New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
DANGERS OF PLUM GUT.
YACHTSMEN AND NAVIGATORS EAfLAiN
THE NEED OF A LIGHTHOUSE Al
ORIENT POINT, LONG ISLAND.

yachtsmen and residents Of the eastern emu Oh
Long Island are interested in the measure Deiore
Congress 10 provide for lighting the entrance ~
Greenport HarbOr and the course from Greehport
to Sag Harbor. At present this much-H1que
course is described as poorly lighted and danger
Gus The advocates Of the measure say that
lighthouse and steam whistle are absolutely neces-
sary at Orient Point and until the lighthouse ca"
be built post light, with an eight-day ramp
should be placed on the site OF the Ola peaco'''
Tho&e who have given the subject the most a''eh-
ton think that high pressure gas beacon hsn's
and gas buoys should be established. and they ue-
clare that the expense would be smaller than with
any other means OF lighting Beacon lights are
suggested for the following points: On Hay bedch
Point at the end OF the Greenport Break"d'ei'
on Conklings Point. about two miles west OF Green
port: on Rocky or Stearns's Point. on oheiteT
Island at Ha,ocks or Paradise Point, on Iyhoah
or Clark's Point; a gas buoy on the shoal OF west
Neck Harbor on Shelter Island. and gas buoy on
the shoal three-fourths of mile north OF sag
Harbor wharf
The lighthouse at Orient Point, on the west side
Of Plum Gut, is badly needed, according to navga-
tors.
In the statement which has been prepared by
those interested 1t IL shown that the beacon
formerly at Orient Point, oyster Pond Reef, has
been washed away and is now under water Inc
light on Plum Island is considered in large part
useless. For some reason its bell often cannot
be heard in fog, and vessels nave gone asHOic
on Orient Point and opposite the lighthouse
on Plum Island while trying to make the light ana
bell on an ebb tide their trips east. even the
steamers Shelter Island and Montauk cannot so
through the Gut In fog but are compelled to lie
near the Cornfield Lightship in the direct track
OF the Eastern steamers and at the very scene OF
the Narragansett disaster Of 1880. Many vessels
lie over night at New-London because they dare
not 20 through the Gut except by daylight The
flood tide makes In the Gut about one and half
hours before 1t makes in the Race and II there was
a light at Orient Point many vessels would go 10
the south of Plum Island and through the Gut IN
stead of attempting to stem the Race tide
carefully prepared statement Of the annual
tonnage and passenger traffic through Plum Gut
has been prepared to show how many people would
be benefited by the proposed improvement About
10000 passengers are carried past the point every
year. The lsSo,S6O tons arc accounted ior IN this
statement ~
Fishing steamers ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. CAS- SEQ
Steamers Shelter Island. Monauk. Manhansett ~,
Island and excursion olo"VV
Coasting vessels, schooners brck-aden vessels - go
Sailing and steam yachts. <l4WW
Vesses =, Orient and Sag Uarbor $4,000
The magnitude of this tonnage can best be SHOWN
by comparing 1t with the tonnage of sailing vessels
entered and cleared in NewYork Harbor for year
In the twelve months ending June go 1894 THIS
amounted to 1.9S9,6SO tons.