Andrews d
Son, Hon. 4. F.Olney, r. W. Comsiock,
John Nicholas Brown, Charles Fletcher,
Josepn Il. Fletcher, Gardiner G. Sims
and President James L. Peirce by su-
thority OF the executive committee OF the
Providence Board OF Trade. In addi-
ticn, the executive committee OF the Paw
tucksi Business Mems Association di.
rooted President Lyman Il. Goff to sign
the petition snn ID. Goff 81 Sons, OF Paw
tucket, also signed.
The Pintsch lighted buoy is the inyen-
tion OF German of that name. 1t is an
iron tank, filed with compressed gas
such as is used in railroad trains, which
is non-explosive, and Is anchored where
ever needed. The gas runs through a
pipe to the burner, which is protected by
caga like affair, and is SO aajusied
that neither wind, wave nor position can
cxtinguish II, aud once charged the tank
lasts for six months, burning night and
day. This continuous light can easily be
seen quite distance even il thick fog
and would be great assistance to navi-
gators in placing their bearings. For in
stance suppose il came up thick and the
City or n swpor., loaded with women
and children, as is not unlikely. should
have just passed Despair Island. The
light there would be just the guide the
skipper needs aud time as we'll as con
fusion aud even fear on the part OF the
passengers would be obvisted. And tho
chances are that the next time the cap.
tain met Mr.. II. VI. Burroughs, chairman
OF the board OF pilot commiss toner's, who
worked the scheme up, be would CRATE.
fully grasp his ha Id.
These lighted buoys raise their heads
about twelve feet above the surface o
the water and in many cases arc provided
by the government in place OF light
houses, which are not only more ex zen
sive to bu.ld, but also to maintain
There Ia ano her invention which NIGH
answer as vel, and which was 'alked oI
ip connection with New York naroor
That is system OF e,setricaily lighted
booys and II could pe adopted here yer,
readily sod creaply, IL desirable.
Something Is liable to be done. how
ever. as the lighthouse board ia made u,
Of level-hssded men among whom s
Hon. John r. Bartlett OF Rhode Island
Father Oconneirs Departure.
B0sroy. Jan. Rev. William ii
OConnell departed yesterday for Balti